Evening star., 1923-08-28
London to Elect New. T:
Lord Mayor Next Month

nicipal magnates from which the rity
of London makes its selection OF CHIEF
magistrates are comparatively obseurs
until chosen for the post The great
bankers, the great captains of indus
try and trade whose names are house.
hold words in the United Kingdorp
and even in the empire do not fgHS
among the roster of aldermen from
whom the lord mayors are dtaTu
But during his twelve months qf Of
, flee the lord mayor of London is .onf
of the most conspicuous persopaCeF
of the realm and, while in office 'lEf
a furnished residence. known as iths
mansion house. stately building ners
posite the Bank of England. designed
early in the eighteenth cas4tury by Sy
John Van Brugh, who was LIKEWISE
the architect of Rlenheim Palace. tlle
home of the dukes of Marlborough
The lord mayor receives d salary .o1
$4,000 year in addition to allow
ances amounting to almost half kss
much again. But. large as are thest
emoluments. they are altogether in
adequate to enable him to maintain
the dignity and the tradition of botIlJS
tiful hospitality for which the chief
magistrates of the city of Londph
have always been celebrated II lis
estimated that the lord mayor on. re-.
tiring invariably finds himself out snf
pocket to the tune of a least 500
600 over and above what he has :rel
ceived in the shape of stipend .froih
derstood that no poor man is evsef
elected to the post. But. once elected
even if against his will, he renders
himself liable to a fine of $500 ii he
declines to serve. unless he can show
that he has any connection whatsoS
every with the hquor trade. For. by
statutes enacted in the reign OF T%dS
ward ii and Richard II, brewers and
licensed yictualers are forbidden 10
hold any kind of public office in the
city of London. the object of thest
measures being to protect the pebpI$
from fraudulent administration Of the
laws concerning drink and food
The principal insignia of the. Iord
mayor of London is his gold chain OF
office. 1t dates from .1544-that Is 20
say, from the reign of Henry WIFE,
and is the oldest mayoraI chain OF
office in existence. 1t is of pure gold
alternating with enameled Tudpf
roses and knots of plain gold! IN
19S7 it.swas enlarged to its present
lehsth of sfxty-four inches. A nesf
arms, was added in 1868. but this wiz
lost and the present cameo, set 4
diamonds, was 'acauired in 1870.
y X = y
The lord mayor has likewise fosf
iiSONS VI oihNV' oh VI ON'tSt'ylS
he wears robe of ribbed purple sisEk
faced with velvet and edged &hh
fur. When administering, justice q4a
the mansion house court he is srS
rayed In scarlet and sable. Blaps
satin embroidered with gold is 'woa,h
at state banquets and official reeels
tions. while. when the king HfsitS
the city. the lord mayor meets him
I 4. Al t., a ~
! robe of ruby velvet. barred Vita
I lord mayors robes of office he is
obliged to provide out of his own
pocket and they are .'worth on an
average of $1,000 apiece. But the
chain and badge of Office. as well as
, the four great swords of state pre-
sented by Henry VIII, Edward VI.
Queen Mary Tudor and her half sis
ter. Queen Elizabeth. ALSO the ancient
gold and crystal scepter of the Anglo
Saxon port reeve, and the great sil
yer mace, all belong to the city. and,
before entering upon his twelvet
month term. of Office Bir Louis wan
be compelled to sign a bond of SE,00pA
0o8, not for the honest perforn arsce
of his important duties, but for ithf
safekeeping of the insignia in nueA
tfon, which the Cftfsenssare manifestlS
fraid that he might sell, pawn spS
dispose of In some questionable mank
ner, which is not precisely indicative
of popular confidence, in the chief
magistrate. of the metropolis, Of; ths
| British >enspiEA1eAne of tlShA ssFaS4Aa&
Lefty in the world. -. "a. y as-1ssss.