The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-05-03
LORD MONKSWELL THE
VERITABLE LORD MAYOR"
This Title, However, Is Not AL
lowed Him.

LONDON, May lord MonkswelI's
recent election, in succession to Sir
John McDougall, as chairman of the
London county councii-the body by
which the metropolis is governed-has
called attention once more to the whim-
steal fact that the man who occupies,
as his lordship will for the next year,
the position of veritable mayor of Lon
don, is never called by that title, while
he who is thus designated and who pos
sesses all the honors in connection
Herewith is not really the mayor of
London ~ all
The exact title is, of course, Lord
Mayor" but that doesn't sound as ia
miliarly to American ears.
The lord mayor of London in fact
he who really holds the reins of city
government in his hands-gets no sal
AIRY The lord mayor in name, however,
enjoys a stipend of $4,000 a year, or
exactly as much as is received by the
President of the United States. The
lord mayor in fac dresses like an or
binary citizen and attracts as little
about; but the lord mayor in name is
arrayed in the most magnificent robes,
and, when he proceeds from place 20
place, is driven-in a state coach with
'coachman and footman in powdered wigs
and gorgeous livery-with more display,
in fact, than is made by the King him
self except on the grandest occasions
The real lord mayor has, by virtue of
his office, no social prominence what
ever, but to the nominal lord mayors
lot it, falls to entertain royalty-at the
public expense-and iIlustrious visitors
to London, not to mention comforting the
much priced freedom of the city" 10
all Englishmen who have distinguished
themselves notably.
Add that the lord mayor in name has
as his official residence a splendid pub
lie building-whIle the most the city
does for the lord mayor in fact is to give
him bare Office room in an Anticipated Of
fetal pile-and that whereas the nomi-
nal lord mayor is every year the center
of the greatest pageant which occurs
regularly in the metropolis, no fuss
whatever is made over the veritable lord
mayor, and you will see what a different
thing it is to be chief administrative
officer of London in name, and to be so
in reality.
There was. of course, a time when the
present official post of lord mayor Of
London really meant what its title i'm
plies. IN those days London" was the
comparatively tiny district of the me-
trOpols now generally spoken of simply
as the city''-while the other diyi-
sions OF Westminster" Hampstead,
Lambeth and the rest were not parts OF
London at all. London was the richest
and the most important of all these
separate municipalities, and thus 1t was
that its lord mayor came to be so great
| a parsonage. He rode in great coach
and wore gorgeous robes and entertain
ed royalty, and so. tradition counting
for so mach in this country his sue
| cessors have gone on doing all these
picturesque things
OF course, the lord mayor still is lord
mayor, and presides over his board OF
| alderman-but he is lord mayor of the
city some is, eco residents
| not lord mayor of London. The metro
! polis-the great town which has been
made up of all the formerly separate
smaller ones-is governed by it's coun-
~ council-the members Of which are
elected by direct vote OF the people
and that is why the chairman of this
responsible body must he recognized as
the real mayor of London