It is here that one of the greater weaknesses of the patriarchal sys ni tests itself, namely, that in reducing a district civil order, everything depends individual effort, and there is riv abiding. The law exists indeed but sich' a law a The measure of administration therefore, like a steam pressure gauge, fluctuates not merely with success sive Chehsien and colonels, but. with the periods oven of their reigns of office. For instance a young magistrate nay arrive in the dustries erudite with effusions of the Diffusion Society, acquainted with the iron discipline of the Jasreater open ports, and urged with Strong desire to serve his people first and his family (i.e. his pocket) later. A few days after opening the seal he holds his first Court day and is confronted with wave of petitioners and counterpetitioners—the accumulation of the past weeks' interreguum—each bringing the most cogent of reasons to show that his opponent has dono him a most grievous wrong. With Oriental perspicacity he sees through the more conflicting of the parallel "facts" and judgment truly Solomon-like. In 19 cases out 20 his decree is not accepted by the losing side, which is immaterial. No attempt is made to carry out the decision, and to re-open the case means to pay again "fees all round." 'These are for the most part cases of County Court, but sooner or later a criminal case comes into court. Of the facts and evidence there is no doubt, and our "Portia" not only decrees, but Acerees that his decree be carried' out. Here it is just possible he may be interviewed by the clan-fathers, and they, far from bolstering up the innocence of the culprit, defend the deed only on the grounds that the victim or victims belong alien and otiending clan. They point out how excellent an opportunity is the present for manifesting his great meres before an expectant Hsien, but in veiled terms give the Chehsien clearly to understand without the least ambi-gulfy, that if he pursue the matter be will mortally offend the entire clan and their ~ympat
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.