Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 5.djvu/123

 local taxes within a maximum limit which bears a certain ratio to the national taxes; they make representations to the Minister of State for Home Affairs; they deal with the fixed property of the locality; they raise loans and so on. It is necessary, however, that they should obtain the consent of the Minister of State for Home Affairs, and sometimes of the Minister of Finance also, before disturbing any objects of scientific, artistic, or historical importance; before contracting loans; before imposing special taxes, or passing the normal limits of taxation; before enacting new local regulations or changing the old; before dealing with grants in aid made by the Central Treasury, etc. The governor of a prefecture, who is appointed by the Central Administration, is invested with considerable power. He oversees the carrying out of all works undertaken at public expense; he causes bills to be drafted for discussion by an assembly; he is responsible for the administration of the funds and property of the prefecture; he orders payments and signs receipts; he directs the machinery for collecting taxes and fees; he summons a prefectural assembly, opens it and closes it, and has competence to suspend its session, should such a course seem necessary. Many of the functions performed by the governor with regard to prefectural assemblies are discharged by a "head-man" (gun-chō) in the case of county assemblies. This head-man