ration not specified in the general law; what
limitations are imposed; and, if a municipal court is provided for, what
its jurisdiction is in civil actions and in criminal prosecutions.

Name the principal officers in your city. The aldermen from your ward.

What are some of the dangers of city government? Consult Macy's Our
Government, pp. 51-53, and Nordhoff's Politics for Young Americans.

_Questions for Debate._

Resolved, That for a community of 5000 inhabitants or less a village
organization is better than a city organization.

CHAPTER VI.

THE COUNTY.

Need Of.--A county organization is needed for the following reasons:

1. _To establish the lower organizations_. As we have seen, the
organizations within the county are established by county officers. But,
it may properly be asked, why not have them organized by the state
directly? There are at least three good reasons: In the first place, it
would be too burdensome to the state; that is, the state would act through
the legislature, and to organize all the individual school districts,
towns, villages, and cities, would take up too much of the time of the
legislature. In the second place, the organizing could only be done at
certain times, namely during the session of the legislature, and in the
meantime communities would have to wait. In the third place, the records
of incorporation would be inaccessible in case they were needed for
reference.

2. _To serve as a medium between the state and the lower organizations._
The state uses the town, village, and city to value property for purposes
of taxation and as election districts. But it gets its taxes and its
election returns through the county. Here again may arise the question,
why not send the state taxes directly to the capital and make election
returns directly also? At least two good reasons appear: It would increase
the work and therefore the number of officials at the capital, and if a
mistake should be made it could not be so easily discovered and corrected.

3. _To carry on public works beyond the power of the towns individually._
A desired local improvement may be beyond the power of a town either
because it is outside of the jurisdiction of the town or because of its
expense. Thus, a road may be needed between two centers of population,
villages or cities, which would run through several towns, while the
jurisdiction of the towns individually extends only to their own borders.
Or a br