The Sumner Borough Council has jurisdiction over an area estimated at 4,786 acres. Previous to June 1891, when the borough was incorporated, there was a town board, and before it was brought into operation, the area now included in the borough had been a portion of the rfeathcote road district. At the census taken in April, 1901, Sumner had a population of 844. It has 190 houses and 282 ratepayers. The value of the unimproved property within the borough is £64,236, and the value of improvements is £66,787. There is a general rate of 1s in the pound, a waterworks rate of 7d in the pound to provide annually recurring interest on an inscribed loan of £3,550, and a water rate of two and a half per cent. on land and buildings not connected with the main but within 100 yards of it. The charge for water is £1 a year for each house, and where meters are used the consumers are allowed 15,000 gallons for £1: for all water used in excess of that amount the charge is at the rate of 4s 3d per thousand gallons. Sumner's water supply is obtained by means of a reservoir, into which water is pumped from artesian wells sunk into the deep strata. The borough is lighted by acetylene gas.