eurasia(优雷夏)-第10节
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chemicals except to responsible parties。 The voters of any district could by
a majority vote prohibit the use of any or all liquors or drugs in the district；
and on receiving official notice of the law enacted by the district the
Minister of Manufactures issued an order withdrawing from the district
any or all liquors or drugs prohibited； and any person bringing into the
district any prohibited drug or liquor； unless under a prescription from a
Government physician； was punished by six months at hard labor within
the district。
At every Government warehouse where drugs and chemicals were sold
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the Government employed a competent physician； on a salary fixed by law；
to superintend their sale； and he could prescribe and the Government
furnished the medicine free to those who were sick and did not have the
money to pay for it。
Tobacco was manufactured and sold in three grades； viz。； cigars； which
were sold in packages twenty cigars for a dollar； and smoking tobacco and
chewing at one dollar a package。 No cigarettes were manufactured or sold
by the Government or admitted into Eurasia； as it was recognized by all
intelligent people who took a warm interest in human progress that the use
of tobacco in the form of cigarettes had an injurious effect on the young；
through the pernicious habit of inhaling the smoke。 Coffee and tea were
put up in three grades at one dollar a package； the packages weighing in
proportion to grade； and sugar was made and sold in two grades； viz。；
common sugar and refined。 The common was put up in twenty…five…pound
sacks and sold for one dollar a sack； and the refined sugar in twenty…pound
sacks and sold at one dollar a sack。 Salt was put up in one…hundred…pound
sacks and five sacks of common salt were sold for one dollar and four
sacks of refined salt for one dollar； or at the rate of four dollars a ton for
rock salt and five dollars a ton for refined salt。
The Government manufactured charcoal on a large scale in fireproof
brick kilns； that turned out ten thousand bushels of charcoal to the kiln；
with elevated railroad tracks running between the rows of kilns； so that the
wood was unloaded from the cars into the kilns and on the outside of the
kilns were sunken railroad tracks so that the charcoal when drawn from
the kilns could be loaded into the cars with the least； amount of labor；
enabling the Government to sell charcoal in one…hundred…pound sacks at
one dollar for two hundred pounds； or at the rate of ten dollars a ton。 The
Government reserved for its own use all anthracite coal； but sold
bituminous coal in two…hundred…pound sacks for a dollar； at the rate of
five dollars a ton。 The Government reserved for its own use crude
petroleum； but refined it as coal oil and sold it at ten cents a gallon in
dollar lots。
Pig iron and bar steel were sold by the Government at a price yielding
a profit of twenty per cent。 over cost of production； lead and copper at the
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same rate of profit； and all the gold and silver mined or brought into
Eurasia was coined and went into circulation。 Every commodity produced
or manufactured by the Government in the above list was sold at the same
price； whether the Government warehouse where the goods were sold was
in the most populous city of Eurasia or at a lonely fishing…station in the icy
regions of the Arctic or in the torrid deserts of the Tropics。
Every person buying a commodity in a Government store was required
by law to register his name in the Government account book opposite the
list of articles purchased； which was always open to the public for
inspection； so that any intelligent person could see who was addicted to
the use of intoxicating liquors； and the manager of the warehouse was
compelled by law on the complaint of a wife or mother to deny liquor to
the husband or son that was complained against and to publish the name in
the district newspaper of largest circulation as well as posting it on the
bulletin board on the front of the warehouse； and any person who gave
liquor directly or indirectly to the person prohibited was sentenced； on
conviction thereof； to six months' imprisonment at hard labor。 The
Magistrate was forbidden by law to release on probation any person over
the age of fifteen years convicted of this offense； and a child under the age
of fifteen violating this law was sent to the reform school； of which there
was one in every district。
No credit was allowed in the purchase of goods from the Government
and the manager of the warehouse had discretionary power to limit the
sale of any commodity so as to treat rich and poor alike and to prevent
speculation。 As every purchaser could buy a dollar's worth of any
commodity for sale by the Government and as no rebate was granted no
matter what the amount purchased； it placed every purchaser on an
equality in dealing with the Government。 No liquor was allowed to be
drunk on or about the premises where it was sold； neither could it be sold
by any private party directly or indirectly to any person。
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CHAPTER XIII。
PUBLIC UTILITIES。
The Government； through its ownership and operation of all public
utilities； placed within the reach of every person the necessaries and some
of the luxuries of life； no matter what their trade or profession or where
situated； so that when I became acquainted with their system of
government I was not surprised at the spirited character and noble bearing
of the people； in striking contrast to the cringing servility of the ignorant
laborer in England and the negroes of the United States of America； for in
Eurasia there were no kings； dukes or lords； but every man was addressed
as 〃Mister〃 and every female as 〃Madame〃 or 〃Miss；〃 and there was
practically realized Burns's famous song： 〃A man's a man for a' that。〃
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CHAPTER XIV。
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE。
I visited several experimental farms under the management of the
Department of Agriculture and was informed by the superintendent of the
farm that the Government had a small farm of six hundred and forty acres
in every district in which was situated the District High School where boys
and girls were taught how to farm and to raise stock and poultry to the best
advantage； and also large farms at every military reservation where
persons convicted of crime were taught how to become useful members of
society。 The Government raised only thoroughbred stock and poultry on
the farms； and the service of the males was given free to every farmer that
desired to improve his stock。
As Eurasia covered a vast extent of country； enjoying every variety of
climate； the Department of Agriculture had all almost unlimited field to
work in and was yearly producing some new variety of plants that
enriched the labors of the husbandman as well as discovering remedies to
successfully combat parasites and other enemies of the fruitraiser and
horticulturist as well as the farmer。 District fairs were held once a year in
every district at which prizes were given to the best butter and cheese
makers and to the best breeder of every kind of live stock and poultry
raised in the district； but no stock or poultry imported into the district
could receive a prize。 The owner of anything exhibited at the fair had to
make an affidavit that he or she had raised it on his or her farm。 Prizes
were given to the owner of the best cereals and vegetabl
