The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-14


chance if the street cleaners, police
men and firemen whom Mayor Van
Wyck will rule We're opposing them
about election time. And the salaries or
these partments-controlled by the
mayor-Would enable the absolute des-
pot Of Morocco to pay half dozen
such armies as he has now.
When it comes to matters like de-
capitation, Of course, the sultan has
the best of it, for the mayor only be-
heads in the flgurative sense. But,
then, for our $50 square miles the
sultans ever shifting boundaries con-
tain something like 219,000 miles. AS
some one jestingly remarked of Osman
Digna, His parents were poor, but
they had lots Of sand" 1 don't pretend
to vouch for it. You could set down
the sultan's capital, Fee, in the bor-
Ough of Brooklyn and scarcely notice
it. Yet it contains a population of
100000.
The sultan has a better grip on the
votes there than even Mr.. Croker has
here, but the opportunities to invest
in real estate are not nearly so prom
Using as hereabout.
TRY AN OLIGARCH.
Poor Maharajah Sir Biz Shamsher
Jang Rama Bahadur, K. G. S. l. (now
there's good nameD. who rules an
Independent kingdom in the Himalayas
-Nepal-doesnt know whether he
rules two millions of subjects or five
millions, yet he's an oligarch who
reigns over the fighting Gurkhas. He
has British resident on his hands,
too, and the poor man is so tangled up
with his titles and limitations that he
just turns over his power to a prime
minister for the sake Of quiet life.
vol inn Ion IA
but the mayor will control more dollars
next year than the oIigarch will rupees,
and appoint virtually more men than
bear arms in that kingdom.
The Khedive of Egypt, of whom you
have heard much, has vast powers
nominally, but with the interference of
Turkey, England and France, not to
mention domestic troubles. his position
is not nearly as comfortable as the
mayors will be.
What do you suppose Alexander, king
of Servia, would say if he had power
to appoint at once 245 heads Of de-
partments, controlling employees who
in one year will be paid some $33, 000,-
900? SerVia'S population is slightly less
than Greater New York's. The police
fleet here is greater than AleXander'S
navy, and the city's salary list yearly
the mayors men profit by It's three
times as great as Servia's public reve-
nue.. And there, despite reforms, only
4 or 5 per cent of the population can
read and write. AS here under Mayor
Van Wyck, however personal liberty,
liberty of the press and conscience" are
guaranteed there, but, as you can see,
the mayor outranks the king in many
ways.
And so it is when one compares
Mayor Van Wyck's position with that
of a dozen other rulers whose names
and titles, spoken but not weighed
carefully, convey the idea of pomp and
power without end. The car, the en-
peror Of China, the sultan of Turkey
those whose sway is absolute in great
countries-are in a class of their own.
But 1t is plain, after considering the
real powers welded by many who are
called kings and princes in the Old
World, that the name mayor, in view
of what 1t means here and now, must
be placed high on the list of those who
sit 'in the seats Of the mighty"
THE VAST EXPENDITURES.
Here is a brief summary Of the
mayors direct misunderstanding the
chief officials being really the only way
in which its magnitude can be shown:
Office. Salary.
A chamberlain 800. .................. 81, 900
A corporation counsel .........:...... 10 goo
-Four police commissioners 5000. 10000
Three park commissioners, $1,000. $4,000
Six art commissioners, no salary.
One fire commissioner ................ 7,5UU
One commissioner Of jurors ............--
Two commissioners of accounts, 5000 1OOVO
President board of public improve
mentS ................ S,OVU
Commissioner of water supply ....... 1900
Commissioners of highways ........ 1900
Commissioner of street cleaning. ,50t
Commissioner of sewers ............... 7,50C
Commissioner of public buildings, etc 1900
Commissioner of bridges ........ 1890
Sc, 600 ........ 1900. .................. 2,OOO
5000 ...... ........... ............... rs. 600
Ten justices of the court of special ses-
sions at $4,000 ........ ............... 0,0B
Nineteen city magistrates at $780,. liz, 00t
President of tax board ................ 5000
100 -.'@% ....... ................. 1905
One commissioner Of charities at $500 2,5G(
One Commissioner of correction $40. 7,5OC
One chief of bureau of statistics..... 3,50C
Eighty-four school commissioners ..---
Two building commissioners at $1,000 IA, 00C
One building commissioner at So, $780,. 3,00t
President Of health board ............ l,5W
Two health commissioners at $1,000. l2,tN
Three dock commissioners at $5,0O.. l5,sW
The salaries of these heads of depart
ments alone make up an expenditure
of nearly half million yearly. and
nearly all the mayors appointees have
under their control-which is hlS-a
small army of officials, who will receive
salaries ranging from $4,000 down te
$500.
/ H..