ative Compar- course there is a demand for the publication of reviews and legislation digests of legislation in each of the leading languages of the world and for the review and criticism of each year's legisla tion in all countries from the viewpoint of each country. With proper organization, however, this could be accomplished much more satisfactorily than at present with the same expenditure of energy. The countries of the world should be divided into at least five groups: (1) the United States with its 51 Legislatures; (2) the British empire with about 65 lawmaking bodies; (3) Germany, Holland, Norway and Sweden, Russia, Austria-Hungary, Servia, Bulgaria; (4) France, Belgium, Luxemburg, Switzerland, Italy, Roumania, Greece, Turkey, Egypt; (5) Spain, Portugal and Spanish America. In each of these groups there should be an agency that would make (1) a detailed classified summary and index of the legislation of the group; (2) a review and criticism of such legislation similar to the present Review of Legislation; (3) a like review of the legislation of the world based on the summaries and reviews prepared for the different groups. The existing English, German and French societies should naturally perform this function for the second, third and fourth groups respectively, the New York State Library in cooperation with individuals, universities, societies and government departments for the first group, and some entirely new organization would need to be provided for the fifth group. Through this simple plan of cooperation the present duplication of work can be avoided and much more satisfactory results attained. The first essential for work in comparative legislation is a large library containing (1) the laws, decrees, codes and documents of all countries, (2) books and articles treating of legislation and administration. But when this is provided the student is confronted with an almost trackless labyrinth that is for most purposes practically inaccessible. In order to render them available the facts in these numerous volumes must be classified. The librarian must take two copies of the last compilation of the statutes of each country, together with the laws since enacted, cut them up and classify the clippings according to subject. The result will be a compilation of the govern laws of all countries on each subject. If the investigator wants State to study the laws of the world relating to factory inspection, ment inheritance taxes or irrigation, he can here find them collected in convenient compass. New laws must be inserted as fast as they are published. An always up to date classified compilation of world legislation is thus achieved. It would not be prac ticable to publish such a compilation, but for the cost of the books cut up and the clerical labor of clipping and filing a sufficient number of duplicates could be made to supply a few of the principal world centers. STATE GOVERNMENT1 C. E. MERRIAM PH.D. DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, UNIVER The legislation of 1901 in regard to the general structure and function of state government presents many features of interest and importance. One of the most significant is the remarkable increase in the number of new departments, boards and commissions or commissioners for the inspection, supervision or regulation of various classes of activity within the state. These new governmental agencies are created for the protection of public health, of personal safety, and in the interest of agriculture or labor. Even a bare enumeration of these various boards shows the extent to which state activity in behalf of the public is being carried, and also the speed with which the movement is advancing. Three states provide boards of medical examiners, 3 provide for osteopathic examiners, 2 organize state boards of health, 2 create boards of dental examiners, 1 a board of pharmacy, 1 a board of examiners in optometry, 4 make provision for boards to license barbers. To this list may be added 1 board of examiners of architects, and, with perhaps doubtful propriety, may be included 2 boards for regulation of embalmers. In the interest of agriculture several new corps of officials have been called into existence. Two departments of agricul ture, 1 live stock commission, 1 live stock inspector, 1 sheep inspector and a board of examiners for veterinary surgeons have 'See also Comparative Summary and Index, 1901, no. 2964-3140. State government been provided. In this category may also be included 3 organs for the protection and preservation of forests. The interest of labor is recognized in the formation of a labor commission, a board of mediation and arbitration, a factory inspector (with deputies), a coal mine inspector, a state employment bureau, and a bureau of statistics. Mention should also be made of a state board of accountancy for licensing accountants, a state insurance commissioner, a tax commissioner, and a state fire marshal. There is also provision made for 3 voting machine commissions, 5 public library commissions, and 1 department of archives and history. It is further to be observed that in this enumeration no notice is taken of various temporary commissions nor of numerous boards authorized in cities and counties for inspection and regulation of various industries. Disregarding these, however, it appears that during the last year more than 40 new state offices or boards were authorized by the various Legislatures, or an average of nearly one to a state. Accompanying this multiplication of state agencies there appears a tendency toward centralization in the administration of these various boards. In Minnesota ['01 ch. 