The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-10

enyIablc situation which they do not like
and which brings them into the ranks of
the Industrious sooner or later.
The Republlc has its own money. not
national currency. This money is in the
form of pasteboard disks each represent
ing a certain value. The lowest wages
Maid for u DAYS work is fifty cents. Girls
get the same pay as do boys. The lowest
wage is given to unskilied labor. As soon
as better work is done; seventy cents is
paid until finally ninety cents n day Is
given for skilled labor This money can
be frittered away without restraint, just
as in the nation at large, but each child s
money which has been put in the oank
or saved in any way is redeemed at the
end of sixty days in potatoes, groceries or
any other kind of provisions or clothing.
Money put in the bank draws per cent
week thus encouraging thrift.
The Junior Republic also has its system
of taxes The tax must be paid by the
workers to support the idlers, who are
soon called ''paupcrs by the INDUSTRIOUS
feel that they are looked down upon by
the others Those who earn their way
when they come to their dinner find the
table set with clean white cloth and
nice dishes. At this table the i1lers or
"paupers" are not permitted. They are
furnished with n tin-basin of soup and
piece Of bread. both served on an un-
blamed hemlock board. The idlers eat IN
the same room with the workers and 1t
does not take them long to note the dif-
ference in fare and service.
Those who have to pay the tax to sup
port the paupCrs soon begin to grumble
at the burden imposed on them. In TINS
rospect the community again resembles
the National Republic. Without being
told what to DO, the industrious portion OF
the Frceville Government discovers ire
mendously effective means to bring the
delnquonts to terms The idler Is ostra-
cised and vigorously snubbcd.- lie very
soon finds himself a despised creature and
very lonesome. This state of affairs does
not suit him and he goes to work with
feverish energy which proves the effec-
tivoness Of his punishment one OF the
most incorrigible boys the little republic
ever had went home at the end of sixty
days with $50 to his credit. This was
mostly in the form of potatoes and pro-
visions. enough to supply his family for
a whole winter.
The highest ambition of a boy after he
has been a few days at the farm Is TO be-
come a COP There is a finely organized
police force, uniformed in blue and brass
buttons Every boy wants to get on de
force" at once His amaZement Is com
plete when he is told he will have to pass
civil service examination first. When
he comes up for his examination in read
ing. writing. arithmetic and geography
and fails to pass, he realizes that his past
truancy does not pay. Many a mother has
blessed the day when she placed her BOY
in the care of the mana cement at Free
Vile for she had no further need to urge
her boy to go to school
There is plenty of work for the police
force. for there are crimes and criminals
at Freeville as well az outade the juris-
diCtion of the Junior Republic. There are
thieves and highway robbers and coun-
terfCiterS. Many a boy with pastebOard
money in his clothes has been held up
and made to disgorge and ingenious at
tcInDts to counterfeit the Republics cur
rency have been made Then the culprit
is arrested and brought before the grand
Jury which instinCtively seems to be able
to discriminate between what is evidence
and what is not. After the district at
torney and the counsel for the defence,
both boys. have summed up and the jury
brings in q verdict Of guilty, the cul-
prit is taken to the Jail where he is dis
robed and "A suit of bed ticking, with the
stripes-running crOss-ways is given him.
He is iuca roCUated for a period ranging
from a halliday to several days Hard
bed and brCaC and water is his portion
while in Jail If a boy rRsists arrest. that
crime resisting an officer is added 10 the
original charge and he pays the penalty
for both.
II is comicaI to see mite OF a boy po-
liceman arresting a boy large enough to
eat him" but on whose face Is look
of intense earnestness as he permits him
self to be led to the stationhouse by the
officer.
Ous and upright and quite a favorite was
arrested for some offence and. when the
Jury came In, the foreman stepped up
to Mr. George, the president and. in trial
by-jUry cases, the judge. and said:
Hes guilty, but he ha'int done nuthin
before so ives want yer to let him down
easy and go light on him.
This was n Just verdict and the Of
fender was sentenced to a half-days So
iourn in the Jail. This boy became Speak
er of the House OF Representatives before
the season Of sixty days was over.
Election to the Senate and House OF KEEP
rcsentatives is by popular vote in which
the girls participate with as much zest
and enthusiasm as the boys. Both
branches of the Republics Congress con-
tain girl members. Universal suffrage is
a constitutional provision in the Junior
Republic But unlike the Congress at
Washington there are no Subsidy bills
or other nefarious Jobs attempted in this
little Congress Matters of grave moment
to the Freeville community are debated
earnestly without hint of a cloture rule.
so entangIing alliances with tie Gov
eminent at Washington or other foreign
States are attempted. Lobbying is ram
pant. but no money brides are offered as
the little Dastehoard discs are too highly
prized by the Republics voters. Some
other tempting offer Is made. but as a
rule the integrity of the members Of Con-
Eress IS above question.
The neighboring farmers take kindly to
the children of the Republic and frequent
w give them apples and other fruit which,
after the recipients own appetite is ap-
reased are sold to the less lucky MEM
hers and thus an increase is made in the
bank account and a domestic trade is
kept up and adds another source of in
come other than that which comes from
working in the Republics shops.