Townships.  152.  Below  the  counties  are  the  townships,  which  in  the

New  England  states  are  called  towns.     There  are  no  parishes'

Selectmen,  or  mauors.  Most  of  the  affairs  of  the  township  are  managed
by  a  board  of  officers  known  as  selectmen  or  trustees.  In
some  states  however  these  officers  have  only  executive  or  ad-
ministrative functions,  the  legislative  business  of  the  town-
Town  ship,  making  by-laws  and  voting  taxes,  being  done  directly
by  the  freemen  or  voters  of  the  town  assembled  in  town
meeting,  which  is  regularly  held  once  a  year  and  is  pre-
sided over   by  a  chairman  elected  by  the    meeting  itself    and

TownaUp  Called  a  moderator.  The  assessors  and  the  collector  of  taxes
and  sometimes  the  board  of  relief  are  township  officers.  Each
township  has  also  a  treasurer,  a  clerk  and  one  or  more  constableSi
which  latter  have  substantially  the  same  powers  and  duties
within  their  townships  tis  the  sheriff  has  in  the  county  as  execu-
tive officers  of  the  courts,  in  some  states  only  of  the  inferior
courts,  and  peace  officers.  The  conduct  of  elections  is  either
in  the  hands  of  the  ordinary  township  officers  or  of  special  elec-
tion officers  appointed  by  them.  Township  officers,  like  those
of  the  country,  are  chosen  by  popular  election,  for  the  most
part  annually.  ^'

Subject  153.  The  most  important  subjects  of  local  government  are

suwtep  Oi

Tarnment.  P^^^ce,  highways  and  bridges,  public  health,  the  sale  of  intoxicat-
ing liquors,  public  charity  and  the  care  of  the  poor,  education,  the
conduct  of  elections  and  the  assessment  and  collection  of  taxes.
2  In  Louisiana  the  countieB  are  called  parishes.
THB  AHKEIOAH  8TATB  AND   LOCAL  OOVEBNHKNT.
93


Schools*


School
difltrictB.
Cities.
