ng the executive and legislative powers, and by subsequent acts.
A complete alteration of the government has indeed been effected since
1885. Boston proper is only the centre of a large metropolitan area,
closely settled, with interests in large part common. This metropolitan
area, within a radius of approximately 10 m. about the state house,
contained in 1900 about 40% of the population of the state. In the last
two decades of the 19th century the question of giving to this greater
city some general government, fully consolidated or of limited powers,
was a standing question of expediency. The commonwealth has four times
recognized a community of metropolitan interests in creating state
commissions since 1882 for the union of such interests, beginning with a
metropolitan health district in that year. The metropolitan water
district (1895) included in 1908 Boston and seventeen cities or
townships in its environs; the metropolitan sewerage district (1889)
twenty four; the park service (1893) thirty-nine. Local sentiment was
firmly against complete consolidation. The creation of the state
commissions, independent of the city's control, but able to commit the
city indefinitely by undertaking expensive works and new debt, was
resented. Independence is further curtailed by other state boards
semi-independent of the city--the police commission of three members
from 1885 to 1906, and in 1906 a single police commissioner, appointed
by the governor, a licensing board of three members, appointed by the
governor; the transit commission, &c. There are, further, county offices
(Suffolk county comprises only Boston, Chelsea, Revere and Winthrop),
generally independent of the city, though the latter pays practically
all the bills.

A new charter went into effect in 1910. It provided for municipal
elections in January; for the election of a mayor for four years; for
his recall at the end of two years if a majority of the registered
voters so vote in the state election in November in the second year of
his term; for the summary removal for cause by the mayor of any
department head or other of his appointees, for a city council of one
chamber of nine members, elected at large each for three years; for
nomination by petition; for a permanent finance commission appointed by
the governor; for the confirmation of the mayor's appointments by the
state civil service commission; for the mayor's preparation of the
annual budget (in which items m