106 



INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY — PUBLICATION NO. 1 1 



In connection with the election of December 2, 

 1945, we noted that in one polling center of sec- 

 tion 1 , only 42 persons voted out of the 1 74 quali- 

 fied voters. This can be compared with the 30 

 who voted in section 2 on December 3, 1944, out 

 of 357 who were eligible. 



Some earlier ayuntamientos were : 



19U 



1. Leopoldo Gonzalez Leal 



2. Jos6 Calder6n Mdrquez (Syndic) 



3. Heliodoro Anita Val. (Pres.) 



4. Indalecio Chagolla Estrada 



5. Daniel Coria 



1943 



1. Amador Pena Valdo vinos 



2. Jos6 Calder6n Mdrquez 



3. J. Encar. Medina Fuentes (Syndic) 



4. Indalecio Chagolla Estrada (Pres.) 



5. Jesiis Gonzdlez Villanueva 



19^2 



1. Amador Pena Valdovinos (Pres.) 



2. Diego Fuentes Barriga 



3. Leopoldo Estrada Torres (Syndic), replaced by 



suplente J. Encar. Medina F. 



4. Doroteo Barajas, died, replaced by suplente Helio- 



doro Anita V. 



5. Antonio ZuiSiga, replaced by suplente Jesus 



Gonzdlez V. 



The State government has defined a consider- 

 able list of rights and duties of an ayuntamiento. 

 These various functions are to be exercised by the 

 ayuntamiento as a whole, or may be delegated to 

 individual regidores, municipal employees, special 

 municipal commissions, and the representatives 

 of the municipal government in the descending 

 hierarchy of governmental units. These govern- 

 mental units fall into four ranlcs or classes below 

 the ViUa de Quiroga which is ruled directly by the 

 ayuntamiento resident there. The three dependent 

 pueblos and their respective lands are termed 

 tenencias or secciones, and in each there is ajefe de 

 tenencia who may be appointed for 1 year by the 

 ayuntamiento unless the pueblo requests the right 

 to elect him. These three tenencias have existed 

 as such during aU of modern history ; but the title 

 sometimes has been Jefatura de Policia, and the 

 representative of the ayuntamiento has gone by 

 such names as alcalde and jefe de policia. In the 

 settlements {poblaciones) of lesser rank than pueblo 



there are encargados del orden who are appointed 

 by the ayuntamiento or elected on request of the 

 community. In Quiroga there are six ranchos, 

 each with its encargado del orden who is commonly 

 appomted. Beginning with a law of 1827, all 

 settlements are supposed to be divided mto cuar- 

 teles or quarters, and the cuarteles into manzanas 

 or blocks. Usually this is done oidy in the 

 pueblos and settlements of higher rank. Formerly 

 each quarter had its chief (jeje de cuartel) , but this 

 no longer is officially required. At the bottom of 

 the hierarchy is the manzana with its appointed 

 jeje. As is shown elsewhere, the mrniber of 

 manzanas varies considerably within any period 

 of several years, and often a scantily populated 

 block will have the same chief as a neighboring 

 block. The principal duties of the je/es de tenencia, 

 encargados del orden and jefes de manzana are to 

 look after pertinent roads, bridges, signs, and the 

 like; maintain the public order; see that their areas 

 are kept clean, sanitary, and sightly; and provide 

 requested statistical information. 



Among the principal duties of the ayuntamiento 

 are (arranged in the order of mention in the 

 pertinent law) : 



1. To foment education, higher wages, greater pro- 



duction, sports, improvement of livestock, and 

 small industries; and to guard lauds, pastures, 

 and woods. 



2. To look after public services. 



3. To invest properly the income from the civil 



register in improving the cemetery and other 

 items pertaining to the civil registry. 



4. To make rules for the interior government of the 



municipio, and create the necessary offices and 

 departments. 



5. To administer the treasury according to the allow- 



ances made by the State congress in its budget, 

 and collections made in conformity with the 

 "Law of Municipal Finance." 



6. To recommend to the State governor expropri- 



ations for sites of hospitals, schools, markets, 

 etc. 



7. To list real estate belonging to the municipality 



with the State cadastral and general auditor 

 of accounts offices. 



8. To combat alcoholism, delinquency, vagrancy, and 



begging; and to found or foment the estab- 

 lishment of night rests, public cafes, maternity 

 homes, orphanages, old-age homes, technical 

 schools, etc. 



9. To foment tourism and the sales of regional 



products. 



