Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 6.djvu/428

 414 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

ally it happens that the bounds of one of these administrative districts and of electoral districts of the first, second, or third class coincide for short distances ; but this is a mere accident and has no significance. A map of the city of Berlin, showing the division into districts for the respective classes, presents a most variegated and interesting appearance.

As if the preponderance given to wealth under this arrange- ment were not sufficient, the law further provides that at least half of the members elected for each class shall be houseowners in the city of Berlin. Under the circumstances, this may not have a very great significance ; and, as a matter of fact, the number of householders in each class exceeds the number required by the law. The courts have held that a man is a householder in the sense of this provision of the law if he owns a share, however small, in any house ; so that it is possible to avoid, in a certain sense, the object of the law by the simple purchase of a fictitious interest in a house. I was not able to get any evidence showing that this possibility, however, had been used to any considerable extent.

A striking characteristic of the city council of Berlin is the large number of merchants and business-men in general to be found in this body, the small number of professional men, espe- cially lawyers, and the small number of saloonkeepers. In fact, a saloonkeeper, in the sense in which that term is commonly used in the United States, is ineligible by law.

The city council, under the law, has the right to complete participation in the making of local ordinances. Its actual function, however, is largely that of a controlling and supervis- ing rather than a legislative body. Its business is mostly pre- pared for it by the executive council, and is submitted for its consideration in a very similar manner to that in which an English cabinet submits measures to the British parliament. Although an individual member may bring up any business which he desires, and may introduce any local ordinance, in order to secure its consideration he must have the proposition seconded by several members ; and, if we except the actions of the city council in regard to elections of its own members or