New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-20
A SECOND GAR IN RUSSIA
THE PROJECT OF ST. PETERSBURG AND
HIS AUTOCRATIC POWERS.

INSTANCES OF THE NEED or PERMITS.
Berlin Feb. 2
or course Nicholas II is the real Car or 81.
Petersburg, as ne is of all the Russias' but there
Is a man representing him in the city govern
Inent who has such comprehensive powers '''a'
for ordinary people. who cannot get near the
Emperor himself, he Is the only car they ever
nereonallv know or have any dealings with.
refer to the Project of the city. or the Erauo-
nachalnk as he is called In Russian. Other
Russian towns have Governors. whose duties
include those Of the Gradonachalnik as well as
those OF an ordinary civil Governor; ST. PETERS
burg has also its Governor. who is over the en-
tire province OF the same name but the freiect
Is tine most powerful official in the city proper
He Is appointed by the Gar but receives MS
salary a comparatively small sum, considering
his position-about S12,0W-from the Duma' OF
Town Council The officials above him, 10 Whom
he has to answer for many of his decisions, are
the Governor OF the province and the Minister
OF the Interior. but every day ne has to send IN
10 the Emperor also report OF everything oi
importance that has happened in the CITY
What distinguishes him from the ordinary
Governor Of a town is that he is busted mainly
with the notice. being their chief throughout
the city limits The Governors Of smaller towns
nre nomnalv also at the head Of the local po-
lice forces but they have under them ofilciais
called police-masters who are supposed TO re-
Neve them of the more burdensomc duties.
fhe Gradonachalnik Of st. Petersburg, on the
nther hand supervises nearly every department
OF this branch of the city government, and as
one can hardly do anything in Russia. good or
bad without coming in contact with the police
sooner or later it is not difficult to understand
how far-reaching his powers may be Former
" he is said to have had even greater authority
than at present. and General Gresser, the Ia
nous detective" as ne was called, on account
of his ability to ferret out crime, was able al
the time he held the Office to order suspected
person out of the city-some say even to 81
bera-without any formality or trial. but the
tendency now is to limit more and more q Ora
donachalnks Jurisdiction. He still remains at
the head Of the police. and he is permitted on
occasions to order certain people out OF the
CITY but he can hardly Danish them to Siberia
without any preliminary examination
Generally he is a military officer well. and
the present incumbent has the rank OF a gen.
eraI He always wears his uniform, and is
saluted by soldiers well as by his policemen.
A man gets the position of Gradonachalnjk on
account of demonstrated superior ability, and
It is expected that he shall have had experience
In the police organizations Of other cities Gen
eral Kriegels the present Project had done good
work In the police force Of Warsaw before get
ting to St. Petersburg, and the fact that the
position involves more or less responsibility Tor
the safety of the Car at public ceremonies In
the city is further evidence that the man who
gets it is likely to be worthy. When the En-
peror arrives at a railway station, for instance,
and drives away in his carriage to his place, or
wherever il is that he wants to 60 the Grado-
nachalnik is not far behind him in another car
rage. watching carefully over his safety. 1t is
the Cars wish that the Project shall be ap-
proachable on an important matter at any time
Of the day night. and this wish is thoroughly
carried out. The poorest person In the town. II
oe has anything important to report that the
prefect ought to know. can get at him or his
djutant at 3 o'clock in the morning If neces-
Try. and his underlings are bound to listen TO
he visitors story and make known his errand
THE PROJECTS HEADQUARTERS
The building whore the Prefect lives. and
which also serves as the headquarters OF the
various departments under his supervision. is
situated in the GorochavaIa. near the Admiral
ty Here he keeps in touch with everything
connected with his work. and he has over two
hundred secretaries, clerks and other officials
to help him. He begins work early in the morn
Ing. and by . o'clock there is already a crowd
Of petitioners waiting in the reception room to
ask him for favors. They come all manner
Of errands-about passports, troubles with the
police, family Guarrels and even private bust
ness matters. One man will want to know if
the Project will not help him to recover money
paid for picture frame which he finds is not
so good as the shopkeeper said that it was: an
other says that he is very poor, and asks that the
on him; and still another begs for a respite in