| OCR Text |
Show MAYORS OF GERMAN CITIES Position la Considered One of Honor, and Graft la Baiely Heard of There. A public trust In Germany, accord InR to lli lnrlcli Theurpr of Frankfort, In n public honor, anil tlu-re are but few cuara of graft known In the fa-thcrlaml. fa-thcrlaml. "Oub of the principal requirements of a mayor In llerinnny," mild llcrr Thcnrcr, who la a banker, "Ib unqualified unquali-fied honoHty, for In tho municipal ad mlnlHtratlon of Germany graft' In any form la not tolerated; In fuct, It In unknown. un-known. To become tho mayor tif a city like llerlln. the appl'eunt must have enlablinhed hla rrputatlon for efficiency ef-ficiency by Rovernlnn other German cities. Ilia carter la carefully acru tlnlzei by tho members of the town council, who select him, for not only must he be competent, and be able to perform aucceasfully tho duties of blH hlRh office, but also he must be yotin enough to remain competent for many years, for a mayor In 1'rusKla Is elected elect-ed for h term of 12 years, and, If rt reelected after that period. Is entitled to a life pension of half the amount nf hla salary. After a service of nix years his pension In one fourth of bis salary, and after aervlnR 20 years, two-thlrda. two-thlrda. He need not be a reaident of llerlln at the time of his appointment; In fact, tho mayor Is usually chosen from the resident of other cities. "Tho mayor 1 appointed by the town council, subject to the confirmation confirma-tion of the king of PsHla," continued Mr. Theurer. "When it becomes known that the office of mayor Is to be vacant nppl'-ntiona for the position are considered by a committee of the town council, and If municipal officers have made especially Rood records In other cities they may be requested to apply, If they have not already done so. After a thorotiR' discuislon of the merits of the various applicants, the appointments are made. )ri"NVe regard the administration of a "Jity from a strictly business standpoint, stand-point, the same 09 any other bis enterprise. en-terprise. If Industrial, financial and commercial concerns are anxious to Becure the best manasers to be had to take charge of their Interests, why should not a municipality do tho same thing, when It la considered that tho "iteresta Involved are so great and Important Im-portant and concern every citizen and taxpayer? The less polltlca In the! public administration and more business busi-ness principles the better. Why don't you apply the same principles In America." Washington Herald. |
