Top Card

The solemn Aldermen of the City of London are like a pack of cards that is never shuffled. Once a year the top (senior) card is slipped off and becomes Lord Mayor. Cards slipped off in previous years return to the rank of Aldermen, designated forever after as having "passed the civic chair" (i. e. been Lord Mayor). Last week in London's gloomy but impressive Guildhall there was pompous slipping.

"Oyez, Oyez, Oyez!" shouted the Common Crier. "All ye who are not of the Livery depart this hall on pain of imprisonment !"

Nobody stirred. All the Aldermen are "Liverymen" -- representatives of London's ancient Guilds. The top card, as always, was the Senior Alderman who has served as Sheriff of the City of London, this year Alderman Charles Henry Collett.

"Those of you in favor of Charles Henry Collett, Knight, Alderman and Glovemaker?" shouted Common Sergeant Judge Holman Gregory.

"All!" cried all Liverymen present, but this shout did not stop the Common Sergeant. He read off the names of all eligible Aldermen.

"Later on! Later on!" cried the Liverymen at each name, sure that London's Mayoral pack will be dealt in proper order from now until Doom's crack. Knowing that her husband was bound to win, Mrs. Collett watched beaming from a balcony beside the outgoing Lord Mayor, Sir Percy Greenaway, Stationer. Sedately the Aldermen, who form a small key group in the great body of Liverymen, retired to vote in private for the inevitable top card.

Emerging at last through a great door, they introduced and presented to the Liverymen as though they had never seen him before Glovemaker Collett of the Worshipful Company of glovers, a tycoon of British haberdashery. After congratulations all round, Stationer Lord Mayor Sir Percy Greenaway invited Glover Collett into the ornate Lord Mayor's coach, carried him off to a reception at the Mansion House while four trumpeters split the air with deafening blasts.

As tradition demands, Glovemaker Collett, though elected last week, will not assume office until Lord Mayor's Day, Nov. 9, must spend at least -L-3,000 to please the London populace by staging that pompous, freakish annual pageant, "The Lord Mayor's Show," plus -L-3,000 for the Lord Mayor's banquet. Paid an annual salary and allowance of -L-50,000, the Lord Mayor of London normally spends some -L-30,000 of it on civic entertainment during his year in office.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.