Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 5.djvu/124

 is a salaried official appointed by the Central Administration. He convenes, opens and closes the county assembly; he may require it to reconsider any of its financial decisions that seem improper, explaining his reasons for doing so, and should the assembly adhere to its original view, he may refer the matter to the governor of the prefecture. On the other hand, the assembly is competent to appeal to the Home Minister from the governor's decision. The county head-man may also take upon himself, in case of emergency, any of the functions falling within the competence of the county assembly, provided that he reports the fact to the assembly and seeks its sanction at the earliest possible opportunity. In each district also there is a head-man, but his post is always elective and generally non-salaried. He occupies towards a district assembly the same position that the county head-man holds towards a county assembly. Over the governors stands the Minister of State for Home Affairs, who discharges general duties of superintendence and sanction, has competence to elide any item of a local budget, and may, with the Emperor's consent, order the dissolution of a local assembly, provided that steps are taken to elect and convene another within three months. The machinery of local administration is completed by councils of which the governor of a prefecture, the mayor of a town, or the head-man of a county or district,