But one of the most illuminating] searchlights on the situation was afforded by the chance reference to a storm brewing among indignant farmers of the neighbourhood over 3 specially flagrant case of the misappropriation of public funds by four of the leading gentry. Five years ago, when the North" was in" the throes of one of those recurring] celvil wars, the Provincial authorities raised a forced loan from the long-suffering people to. replenish their depleted coffers anda very. large sum was realized. Though definite Promises of repayment were made, "when better times come along", there seemed no prospect of fulftiment, However, for once the unexpected happened and last' autumn an Intimation trickled through the usual official channels to the astonished farmers that the share due to ths chu $1,700, had been repaid to helen headquarters and would shortly be distributed through their local On its arrival, the sight of s0 much ready cash was too much for the worthy gentlemen in charge of the people's interests and at once a scheme was concocted, by which the prize might be diverted into their own pockets.
Invitations to a feast were sent] out to all the headmen of the villages, comprising the unit, and on the day, after the guests had freely dined and_wined, several plausible speakers propounded the plan. With permission of their hearers (sie), it was proposed to transfer this sum fo the credit of the chu educa-tonal account, now it was stated, very much overdrawn. The tax demanded of them for educational purposes had been "quite insufficient" to meet the heavy expenditure called for by the Government programme and 20, as the villages were to receive all the benefit, it was up to their representatives to. sanction. the diversion of their repaid loan to this praiseworthy object.. The effrontery of this suggestion was apparently concealed by the specious words used, or was it that the guests had dined "not wisely but too well" and were thus unable to offer resistance, even should any have been inclined demur?
Anyhow, silence was regarded as giving consent and the conspirators were highly delighted at the success of their strategy. There was, how. fever, much dissatisfaction expressed In their respective villages, when the revellers returned. This has been fanned into flame of protest by the latest demand of those gentry for the collection of a new tax for "telephone expenses" in the the amount due from this chu being $500! Even the village worm will turn at last, though it takes a mighty lot to move him, and the matter is now referred to. the law-courts, where, if precedent is any guide, there is about as much chance of these country-folk seeing their original loan as a snowball has of resisting the temperature of Hades.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.