eurasia(优雷夏)-第4节
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telephones； wireless telegraphy stations and levees； all water power；
steamers and boats for freight and passenger service； and； in fact； all
public utilities。
Besides； the Government manufactured and sold all liquors； tobaccos；
drugs； teas； salt； sugar； coals； petroleum； lumber； iron in pigs and steel in
plates and bars。 It is easy to see that the Bank of Eurasia transacted an
immense volume of business daily。
The bank coined gold in denominations of fifty dollars； twenty dollars；
ten dollars and five dollars； silver in dollar； fifty and twenty…five…cent
pieces； nickel in ten…cent and five…cent pieces； and aluminum in one…cent
pieces。 All money coined with ten per cent。 alloy and at bullion value。 The
coinage was readjusted every ten years and silver； nickel and aluminum
coins were exchangd for gold at their face value。 The Government issued
banknotes drawing two per cent。 a year； and loaned money on land and on
goods in the Government warehouses and conducted a fire insurance
business； but no insurance was paid on any property that was insured in
the building where the fire broke out； and on no buildings that were not
fireproof。 No life insurance was allowed and no corporation or individual
was allowed to carry on an insurance business and no person was
permitted to insure property or life in the country in any foreign
corporation； and no stock exchanges or gambling in futures were allowed。
The Bank of Eurasia published every month in the National Gazette
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the amount of money on hand； so that the people might know when it was
necessary for the Government to make a new issue of banknotes； so as not
to cripple the circulation。
I was greatly； impressed with the reply of the Minister of Finance
when I asked him why he published those statements； 〃We deal honestly
with the people and they trust us。〃 In answer to my question if there were
any trusts in his country； he smiled and replied； 〃One trust： the People。〃
Corporations are allowed； but no watered stock and every stockholder
has the same vote in electing officers of the company； whether he holds
one share or any other number of shares； and any conspiracy to corner the
market or to enhance the price of any article produced or manufactured is
punished as a felony； the penalty being five years at hard labor in prison。
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CHAPTER V。
DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION。
I called at the Department of Information； and when I was introduced I
realized that I was in the presence of one of the world's greatest teachers。
She gave me a warm handshake and said； 〃I have been expecting you； and
now that you are here； I will take pleasure in showing you the workings of
the department over which I have the honor to preside。 There are no
Government or private detective agencies in our country； but a constant
watch is kept on all public officials as well as private violators of the law；
by the Government placing for sale in every postoffice and every military
station and every prison Government envelopes with fifty…cent stamps on
them； and any person interfering in the sending or tampering with said
letters is punished by imprisonment for five years at hard labor。 Steel
boxes with a slit in the lid to receive the letters were placed in every
postoffice； military station and prison； and could not be opened except by
a commissioner from the Department of Information。 Any person could
buy one； for there was a printed address on them； and send it to the
President； who has at the present time three hundred secretaries （young
ladies chosen from the orphan home） to read the letters； answer them and
send a copy to the Minister of Justice who has them Classified； and acting
on the information sends orders out to bring the guilty parties to justice；
and as punishment is meted out only to the bribetakers； for it is only acting
according to the mandates of human nature for a relative or friend to try to
get a person out of trouble to offer a bribe； carried with it no penalty； but it
left the bribetaker at the mercy of the other party； and in consequence of
adopting this system very few public officials proved untrue； and crime
has greatly diminished。 Our department has charge of all mail matter and
telegraph； telepost and telephone lines and wireless stations and all
newspaper books and magazine publications； and we edit the National
Gazette； besides we have charge of all Government scientific research
parties； and if you will call again to…morrow I think I will be able to
introduce you to the Chief Engineer who stands very high in his profession；
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and who has； by placing an Astronomical Observatory on the summit of
Mount Everest； attracted the attention of the civilized world。〃
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CHAPTER VI。
DEPARTMENT OF MINES。
I called at the appointed time and was introduced to the Chief
Engineer； who invited me to accompany him on an inspection tour； to
which I gladly assented； and； after a week's pleasant travel by rail； we
arrived at the station on the southwestern slope of Mount Everest at an
elevation of twelve thousand feet above the sea。 We had arrived in the
evening and enjoyed a good night's rest； and； eating a hearty breakfast； we
walked out to take observations of the locality； before taking our trip to the
summit； and the Chief told me of the way by which they finally erected an
observatory on the highest mountain of the earth。
〃Five years ago the President sent for me；〃 explained the Chief
Engineer； 〃and asked if I could plan an observatory on Mount Everest。 I
replied that I would try to do so if the Government saw fit to place me in
charge of the undertaking。 I received my commission the next day and；
calling to my aid two of the ablest engineers in the service of the
Government； we selected a site for the entrance of the tunnel and next we
searched for suitable power to do the work。 We found a waterfall twenty
miles distant； where we built a power house； installed turbines and
dynamos and built an electric line to this place。 We then erected a machine
shop； in which we placed our electric engines and air compressors； and
built a railroad connecting with the main line； and after we had done that
we started the tunnel。 As you will observe； the tunnel is a round bore
twelve feet in diameter； and no explosives were used in making it。 We
used a tunneling machine driven and operated by compressed air； boring
on the average fifty feet every twenty…four hours； and we washed the
debris away by a powerful stream of water directed against the face of the
tunnel so as not to obstruct the work。 We gave the tunnel for the first five
miles a grade of one foot in ten and from that point to the summit a grade
of sixty degrees； and laid heavy steel segment rails six feet apart bolted to
the solid rock； by this means dispensing with ties and permitting a free
flow of water and slum。 We found it necessary to build a chamber within
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the mouth of the tunnel sixty feet long； with automatic doors opening and
shutting； to secure an abundance of air in the tunnel； and also in the
observatory。 The tunnel required no timbering； as we bored all the way
through synetic granite and encountered very little water； and when we
were about to break th
