OFFICE OF CHIEF MAGISTRATE.

7

administration notwithstanding that the examples are taken from Germany.

The Corporation of Berlin (Berliner Gemeinde Verwaltung) is presided over by a chief mayor (Ober Bürgermeister) and a mayor (Bürgermeister), like the Chairman and Deputy-Chairman of the London County Council. Both are paid offices, the first carrying a salary of £1500, the second £900 per annum. The choice lies, in both cases,

with the Town Council who are not limited to members of their own body, nor even to citizens of Berlin. Recently the office of Ober Bürgermeister became vacant, through the death of Herr von Forckenbeck, and one of the candidates spoken of for the vacancy was the Bürgermeister of Danzig, whose success as an administrator is widely known in Germany. The choice of the Town Council (Stadtverordneter Versammlung) for both offices is, however, subject to the approval of the Emperor as King of Prussia, who may, without reason assigned, veto the election of any one who is not after his own mind. But the royal veto is exercised in

a generous manner, for Herr Zelle, who now holds the office, is a Liberal. There is a Magistracy (Magistrat) of thirty members chosen by the Town Council, but each magistrate must be approved by the Chief President (Ober-Präsident) or Civil Governor of the province of Brandenburg, who has his official residence in the city. The magistrates do not sit as members of council, but in a chamber of their own; and they alone have the power to initiate civic legislation, to elaborate its details and finally to pass laws for the government of the city. The Town Council consists of 126 members (Stadtverordneten), elected from various districts or wards of the city by manhood suffrage, in the same manner as representatives are chosen for the Prussian Parliament. The Town Council has no legislative functions, but may make representations to the Magistracy on matters which seem to call for legislation; the latter body, if it approve, proceeds in the manner described with whatever measures may be needful to carry out the desired object. Of the thirty magistrates fifteen are expected to devote their

THE MAGISTRACY.

9

In

whole time to the service of the town. They are paid salaries ranging from 7000 to 15,000 marks, or about £350 to £750 per annum. one or two special cases the salary may reach £900. The unpaid magistrates have the same official status as those who are paid; but in the case of the latter it is imperative, whatever other qualifications they may possess, that they shall be well versed in the law of the land and possess a full knowledge of municipal law. The members of the Magistracy are for the most part men who have served for some time as town councillors and who have shown special aptitude for administrative work. Although the Magistracy and the Town Council in their corporate capacity act independently and are somewhat in the relative positions of an upper and lower house, yet in the general work of administration, which, as with us, is carried on by committees, their members mingle and have equal votes. There are committees for the various departments: committees for buildings, streets and roadways, for lighting, cleaning and water-supply; there are sanitation, drainage and hospital committees; parks and

10

RANGE OF CORPORATION CONTROL.

markets committees; committees for the common schools, the care of the poor, the regulation of the police and the control of finance. The chairmen (Vorsitzenden) of these committees are usually magistrates, the more important committees having one of the paid magistrates for chairman. It is not only the work of the general management of the city which falls under the charge of the Berlin Corporation but matters which with us would fall under separate administration. For example, the care of the poor, the management of the common schools, the administration of the public hospitals, as well as the water-supply, and, to a large extent, the gas-supply of the city, which in this country are usually under the control of separate boards and trusts, are, in Berlin, all under direct municipal supervision. It must be said that, though such an arrangement seems to centralise large powers in the municipal body, it has very great economic advantages, as we may see by-and-by. It is sufficient to say, meanwhile, that wherever the Corporation take responsibility they insist upon obtaining the principal direction of affairs. In all such cases

MUNICIPAL EXPENDITURE.

11

the whole income and expenditure are treated as part of the income and expenditure of the Corporation and are dealt with in the annual accounts. It is thus possible to obtain a clear view of the whole cost to the inhabitants of all the public departments of the city, whether these are maintained directly out of the taxes levied, or, as in the case of gas, water, and other matters, paid for according to individual requirements.

Berlin has a public debt of about 12 millions sterling. Less than a million of this sum is old debt bearing interest at 4 per cent; the whole of the other 11 millions bears 3 per cent, which is the annual rate at which the city of Berlin can now easily borrow money. The Corporation expend annually for all the purposes under their control about 80 million marks, or, in round figures, about 4 millions sterling. This expenditure, though apparently large, is in reality considerably less per head of the population than is the expenditure in a city like Edinburgh. It is very much less than in most of our large towns, if to our ordinary burgh rates we add all that is expended under our poor and school