The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-15
mere FIGUREHEAD.
British Mayor Must
Spend His
Salary.
HAS BUT VERY LITTLE POWER.
Lord Mayor Of London Rules
Over a Small
Domain.
HAS BUT VERY LITTLE POWER.

The approaching visit to this country
of the lorG mayor of Dublin, who, with
Mr. Redmond, NJ. P, is coming to the
United States in a few weeks on lee
turing tour in support of the Parnell
memorial fund, renders seasonable the
making of some comparison between
civic executives on the other side Of the
water and on this. To start with, a
mayor, or lord mayor, in Great Brit
ain and Ireland, is not ELECTED to office
by direct vote of the people. He is
chosen from within the city council,
and those who vote on his election are
his colleagues in the municipal govern
ment. AS a general rule, the majority
party in the council elects a man from
its own side of the house, so that really
while not elected by the votes Of the
citizens at large the mayor is in fact
the political representative of the DOM
inant party in the city, and therefore
of the majority of its citizens. He lg
chosen for one year, but usually, il he
conducts himself in Office to the salts
faction of his supporters, he gets the
usual 'vindication" of a second or a
third term. His official salary is in all
cases fixed at a generous figure, to en-
able him to maintain the dignity of the
office.
1t by no means follows that the Off
c1al salary is going to make any richer
the occupant of the mayors chair no
matter whether he is a wealthy man on
only in moderate circumstances. He
takes the Office fully alive to the fact
that ha official salary is for official
purposes only, and that he is expected
to spend not only every penny of the
salary, but good many hundred SOW
ereigns outside it. if he would 80 down
in local history as a chief MAGISTRATE
worthy of remembrance.
From the day he takes Office until h.
vacates it, the mayor is the target OF
every charitable organizer every ben
evolent collector, every emergency re-
LIEF worker who can find opportunity
8Qr effort during the year, in his or h n
CHOSEN field Of action. The mayor Is
expected to head the list every time
1t is presented to him. for, of course, nc
one would think Of subscribing before
his worship the mayor had put down
his name Then all the orphan asylums
aged peoples homes, incurable hosp
tails institutes for the blind, and the
rest, expect regular annual donation
from the mayor, so that he has actually
become & city almener before he is
many weeks in Office.
The calls for charitable purposes are
not the only drains upon his official
purse. Socially he must be one of ma
lures noblenen" or out he goes. Al
least once a year, and if special occas-
ion arises, twice or thrice, the mayor
is expected to give banquet, and one
which is banquet, to the members OF
the city government and prominent cit
liens. The extra occasions have thei1
origin in the advent Of some distin-
guished visitors, such as Gen. Grant
was when he went on his tour around
the world and took in all the big cities
or the earth, or as Admiral Dewey
would be regarded if he found 1t neces-
sary for his health and comfort to &c
across the water in search Of social
honors.
In larger cities the lord mayor lives
in an official residence during his term
of office. This is the Mansion house. II
is the property of the city and is well
equipped with fine furniture, costly
paintings and valuable plate. A corps
of servants is also provided. Here the