122] a board of control consisting of 3 members has been provided, to have supervision of the charitable, reformatory and penal institutions of the state. In California ['01 p. 962] there is pending a constitutional amendment authorizing the organization of a board of five commissioners to be elected for a term of 10 years, and intrusted with control over railroads, gas, electric light, water, telephone, telegraph, sleeping-car and express companies, and also over banking and insurance companies. It is also provided that if these powers prove insufficient, the Legislature may grant additional authority. In Kansas ['01 ch. 353] the state board of charitable institutions has been reorganized as a board of control consisting of five persons, and having authority over state hospitals, the school for the feeble-minded, the deaf, the blind, the soldiers' orphans, and of the boys industrial school and the girls industrial school. In Nebraska ['01 ch. 72] provision has been made for a state board of charities, consisting of the governor, the commissioner of public lands and govern buildings, and the superintendent of public instruction, together State with four advisory secretaries. The powers of this board are ment largely advisory, however, and does not assume the place of the board of public lands and buildings. In Washington ['01 ch. 119] the Board of Control has been reduced from five to three members; the board is made bipartizan, and the members are all salaried. In New York a still more advanced type of centralization is seen in the consolidation of several boards into a single commissioner [N. Y. '01 ch. 94]. Thus the Forest Preserve Board has been combined into the Forest, Fish and Game Commission, and placed under the charge of a commissioner with a deputy and two unsalaried associate commissioners. The functions of the Commissioner of Labor Statistics, Factory Inspector, and the Board of Mediation and Arbitration are placed under the charge of a Commissioner of Labor [N. Y. '01 ch. 9]. The State Board of Health is reduced to one commissioner [N. Y. 01 ch. 29] and the State Commission of Prisons from eight members to three [N. Y. '01 ch. 12]. It is interesting to note that with the new board in Minnesota ['01 ch. 122] there are now centralized boards of control in 10 states: Kansas, Rhode Island, Wyoming, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Nebraska, Washington, Iowa, Minnesota. If the movement should continue as rapidly during the next decade as it has during the last, the centralization of control over state institutions would very soon be completed. It is noticeable, however, that none of the larger and more populous states are accepting the new system. It is to be observed that with the rapid increase in number and tendency toward consolidation of these administrative boards, the position of the chief executive of the state becomes increasingly important. Almost all of the half a hundred boards or commissions enumerated are appointed by the gov ernor, and all of the consolidated boards of control are his creatures. In the absence of any strong tendency toward the establishment of the merit system, or toward popular election of these officers, it is evident that the power of the governor is being rapidly increased. The legislation of 1901 offers an excellent illustration of this. City government Another noteworthy feature is the disposition to increase the compensation given to state officers. In Utah ['01 ch. 73] the salaries of the governor, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer, attorney general and superintendent of public instruction were all materially advanced. In New Hampshire, the salaries of the secretary of state [N. H. '01 ch. 65] and that of the treasurer [N. H. '01 ch.56] were raised; in North Carolina ['01 ch. 8] the salary of the governor was increased, in Indiana ['01 ch. 77] that of the superintendent of public instruction. In many cases the salaries of members of boards were advanced, and in many states the allowance for deputies, assistants and the clerical force was made much more liberal; in only a few instances was there a reduction in the expenses of state officers. To give a fair idea of the increasing amount expended on state officers, there should be added to the increased compensation of those already in existence, the provision made for those newly organized. These two items together show a decided increase in the cost of maintaining the state governmental organization. In conclusion it may be said by way of summary that the principal features of legislation in regard to state government during 1901 were: the remarkable increase in the number of state boards and commissions, the centralizing tendency in respect to these state administrative agencies, and finally the increased expenditure for the purpose of state administrative organization. CITY GOVERNMENT1 DELOS F. WILCOX PH.D. ELK RAPIDS MICH. Under the system of legislation prevailing in most of the states special and local acts may be and often are as important as general acts. A review of a year's legislation affecting cities ought, therefore, to take into account the most important of special charters granted to cities in various parts of the coun 1See also Comparative Summary and Index, 1901, no. 3275-393. This article does not attempt to cover legislation relating to municipal functions. For Police, Fire department, see Comparative Summary, 3394-424; Light, Water, Power, Heat, 3425-94; Parks, Boulevards, 3581-612; Cemeteries, 3613-37. There was no specially important legislation relative to county and township government (see Comparative Summary, 3141-274). |