meeting. Instead of making their local laws through representatives, they do it themselves. This is real selfgovernment, but it is possible only in the smaller communities. The business of this meeting is very important, and every voter should attend. Reports are heard from the town officers of the past year. The town officers for the next year are elected by vote. A tax is voted to pay the expenses of the coming year. Any other important town business may be transacted, provided it has been mentioned in the notice of the meeting. In this way the voters may know beforehand what is to come up for action and have time to form their opinions before voting.

The Caucus.-In many places the voters of each political party meet in a caucus to select the men who are to be voted for on election day. Every voter should attend his party caucus in order to help select good men. The voter

must first see that his own name is on the list of those who have a right to take part in the caucus. Nowhere else can he do a greater service for the cause of good local government than by working for what he believes is right in the caucus.

Primary Elections. In many of the states primary, or first, elections are held instead of caucuses for the purpose of giving the voters of each party an opportunity to select the candidates to be voted for on election day for mayor, governor, and other public officials. A primary election is really a special kind of caucus for selecting candidates to represent the different political parties. On the real or final election day the voters choose which of these candidates they will vote for, and in this way they elect those who are to hold office.

The different states have different methods of carrying on primary elections. In general, a person may be nominated for an office by securing a certain number of signatures of voters to a nominating petition. The law tells

The candidate's name is

how many this number shall be. then placed on the ballot of his party. At the primary election the voters at the polls record on these ballots their choices. The candidate for a certain office who receives the largest number of votes becomes the nominee or candidate of his party for that particular office.

A CONSOLIDATED RURAL SCHOOL BUS

In many parts of the country local school authorities are consolidating groups of small rural schools into large, modern, well equipped schools located in central villages. Motor buses convey the children to and from school. The picture

shows a consolidated rural school bus in Cumberland County, New Jersey.

It is very important for voters to take part in the primary elections. Only those who are registered as belonging to a certain party are allowed to vote for the candidates of that party. Where there is no primary election, a small group of men representing each party often pick the candidates for whom the people shall vote.

The Initiative, Referendum, and Recall.-In many parts of our country the people have recently adopted certain new plans which they believe will help them to have the kind of laws and public officials that they desire.

One plan is known as the initiative. This means the right of the people to initiate legislation or to take the first steps in making laws. When a certain specified number of the voters of a state sign a petition asking their legislature to pass a law that they desire, the legislature must take some action either for or against the desired law. In some states the people may also initiate amendments to the state constitution.

The referendum provides that when any law has been passed by a legislature, if a certain specified number of voters sign a petition asking that the new law be referred to the people, it must be sent to the voters for their approval or rejection. It cannot become a law until the voters have approved it.

The recall gives the voters under certain conditions the right to vote to recall or dismiss from office a lawmaker or official who fails to perform his duties in a way that is satisfactory to the people.

In several states the people have adopted these and other methods of exercising more direct control over public officials.

The County Sheriff.-The chief executive officer of the county is the sheriff. He does for the county what the constable does for the town. Besides he has other important duties. He attends court and keeps order; arrests murderers and other criminals and takes them to court, and sees that the sentences of the courts are carried out. The sheriff appoints a number of deputies to assist him. In case of special need, he can call upon any citizen to give him aid, and he even has the right to call upon the Governor to send soldiers to help him to preserve order.

1. How many states are there in the United States?

2. Upon what is every state government based?

3. Name some of the things a state government cannot do.

4. What is the Interstate Commerce Commission?

5. How is a state divided? For what purposes?

6. What are the qualifications of a voter in our state?

7. Who makes the laws in our state?

8. Of what is our state legislature composed?

9. What are the members called? How are they elected? For how long?

10. Who is at the head of the Executive Department of our state? What is his name? Where is his office?

11. What are some of the Governor's duties?

12. Can you name some other state officers?

13. Who looks after the business of our town?

14. Who are some other town officers? What are their duties?

15. Where will you find the town officers?

16. What is a town meeting? A caucus?

17. In what county do you reside?

18. Who is at the head of the county government?

19. Into how many counties is our state divided? Name some.

20. Does our state have primary elections?

21. Explain the primary election and tell what you think of this method of selecting candidates for public offices.

22. What is meant by the initiative? Referendum? Recall? 23. What are the duties of the sheriff?

CHAPTER VI

CITY OR MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT

General Plan.-The general plan of a city government is like that of a state. It has a special kind of constitution called a charter. Its government is also divided into three departments-legislative, executive, and judicial.

The Charter. The legislature of the state grants the city permission to organize a government by means of a charter. This is a written document which gives the city the right to manage its local affairs and tells what sort of local government it shall have. It names certain special things that the city can do for itself and other things that the city must not do.

The City Legislature.-The city legislature is called the City Council or the Board of Aldermen. Sometimes this body of men is divided into two parts like the two houses of the state legislature, but in most cities they all meet as one Council. The members are elected by the voters of the districts, or wards, into which the city is divided. The laws passed by this body for the city are called ordinances. They are simply local rules about such public matters as the erection of buildings, the digging of sewers, the prevention of fires, the checking of contagious diseases, and the peace and safety of the people. City ordinances must not conflict with the laws of the state or the Nation.

The Mayor. The head officer of the executive department of a city is the Mayor, corresponding to the Governor of the state. The Mayor is elected by the voters of the city and represents all the people in his city. It is his duty.