Morning journal and courier., 1889-03-25
Monday, March 25, 1889.
GOOD MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT

GOOD MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.
 The New York Evening Post has very interesting and instructive letter from it's Berlin correspondent giving an account of the municipal government of Berlin. People in this country who are interested in the government of cities may be able to learn something from the way municipal affairs are conducted in Berlin.
 The broad basis of the government of Ber- lin is the Municipal Assembly, body com posed of 126 members, representing the 326 wards of the city. One-half at least must be house-owners, and two brothers, or father the same time. The members of this body are chosen for six years, one-third retiring every two years. This gives permanency, a principle which is embodied firmly through out the entire municipal system, and the changes in German city government are gradual, not violent. The long terms or the members give them experience. This As- sembly is the representative of the people, and out of it grows all the rest of the munich pal government. It has the entire financial control of affairs, being supreme in drawing up the budget for the year and authorizing extraordinary expenditures. It has no ex-
 ecutive functions body, but it's members
 exercise them individually in association
 with other branches of government.
 The Assembly chooses the upper branch of
 the city government, known as the magis-
 tracy, and composed of the Mayor and Board
 of Aldermen. The latter numbers thirty
 two members, fifteen of whom are paid sal aries higher than those of the local judges and members of the civil service; the re- maining seventeen are honorary members, with no salaries whatever. The fifteen sal. aried members are elected for twelve years, with especial regard to their qualifications l for the departments over which they are to ! rule. Their pay and duties are such as tc make the positions attractive to the best I class of men, who have had thorough train. | ing in the civil service of Prussia, which is | probably the best in the world. It is GUS l tomary to re-elect them unless they wish tc ! retire on pension. One of them serves ai ! Deputy Mayor, two as legal advisers, one as ! City Trsssurer, two as School Councillors | two as architects and seven as Aldermen
 simply, who may be assigned to any position 1 they are most fit to occupy.
 l Over this remarkable Board of Aldermen | is placed a Mayor who is worthy of the com ] pany. He is chosen for twelve years, and I receives salary of $7, 300. It is position ot | tho highest honor, and may be considered equivalent to a life position. And the two
 chambers are supplemented with body ol I seventy citizen deputies, as they are called 1 selected by the Assembly from distinguished | citizens to serve in general committees fol ! the administration of special affairs, such as | the relief of the poor, the administration of l the schools, etc. At the head of these com. l mittees an Alderman acts as chairman, anG 1 other Aldermen may be leading members | Members of the Assembly, together with tn. | citizen deputies, form the rest of the mem | bership.
 l The citiy's affairs are conducted by busi ness men on business principles, and as a re' suit Berlin is one of the best governed citie ! in the world.