MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT. The original mu nicipal charter, granted in 1796 and repeatedly amended and modified, was replaced in 1898 by a modern reform instrument of government. Under its provisions the government of the city is vest ed in a Mayor, who holds office for four years, a bicameral city council, and various administra tive departments, boards, and commissions. The municipal officials, with the exception of the city register and printer (elected by the city council), and the comptroller, surveyor, and president of the second branch of the. eity conn eil (elected by popular vote). are appointed by the Alayor, with the consent of the higher branch of the city council. The Mayor, comptroller, city register, and president of the higher branch of the city eonneil constitute a board of esti mates, exercising essential control of municipal finances. The board of awards is of similar com position, with the register substituted for the city engineer. The Mayor, emnptroller, register,
and two other persons appointed by the Mayor serve as commissioners of finance in the admin istration of the municipal debt.
Baltimore spends annually. in maintenance and operation, about $9,500,000, the principal items of expense being: police department, $1,000,000; charity and corrections, $3:37,049; street light ing, $325,000; fire department, $550,000; parks :nut squares, $388.911; schools, $1,500,000; in terest on debt, 81,000,000. The waterworks, rep resenting a total construction expenditure of nearly $15,000,000, arc ccwurd :11111 operated by the city. The entire system now includes some 634 miles of mains and nine reservoirs. The city has a gross bonded debt of about $40,000, 000, and the assessed valuation of property, real, personal, and corporate, is $.410,000.000. The city parks are maintained by a franchise tax upon the receipts of the street railways.