that five inspectors should be chosen annually in each election district. No elector could vote for more than three, and the five receiving the highest number of votes were to be chosen. No election could be held in a saloon or bar-room, or place contiguous thereto, and any one bringing intoxicating liquors to a polling-place was to be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor. In 1889 the registration laws were made much more stringent.' IV. Mayor Pingree's administration, 1889 till the present time.

In November, 1889, Mr. Hazen S. Pingree was elected mayor of Detroit on the Republican ticket by a large majority. He has since been three times reëlected by increasing majorities. This fact alone, when we consider that Detroit has. heretofore had a strongly Democratic population, would lead us to think that Mr. Pingree's administration must be marked by great personal vigor. We might also expect that the continued triumph of the Republican party in the city would bring a more liberal treatment from the state Legislature, which is nearly always Republican. As a matter of fact the results from the point of view of legislation have not been very striking. The one Democratic legislature elected in Michigan for many years back restored to Detroit in 1891 the control of the police. After twenty-six years the appointment of the commissioners was transferred from the hands of the Governor to those of the Mayor. The consent of the council for the appointments was not required.

The powers of the mayor have been slightly increased during the last few years. In 1893, he was given a veto, subject to the usual two-thirds vote, over all financial resolutions of the Board of Education.3 In this year, also, the department of law was established for the city. At its head was placed the city counselor appointed by the mayor alone for a term of

1 Mich. L. A., 1889, pp. 994-1005.

3 Ibid., 1893, pp. 1179-1181.

2 Ibid., 1891, pp. 936–938.

Ibid., pp. 1393–1396.

three years. The counselor receives a salary of $5,000 and devotes all his time to the business of the city. Along with the growth in the mayor's power there has been an increased use of referendum. The question of free text-books, and similar measures, after being passed by the Board of Education, must be submitted to popular vote.' The last issue of sewer bonds was authorized to the amount of $1,000,000, with the consent of the electors. And even the citizens' meeting was revived to vote a levy beyond the amount of $150,000 for school buildings.3

In 1893 the powers of the board of health were increased.* It was given power to appoint a president, a health commissioner, a health officer, a special sanitary inspector, a food inspector, a meat inspector, a milk inspector, a plumber and sanitary inspectors. These officers were to be chosen with reference to their special fitness for their particular duties. The plumbing, drainage and ventilators of the houses and public buildings were subjected to the regulations and approval of the board, and plans for buildings being erected or repaired were to be submitted to the board. Owing to certain difficulties that arose in the spring of 1895 with reference to the health administration, the legislature of that year gave the ap pointment of the Detroit board of health into the Governor's hands. This act was certainly a step backward in the progress towards home-rule. The board of health is now the only municipal board appointed for Detroit by the state authorities.

While not very much has been done to make the charter a model city constitution, a great deal has been done to awaken civic spirit and introduce progressive administration. In 1893 a public lighting commission was created, to consist of six members appointed by the mayor and council. The council,

I Mich. L. A., 1891, pp. 938-939.

Ibid., pp. 1061-1064.

5 Ibid., 1895, not yet published.

2 Ibid., p. 1037.

Ibid., 1893, pp. 1226–1229.

• Ibid., 1893, pp. 459–463.

by this act, was authorized to contract for public lighting, or with the approval of the citizens, to purchase an electric lighting plant, the first cost not to exceed $800,000, and manage the business directly. As a result of this law, the city now owns its own lighting plant, and is supplying itself with light at a much lower cost than under the former contract system. The last few years have been marked by much progress in street-paving and sewer construction. But perhaps the most important advance has been made with reference to the streetcar system. After a long and determined fight with the old companies, the franchise of about forty miles of streets was recently awarded to a new company on favorable terms. Single fares are five cents, but eight tickets can be had for a quarter, good between 5.45 a. m. and 8 p. m., and six for a quarter, good during the rest of the twenty-four hours. The new franchise is to run for thirty years, when the city will have the right to purchase the plant for a consideration the amount of which is to be determined by arbitration.

The city of Detroit has to-day a population of about 250,000. In the decade between 1880 and 1890 the number of inhabitants almost doubled. Detroit is clearly entering upon the career of a large city. There are no densely populated slum districts, and the city almost everywhere is clean and well-suited for residence. Mayor Pingree has made the city's corporate life very vigorous for the last six years. At the close of 1894 there were 215 miles of paved streets. The 147 miles of public sewers and 256 miles of laterals, being the total for the city up to that date, had been constructed at a cost of about five and a quarter millions of dollars. Belle Isle, the chief park of the city, has an area of nearly 700 acres, and there are several small parks scattered through the city.

The mayor's annual message of January 8, 1895, is full of suggestions and recommendations. He urges the necessity of bringing the departments into complete subordination to the executive. A part of the aldermen might well be elected

at large. A general purchasing agent for the city should be provided, and all officers and boards be required to order their supplies through him. The mayor advocates municipal civil service reform, and the adoption of civil service examinations in the selection of jurors. A thorough system of independent audit is urged for all the departments. An increase of the bond limit to at least four per cent. of the assessed valuation is favored. The mayor favors the taxation of all property except that belonging to the city. Churches, railroads, works of art, etc., should no longer be exempt. He denounces the meter system as used by the water board, and recommends free water. The school board ought to be reorganized to consist of a small commission appointed by the mayor or elected by the people on general ticket. A new primary law should be enacted with stringent provisions to prevent any one but qualified voters of the district taking part. The revenue for re-paving streets, which now is taken entirely from the general treasury, should be replenished by a graded vehicle tax, like that in Denver, Colorado.

It is to be hoped that the present tendencies in the Detroit administration will continue. One of the things most needed, however, in order to allow the city to extend its activities at will, is a new charter based on the ideas of larger home-rule and administrative unity. At the present time the city government consists of a long list of elected and appointed officers, a common council of sixteen members, and the following thirteen boards and commissions: Estimates, Public Lighting, Police, House of Correction, Sinking Fund, Education, Library, Poor, Water, Health, Fire, Public Works and Park and Boulevard.

CHAPTER VII.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF CLEVELAND'S CHARTER.

THE charter history of Cleveland, like that of Detroit, may be divided into four periods. In the case of Cleveland, these divisions are well-marked from the standpoint of governmental organization rather than from the standpoint of political relations. The first period lasted till 1836, and was the period of village organization. The city charter of 1836, which was in force until 1852, is what marks the second period. The adoption of general municipal laws in 1852 brings us to the third period, during which Cleveland was nominally under general laws, but practically governed to a very large extent by special acts. The charter of 1891, although in form a general law, was such a radical measure that it may be fairly said to have marked a new period in Cleveland's charter history. The last three periods may be roughly characterized as the periods of the council system, the board system and the mayor system respectively.

I. Village organization.

According to the custom of the times, a patch of the Ohio wilderness was laid out and christened "The City of Cleveland" by a surveying party sent out in 1796 by the Connecticut Land Company. But unlike many other “ paper cities" of the Northwest, Cleveland came to be a real city, with people, and industries, and municipal organization. The township was organized in 1802, and in 1814 the village was incorporated. The officers of the village were to be president, re

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1 Ohio Laws, 13 v. 17-26.

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