GOVERNMENT. The executive branch of the government is of a dual nature, consisting of county and municipal departments. The municipal form of government is provided for by the Pul litt Bill, act of June 1, 1855, amended April, 1903, the basic elements of which are concen tration of authority in the mayor and the distinc tion between the executive and legislative func tions. The executive departments are: Public Safety, which includes bureaus of police. fire. electricity, corrections, boiler inspection, building inspection, and city property: Public Works, which includes bureaus of water, highways, gas, lighting. street cleaning, surveys, ice boats. and filtration (temporary) ; Law. Education. Public Ilealth and Charities, Receiver of Taxes. City Comptroller, and City Treasurer (ex-officio County 'Treasurer), and Supplies. The mayor. who is elected every four years and is ineligible for succession, appoints directors of the Departments of Public Works. Safety, Health, and Supplies, subject to confirmation by Select Council. Directors appoint chiefs of bureaus and other employees under civil service requirements. The receiver of taxes, city treasurer, city comp troller, and city solicitor are elected by popular suffrage. The Department of Education consists of 42 comptrollers, appointed by the judges of the Courts of Common Pleas. The Sinking Fund Com mission consists of the mayor, city comptroller, and one member elected by Councils. The (411111111is sioners of Fairmount Park and members of the Board of Revision of Taxes, and the Board of City Trusts. in charge of Girard College and Es tate and minor trusts, are also appointed by the emirts. Sixteen port wardens are elected by the
The county mire commissioners in charge of eleetions, etc., treasurer, recorder of deeds. register of wills, clerk of the Court of Quarter Sessions, coroner. sheriff, and district attorney. The legislative function is exercised by Select and Common Councils. the former consist ing of one member from each of 42 wards, the lat ter of one member for every 4000 voters. Select Councilmen serve three years. and Common Coun cilmen. two, without pay. The veto pourer is vested in the mayor. a three-fifths vote enacting over it. The judiciary consists of police magis trates (limited civil and preliminary criminal actions) : judges of the Courts of Common Pleas (civil), who are also judges of the Courts of Quarter Sessions (criminal ) : and the judges of the Orphans' Court (estates). The Superior and Supreme Courts of Pennsylvania and the United States District and United States Circuit Courts sit in the city.
The city has leased its gas-works for a maxi mum period of :30 years, expiring December :31, 1927. Electric lighting is supplied by a private corporation. The water-work, are under mu nicipal ownership. A system of slow sand filtra tion is being installed, and in August, 1903, when nimard of $17,000,1100 was involved in con tracts, it was over half finished and in partial operation. The complete works. with a daily capacity of 300.000,000 gallons, are estimated to cost S26.000,000.