The officials thus nominated (and none could escape the duty which fell to him) were sometimes quite numerous; the _Arte di Calimala_ at Florence had four consuls, a treasurer or _camérier_, a cashier, a syndic, and a proctor, not to mention two notaries and other subordinate officers whom the consuls chose with the assistance of a general council, and of a special council of the guild. The heads or chiefs were called in the south of France, _consuls_, _recteurs_, _bailes_, _surposés_, etc.; those in the north were called _gardes_, _eswards_, _jurés_, _prud'hommes_, _maïeurs de bannières_, etc. In certain texts one comes across "bachelor" masons and carpenters, curious titles given to ex-officers, who, though they had resigned their headship, might still have some official duties.[32] These officers were usually not long in power--sometimes only a few months, and practically never longer than a year; their duties ended with a statement of accounts which carried with it ineligibility to re-election for a certain time. There was always a fear of creating magisterial dynasties which might perpetuate themselves at will, and of encouraging the development of cliques; for these reasons several members of a family or business house were not allowed to sit on the guild committee simultaneously. The reason why so much trouble was taken to divide the responsibilities was because they conferred considerable power and entailed a great deal of absorbing work. The heads of the guilds, by whatever name they were called, took an oath that they would first and foremost see that the rules were carried out--no easy matter. In this respect they had legal powers, and they not only acted as arbiters in the quarrels which arose among the members, but also in the conflicts which in the great merchant guilds might arise in the course of trade even with foreigners: disputes over weights and measures, bankruptcies, frauds, reprisals, etc. They were, in fact, public officials, and their consular tribunals were to become in time the organs of the Commune. In the industrial guilds they had to watch over production, inspect the articles of manufacture in the workshops, to make sure that they were in conformity with the prescribed rules. In cases of delinquency they had the right to seize and burn the goods and to inflict a fine on the offenders. In some places it was their duty to protect the apprentices, to examine the candidates for mastership, and to provide the necessary funds for the pious works which were under the control of the community. At Florence the _Arte di Calimala_ had the care of the monastery of San Miniato, the baptistery of St. Jean, and the hospital of St. Eusèbe; the _Arte della Lana_ took charge of the building and decoration of the dome. In short, everything which could contribute to the welfare and reputation of the guild was under the jurisdiction of the heads, who, controlled by their colleagues, had thus an extensive sphere of activity.