The Washington herald., 1908-01-26

/ Boston ............ 56013 Es &g
The revenue derived boy the city Of Rer-
/ lin in 1886 from the various taxes was
/ SlS7T959
There is no yearly appropriation for
/ certain purposes. In the American sense.
/ II is true there IS a municipal budget. in
| which there are given the estimated re-
| oeIpts from all sources Of revenue and the
| estimated running expenses for the COM
/ ing year 10 determine the disposition of
/ the City's finances. The city Of Berlin
/ may be compared 10 n large corporation
/ conducting its extensive operations on q
/ thoroughly busiuessiike basis The re-
/ suits of the year were most favorable. as
/ they showed a surplus Of s.. 5q5 to be
/ carried forward 10 the coming year This
| showing IS all the more wonderful when
| one takes into consideration the excellent
/ manner in which the city is lighted and
/ cleaned. the abundant supply Of pure
/ drinking water which is furnished TO the
/ inhabitants, the number Of eieemosynary
/ institutions, schools. hospitals. sanatori-
ums. &c, that have been maintained and
/ well managed. the police and fire protec-
/ tion, the great sewerage system with its
| sewage farms. the number of up-to-date
/ commodious public baths, the breathing
places for the people, the beautiful parks,
! sc.
The financial condition on April ], 1896.
the latest date for which statistics are
| available, indicated an excess Of assets
over liabilities amounting to nearly Sl00..-
C00000
one of tie principal requirements OF a
mayor I'm Germany is unqualified honesty.
! for in the municipal administration Of
| this country graft in any form would not
be tolerated, In fact il is unknown. To
] became the mayor of a city like Berlin
/ the applicant must have established his
reputation for efficiency in governing
other German cities. His career is care
fully scrutinized by the members of the
town council who select him. fOf not only
must he be competent and successfully
/ perform the duties Of his high position
but still so young as likely to remain
competent for many years, for a mayor in
Prussia is elected for term of twelve
years. and if not reelected after that
period is entitled 10 a life pension Of half
the amount of his salary. After a service
of six years his pension Is one-fourth of
his salary, and after serving twenty years
| two-thirds. He need not necessarily be a
resident OF Berlin at the time of his ap-
pointment; in fact the mayor is usually
chosen from the residents of other cities
The mayor Is appointed by the town
council subject to the confirmation of the
King of Prussia. When it becomes known
that the office of mayor is to be vacant
applications for the position are consid-
cred by a committee of the town council
and if municipal officers have made espe-
cially good records in other cities they
may he requested to apply, if they have
not already done SO. After thorough
discussion of the merits Of the various
applicants the appointments are made. In
the administration Of the city Of Berlin
there are two mayors-the ober burger
meisteri or chief mayor, and the burger
meister, or mayor. The method of eiec-
tiOn is the same for each. The town
council also elects the other members OF
the city administration, which, with the
chief mayor and mayor, includes thirty
six members, sixteen of whom are paid
and twenty are honorary. The election
of all the members except the two may
ors must be confirmed by the governor Of
the province of Brandenburg.
The members of the town council are
elected by the taxpayers. The latter are
divided into three classes, according to
the amount OF taxes they pay; each class,
although differing numerically, votes for
an equal number of councillors. The coun-
CiloTs are, as a rule. excellent citizens as
it is considered a high honor TO be elected
to the council No salaries are paid, and,
if elected. a councillor is fined if he re-
fuses to serve
In addition to the town council there
are in Berlin about ninety citizen depu-
ties chosen by the council from among
the most distinguished citizens. to serve
as associates on the various committees
charged with the supervision of various
municipal interests, such as parks,
schools the care Of the poor, &c They
have no vote in the council, but CO.
operate with the councillors in managing
the municipal affairs. The heads of the
departments are appointed by the chief
mayor.
The Imperial Continental Gas Associa-
tion, an English corporation, supplies part
Of the gas TO the city, but the municipal
authorities also have their own gas plants.
and work under agreement with the Eng