Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-21
LONDON ELECTS
LORD MAYOR As
C|TYS SPENDER
British Capital Takes Great In
terest in Event, Though Pro-
cedure Is Cut and Dried.
Special Gable to The American.


LONDON. Sept. 27-With the ex-
oeption Of the coronation of the King
Great Britain has no more imposing
ceremony than the election and in
stallation of a Lord Mayor of the
City Of London. Consequently every
Londoner is anxiously awaiting the
election of the new Lord Mayor on
Monday. to succeed Sir David Bur
nett, the incumbent
Despite the fact that the Lord May
or is elected" there is never any
doubt as to who will be the next
Chief Magistrate. Following the GUS
tom Of years. the Lord Mayor will be
chosen from the members Of the
Board of Aldermen, and it is always
the senior Alderman, who must have
served as Sheriff of London, who is
elected.
Sir Vansittart Bowater, a wealthy
paper manufacturer, will be the next
Mayor one has to be extremely
wealthy. for the chief duty of the Of
fee is that of entertaining, consuming
much roast beef at imposing offiCia
banquets wearing gorgeous robes of
office with becoming dignity. If the
Lord Mayor had a sense of humOr-
but apparently no Lord Mayor ever
had for they all managed pretty well
70 survive occupancy Of the office,
Outside an American Ambassador
ship to a European capital, there
probably is no quicker way of spend
ing money than to be the Lord Mayor
- J. 4v,sa hon,
of that office receives a salary of
$50 900 a year. but this is a mere drop
in the bucket compared to what he
must spend.
Must Spend 100000.
If he hasn't a large fortune he
might as we'll not become Chief Mag
istTate. for the Government only
spends about 100000 year to main
tain the dignity of the office The
occupant of it must spend not only
his salary, but about 100000 addi
tionaL He must simply! Why? Be
cause every Lord Mayor Of the past
has done IT, odd isn't it? Custom,
y'know, old top. II has, er-er al
ways been done. y'know. Which is
quite sufficient for an Engiishman.
The Lord Mayor. who is always
elected on Michaelmas Day, Septem
her %, takes office on November 9
following. and that is the occasion for
another imposing ceremony After
that his life is just one imposing GER
emory after another.
The Lord Mayors authority eX-
tends no farther than the borders Of
the one square mile Of the Corpora
tion of London. which has resident
population of only about $4,000. In
the daytime the small area probably
IA &c
in many ways the center of Great
Britain.
Within this territory the Lord May
or is supreme. Should the King or
Queen visit the Lord Mayors square
mile" they should have to obtain per
mission from him before entering
Word would be conveyed to the Chief
Magistrate that his majesty was
about to visit, and the Lord Mayor
would greet his majesty at the border
line and present him with the key to
the gate There is no gate, but
trifie like that doesn't interfere with
the ceremony. because. you see, in
the ages past there really were some
gates.
Troops Have to Ask Permit.
British troops can not enter the
square mile without permission of the
corporation. The Lord Mayor is the
head of the police force, which has no
connection with any other police force
in London or Great Britain. Even the
Home Office has no control over it.
II order to become a Lord Mayor
one must first become an Alderman.
You have to get the ratepayers to
elect you to that office of honor. Then
YOU have to become a Sheriff That
is where you get through with the
ratepayers. They can't do anything
more for you, having already elected
you an Alderman for life. You now
turn your attention to the Liverymen
or -Liverymen, who elect
two Sheriffs every year. The princi-
pal occupation of a Sheriff of London
Is upholdng the dignity of the law
with the aid of many magnificent
robes and chains of office and much
insignia.