The Government district, unlike the province, exists only for the administration of those affairs which are regarded as being of general concern, and it has, therefore, no organs for the adminis tration of purely local matters. In each of these areas is a board consisting exclusively of pro fessional administrators appointed by the King, collectively known as the government (Begier wag) and having at its bead an officer called the government president (llegierangsprusideut). This official is in some respects the most impor tant in the Prussian local administration. Ile may veto or set aside the resolutions of the government (Pegierang), and is the real head of the local service. The duties of the 'govern ment' fall chiefly within the domain of the Alinistries of the Interior, of Agriculture. of Public Works, of Trade and Commerce, of War, and of Education and Worship, to all of whom they are responsible. Another organ of the Gov ernment district is the District Committee (Be:;irksausschuss), composed of the government president, two professional members appointed by the King for life, and four laymen chosen by the Provincial Committee for a term of six years. The chief function of this predominantly lay authority is to exercise control over the action of the professional government president. Its consent is necessary for the validity of his police ordinances; it exercises supervision over subordinate officials, and acts as an administra tive court for the district.
As to the circle (Krcis), there is found again, as in the province, the distinction between those affairs which are regarded as of general concern and those which are looked upon as of purely local interest. The matter is. however, somewhat simplified by intrusting to one set of organs the administration of both spheres, hut when they act as central organs they are subject to strict central control. These are the Landrat, the Circle Committee (Kreisausschuss), and the Circle Diet (Kreistag). The Landrat is the chief executive authority of the circle and the agent of the central administration. He corresponds somewhat to the Gberpriisident of the province and the government president of the district. When acting as agent of the central administration he is the subordinate of the latter official, but when acting as a purely local officer he is a subordinate of the Circle Committee. Ile is a highly trained professional administrator and is appointed by the King. The Circle Com mittee is eomposed of the Landrat and six non professional members elected by the Circle Diet for a term of six years, and acceptance of the offiee is compulsory. As a central organ it exer cises oversight over the justices of the peace; as a local organ it has supervisory authority over other officers of the circle. It is also the admin istrative court for the circle, and in this capacity hears appeals from the acts of inferior adminis trative officials. The Circle Diet is the repre sentative assembly of the circle and is composed of members elected for a term of six years, one half of whom retire every three years. They are distributed equally between the urban circles (cities with over 25,000 population) and the rural circles. The members assigned to the urban circles are elected by their municipal au thorities. Those assigned to the rural circles are again divided between the greater landowners and the rural communes. The greater land owners form themselves into electoral colleges for the choice of their members, while the rural communes elect theirs in groups and also through electors. The Circle Diet elects the members of the Provincial Diet, votes the pro vincial taxes, contracts loans, enacts ordinances for the administration of various local affairs, and has power to create certain offices and es tablish local institutions.
The justice of the peace district (Anitsbc:irk) consists of a group of rural communes with a population of about 1500 inhabitants. The jus tice (.1intsinann or Am(srorsteher) is appointed by the King upon the nomination of the Circle Diet for a term of six years, and the office is compulsory and unpaid. The duties of the jus tice include the control of the local police and the administration of the poor and health laws. The office is therefore one of the most important in the system.
As to the communes, there is found a dis tinction between those which are rural and those which are urban. The larger rural communes act through representative councils chosen by taxpayers, while the less populous manage their affairs through mass meetings of the voters. The
chief executive officer in the commune is known as the Sehttl-.T or Dor f rich tee and is elected for a term of six years by the communal council or mass meeting. Communal affairs include the of pasturage, tillage, schools. churches, etc.
In the government of the cities of Prussia the deliberative organ is the council, chosen for a term of six years by the taxpayers according to the three-class arrangement already ready de scribed in connection with the Prussian Ilouse of Representatives. Its powers are not specifical ly enumerated, but comprise the general admin istration of city affairs. It may, therefore, undertake whatever municipal enterprise it chooses. The chief executive authority in the city is vested either in a burgomaster or a board elected by the council. The burgomaster is a professional (diver, while the board is composed of both professional and lay members. the ser vice of the latter being obligatory and unpaid. Where the board system prevails the burgomaster serve- as chairman of the board. Ile is a high salaried official with a tenure of at least twelve years, and occupies a position of great influence. In the city we find again the separation of those matters which are of central concern from those of purely local interest, but, as in the circle, the authorities for the administration of both spheres arc consolidated. In the large cities, however, the central Government may, if it wishes, vest the control of the police in distinctively cen tral organs, and this it has done quite generally. The executive board acts both as an organ for local administration and as an organ for cen tral administration. and in the latter capacity it is subject to the supervision of the central Government at Berlin. By way of conclusion, it may be remarked that the general characteris tics of Prussian local government are: first, the local authorities are for the most part organs of general rather than enumerated powers, but to counteract possible evil results they are sub jected to central control: second, the administra tion is subject to judicial control as a means of protection to the individual; third, a large part of the administrative service is highly profes sional in character and can be entered only as a result of special study and training and after passing a State examination ; fourth, to counter act the possible evils of the bureaucracy, a con siderable lay element, whose services are gener ally obligatory and unpaid, has been introduced into the system.
Ernxot.mv. The inhabitants of modern Prus sia are, fur the most part, German-speaking descendants of the old Teutonic tribes, mixed more or less with Celts in the west and south west and with Slays in the east. There are two important branches to be recognized which differ in customs and speech, and possibly in descent. These are the Low Germans and the TIigh Ger mans, occupying, respectively. the low-lying plains to the north and the higher regions to the south.
In addition to the German-speaking population there are a large number of Slays in the eastern part of the kingdom, a considerable body of Danes in Schleswig, a number of Lithuanians in the northeast, of Frisians in the northwest, and of Dutch in the west, and a few representatives of Celtic peoples (French and Walloons) in the west. Of the Slays the most important are the Czechs, the Wends, and the Poles. The Czechs are found in Silesia, and the Wends in Branden burg and Silesia. Akin to the Wends, but speak ing a Polish dialect, are the Kassubs. or Kash Jibs, dwelling in the northwest part of the Prov ince of West Prussia and in Pomerania. These form a small remnant of the old Slavic Pomer anians. who formerly occupied this region, but have been largely absorbed in the surrounding Teutonic element. The Poles. sonic three mil lions, form the largest body of Slays in Prussia. They dwell in Posen, Silesia, and East and West Prussia. Related to the Poles are the Mazurians or Mazurs, who dwell in the southeastern portion of East Prussia, and still preserve their old ens loins and habits. The old Prussians, the original inhabitants of Prussia east of the Vistula. who preserved their independence until they were sub dued by the Teutonic Knights in the thirteenth century, have died out or been absorbed, and their language is no longer spoken. The Jews number about 400,000, of whom about one-fourth dwell in Berlin.