Village Government. — Communities smaller than cities, but which have some of the needs of a city population, such as police protection, water works, and fire department, are organized as villages.1 Village government is like city government, only smaller, and needs no detailed description. Villages differ from cities in remaining a part of the town government, and in having less power in financial affairs than cities. "The motive for passing from town government to city government in general has been the same everywhere, to acquire a certain readiness of action, and to make more available the credit of the community in order to provide adequately for its own growth." (Bryce.)

DEPARTMENTS OF CITY ACTIVITY

Police Department.

City government is much less simple than rural government. Constables, who usually have time to engage in private business in addition to their official duties, are sufficient to keep order within a town. A large population, crowded streets, and large buildings filled with costly merchandise, offer better opportunities for crime. The city needs a permanent police force to enforce the law. New York finds it necessary to maintain a police force of over 8,500; Chicago has a force of about 5,000 men, and Philadelphia almost 4,000.

A large part of the work of the police force consists in other duties than arresting criminals. Directing traffic in the streets so as to prevent undue congestion, aiding persons in finding their way, sending calls for ambulances, reporting nuisances, and other duties of a like nature are among the daily tasks of policemen. It sometimes hap1 Known as boroughs in Connecticut and Pennsylvania.

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pens that policemen are obliged to stop the playing of ball and other games in the streets. As it is unlawful for such games to be played in the public streets, an officer of the police department must stop them if complaint is made, or he finds that they are causing annoyances or danger to the people in the street, or those who live along it. Police officers are in fact public servants, who are paid by the city from money collected by taxation. To all who obey the law they are of daily service. In the discharge of their duties they are often subject to great danger. No braver men live than may be found in the police department of every large city.

The Fire Department. — The duties of a fire department are so well understood as to need no description. Every citizen knows how valuable a service its members render, and how often they endanger their lives in the performance of their duty.

City Streets. A city needs a good system of public streets, well paved, and well cleaned. The leading business streets must be paved with material strong enough to withstand a heavy traffic. The laying out of city streets usually belongs to the city council; keeping them in repair is the work of the street department; and the cleaning of the streets is usually given to a special department.

No city streets can be kept in good condition without the help of all the citizens. Throwing papers and fruit skins in the streets not only spoils their appearance, but may be the cause of an accident. The streets are the property of the citizens and all should do their part to assist the department of street cleaning.

The City and Public Education. The city school system is always more extensive than is possible in a country community. The city is able to pay for fine buildings and school supplies of all kinds, and to pay salaries large enough to attract the most able teachers.

In addition to primary, elementary, and high schools, most cities have kindergartens and many maintain high schools for technical education. A few American cities maintain colleges in which tuition is free to residents of the city. Large cities usually have evening schools for the benefit of those who must work during the day. In a number of our cities, the department of education offers courses of lectures, free to the public, on literary, historical, and scientific subjects. Closely related to the work of the department of education is that done by public libraries, museums, and art galleries.

Public Health. A dense population offers special opportunities for the spread of disease. The city must have a health department, whose duties are numerous. The health department must see that all houses and yards are kept in a sanitary condition. Physicians are required to report to the department all cases of contagious and infectious diseases. The department, by isolation or in other ways, must provide against epidemics. The health department must enforce vaccination in time of danger from smallpox, and must maintain, when necessary, a quarantine against the introduction of disease from outside of the city.

Every city is much concerned with the health of the children in the public schools, since children who are ill cannot do their work and may be the cause of the illness of

others. Most large cities employ physicians and nurses to guard the health of the children who attend the public schools.

Public health depends upon the purity of the food supply, and hence the city must inspect milk and other perishable food which enters the city. The public health depends also upon other departments. A pure and abundant water supply, a sanitary sewerage system, tenement house inspection in order to enforce laws requiring plenty of air and light, public parks, public baths, and hospitals have a direct influence on the public health.

Parks and Recreation. Every modern city has, or should have, a great number of parks. Parks are not only of value in beautifying the city, an important thing in itself, but, if near the crowded parts of the city, have an important effect in purifying the air. Within the parks are often zoölogical gardens and other means of instruction and entertainment.

Like all other city property, the parks belong to all the citizens. A small number of policemen are on duty to prevent disorder and destruction of property. The surest guarantee of proper conduct in the parks, however, is the knowledge among citizens that the city parks belong to all, and that no citizen should destroy his own property nor allow another to destroy it without protest.

New York City maintains a considerable number of public playgrounds, usually in densely populated districts, where under able direction the children of the poor may enjoy wholesome games free from the bad influences of the streets. New York City has also a number of recreation piers along the river front.