Work of Circuit Councils. 
87 
may think it necessary. Such specialists (§ 11) and all members 
receive for their services fifteen marks (about $3.60) per day and 
free mileage (§ 21). The national council meets at least twice 
during each year (§ 15) and deliberates on such matters as the 
proposed budget, normal freight and passenger rates, classifica¬ 
tion of freight, special and differential rates, proposed changes 
in regulations governing the operation of the roads, etc. It is 
required to submit its opinion on any question brought before 
it by the minister; or, on the other hand, it may recommend to 
the minister anything which it considers promotive of the 
utility and effectiveness of the railroad system. Its proceedings 
are regularly submitted to the Landtag and the Herrenhaus 
(3 19), where they are considered in connection with the budget 
of the state household, thus establishing an “ organic connec¬ 
tion” 30 between the national council and the parliament. In 
this way the proceedings are made accessible to every one, and 
an opportunity given to approve or disapprove through parlia¬ 
mentary representatives. It is a system of reciprocal question¬ 
ing and answering on part of the minister, the national council 
and the parliament. 
The circuit councils, which are equally important and inter¬ 
esting, vary considerably in the number of members. 31 Magde¬ 
burg, 32 for instance, has only twenty-four, while the council, 
whose seat is at Cologne, has seventy-five. Their composition 
($ 3) can best be presented in an analysis of the membership of 
one such council. The council of Hannover, comprising the 
railroad directories of Hannover and Munster Westfalen, seems 
to be a fair type. In that council we find, April 1, 1895, one 
representative from each of the chambers of commerce in Biele¬ 
feld, G-eestemunde, Hannover, Harburg, Hildesheim, Liineburg, 
Minden Munster, Osnabriick, Ostfriesland and Papenburg, 
Verden, and Wesel; one representative from each of the follow¬ 
ing corporations or. societies: Society of German Foundries in 
Bielefeld, German Iron and Steel Industrials in Ruhrort, Trades 
30 v. d. Leyen. 
31 Fixed by the Minister of Public Works. 
32 Beilage zum Erlass vom. 18. Dezember, 1894, gives the composition of 
circuit councils. 
