The age-herald., 1901-07-28
HOW BIRMINGHAM IS GOVERNED.
Legislative and Executive are One.
 Police Department Another.

Birmingham has what may be called dual government, the police department being entirely divorced from the general executive, legislative and judicial depart nents, except that it is ever incumbent upon the general department to foot the bills and pay the rolls of the police force.
 Whether right or wrong. this is true.
 The mayor of the city is the chief ex- ecutive offlcer-that Is, he may do and perform certain duties when they are in posed upon him by a board of eighteen aldermen from the nine wards of the city, or a majority thereof
 Among his chief functions Is his par doning power. With this, he may at any and all times undo the work performed by the police force, by remitting fines or by reducing them.
 The mayor Is a legislative as well as an executive officer. As the presiding officer of the board of mayor and aldermen, he is required to vote first on all questions vivi voce; and thus the will of the head of the city government is made. known to the aldermen before either of them casts his vote. The mayor has no veto power. and his vote is only one of nineteen on all municipal questions
 The police court judge, with the title, Judge of the Inferior Criminal court Is elected by the General Assembly of Ala bama. tr.'.' '.'
 The Mayor is elected every two years; the aldermen (nine) one from each ward every year. Thus there are always eight "hold-overs," as in the state. senate. The salary of the mayor is $24o0 per annum. The aldermen serve without pay.
 The police force is governed by po- lice commission of seven members,--long and short term members. These are cleo ted by the people, and they, in turn, elect the police officers and patrolfneu; fix tine number and the salaries, and the chair man makes monthly draft upon the. city treasury for the amount of expense and pay roll of this department. ... -
 This force consists of a chief. a night captain, day lieutenant and about thirty five patrolmen. The chiefs salary Is S1, 200; the lieutenants, $1,000 and the pa- trolmen from s6O to s70, according to term of service.
 This force cost the city last year $43.- 63o79.
 The city sustains the public school system, with some assistance from tho state and county. The schools, however, and all the school buildings are under direct control of the board of education, the members of which are elected by the mayor and aldermen. The city also man ages and supports the fire department. Cost last year $4s,67O.56. The department employees B men, and has 17 horses, 8 fire engines. 8 hose wagons and 1 chem ical engine.
 The sanitary department is also under direct charge of the mayor and aldermen.
 Convicted prisoners, who are unable. to pay their fines in money, are required to do hard labor on the streets, under the direction of the street commissioner, who Is elected annually by the board of mayor and aldermen.
 While this prison force, always large, does vast amount of sanitary and re- pair work, the streets are graded, ma cadamized and paved, and the sewer lines extended under the contract system, and in this way the city affords an immense amount of employment for free labor. The cost of this heavy Improvements as- sessed against the abutting property, and the year assessment bonds are issued as lien upon said property, unless the own CT thereof elects to pay cash upon comple- tion of the work. None of the cost of this contract work comes out of the city treasury
 This is brief story of how Birming- ham Is governed.