n in any other
city in the world (the total value for iron and steel products as
classified by the census was, in 1905, $42,930,995, and the value of
foundry and machine-shop products in the same year was $18,832,487), and
more merchant vessels than in any other American city. Cleveland is the
headquarters of the largest shoddy mills in the country (value of
product, 1905, $1,084,594), makes much clothing (1905, $10,426,535),
manufactures a large portion of the chewing gum made in the United
States, and is the site of one of the largest refineries of the Standard
Oil Company. The product of Cleveland breweries in 1905 was valued at
$3,986,059, and of slaughtering and meat-packing houses in the same year
at $10,426,535. The total value of factory products in 1905 was
$172,115,101, an increase of 36.4% since 1900; and between 1900 and 1905
Cleveland became the first manufacturing city in the state.

_Government._--Since Cleveland became a city in 1836 it has undergone
several important changes in government. The charter of that year placed
the balance of power in a council composed of three members chosen from
each ward and as many aldermen as there were wards, elected on a general
ticket. From 1852 to 1891 the city was governed under general laws of
the state which entrusted the more important powers to several
administrative boards. Then, from 1891 to 1903, by what was practically
a new charter, that which is known as the "federal plan" of government
was tried; this centred power in the mayor by making him almost the only
elective officer, by giving to him the appointment of his cabinet of
directors--one for the head of each of the six municipal
departments--and to each director the appointment of his subordinates.
The federal plan was abandoned in 1903, when a new municipal code went
into effect, which was in operation until 1909, when the Paine Law
established a board of control, under a government resembling the old
federal plan. (For laws of 1903 and 1909 see OHIO.) Few if any cities in
the Union have, in recent years, been better governed than Cleveland,
and this seems to be due largely to the keen interest in municipal
affairs which has been shown by her citizens. Especially has this been
manifested by the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce and by the Municipal
Association, an organization of influential professional and business
men, which, by issuing bulletins concerning candidates at the primaries
and at election ti