ay be reduced but not increased by the
council), and for his absolute veto of appropriations except for school
use. The school committee (who serve gratuitously) appoint the
superintendent and supervisors of schools. The number of members of the
school-board was in 1905 reduced from twenty-four to five, elected by
the city at large, and serving for one, two or three years; at the same
time power was centralized in the hands of the superintendent of
schools. Civil service reform principles cover the entire municipal
administration. The city's work is done under an eight-hour law.

An analysis of city election returns for the decade 1890-1899 showed
that the interest of the citizens was greatest in the choice of a
president; then, successively, in the choice of a mayor, a governor, the
determination of liquor-license questions by referendum, and the
settlement of other referenda. On 21 referenda, 10 being questions of
license, the ratio of actual to registered voters ranged on the latter
from 57.00 to 75.38% (mean 61.15), and on other referenda from 75.63 to
33.40 (mean 61.39),--the mean for all, 64.18. But the average of two
presidential votes was 85.37%; and the maxima, minima and means for
mayors and governors were respectively 83.86, 74.99, 78.36 and 84.73,
61.78, 75.72. Of those who might, only some 50 to 65% actually register.
Women vote for school committee-men (categories as above, 95.18, 59.62,
76.49%). On a referendum in 1895 on the expediency of granting municipal
suffrage to women only 59.08% of the women who were registered voted,
and probably less than 10% of those entitled to be registered.

Hospitals, asylums, refuges and homes, pauper, reformatory and penal
institutions, flower missions, relief associations, and other charitable
or philanthropic organizations, private and public, number several
hundreds. The Associated Charities is an incorporated organization for
systematizing the various charities of the city. The Massachusetts
general hospital (1811-1821)--with a branch for mental and nervous
diseases, McLean hospital (1816), in the township of Belmont
(post-office, Waverley) about 6 m. W.N.W. of Boston; the Perkins
Institution and Massachusetts school for the blind (1832), famous for
its conduct by Samuel G. Howe, and for association with Laura Bridgman
and Helen Keller; the Massachusetts school for idiotic and feebleminded
children (1839); and the Massachusetts charitable eye and ear infirmary
(1824