MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT IN GERMANY. 69 



assemblymen who are to be voted for at an election. In 

 consequence a majority of the assembly is chosen by a mi- 

 nority of the voters ; the principle prevailing in municipal 

 suffrage in Germany being similar to that in a financial cor- 

 poration, where voters exercise a power corresponding to 

 that of the number of shares they hold. At a recent elec- 

 tion the number of voters in the first class was a little over 

 three thousand ; in the second class a little less than sixteen 

 thousand, while the small tax-payers, in the third class, 

 numbered over one hundred and sixty-six thousand. It is 

 usually the case in a German election in the large cities 

 that the first and second-class vote is either "liberal" or 

 "progressive," while the third-class vote manifests conserv- 

 ative, radical and socialistic tendencies. 



The two chambers are supplemented by a body of sev- 

 enty "citizen deputies, "as they are called, selected by the 

 Assembly from distinguished citizens to serve on general 

 committees for the administration of special affairs, such 

 as the relief of the poor, the conduct of the schools, etc. 

 At the head of these committees an alderman acts as chair- 

 man, and other aldermen may be leading members; and 

 members of the assembly, together with the citizen depu- 

 ties, form the rest of the membership. Under this exec- 

 utive staff of two hundred and thirty members, composed 

 of aldermen, assemblymen and citizen deputies nearly all 

 honorary officials are men of independent means who can 

 afford to give their time to the city there is a large staff 

 of paid officials who are appointed for life, as is the rule in 

 the German Civil Service. This system of life-appoint- 

 ment combines efficiency with cheapness, fora man is nat- 

 urally willing to serve for a lower salary when assured of 

 employment for life. Salaries are also increased with in- 

 crease of efficiency, and the first few years of official ser- 

 vice are probationary. 



ESSEX INST. BULLETIN, VOL. XXI. 5* 



