The mirror., 1922-02-02
WISDOM OF THE ORIENT
By Mr.. NJ. W.

the tower of Justice, all business in the
market place of Navasa, the capitol city of
Yatispur suddenly ceased. The milling
crowd, an endless variety of picturesque
types, such as only an oriental civilization
may boast of, was officially prevented from
further arguing, gesticulating or shouting
in an attempt to barter or exchange its
native or foreign products in form of
merchandise, live stock or agricultural
products. 1t no longer gave vent to its
appeals to Allah the Mighty, or Moham-
med His great prophet to prove the
veraciy of some rather doubtful sounding
statements made in the sole endeavor to
aid the wheel of commerce to turn more
smoothly. Egyptians, Tunisians, Indians,
Arabs, Turks and Jews all faithfully OBJ
served the market law of Navasa, which
sternly forbade all trading in other than
parpared food, liquid refreshments or
amusements after the hour of 4 p. m.
Local merchants closed and barred their
shops out-of-town traders removed their
displays and carefully packed, placed
them upon their kneeling camel's backs
and the less fortunate venders of merchan->
disc, who neither owned shops or four
footed burden carriers hoisted their bun
dies upon their own backs and left the
market place for home, caravansaries or
stopping places where they could either
gloat or frown upon the result of their
days activities.
A short period of comparative quiet
ensued in the business district of Navasa
during which, man and beast refreshed
themselves and replenished such vitality
as their strenuous market activities had
caused them to expend. Their physical
welfare attended to, the Navasans, visit
ing merchants and sightseers again
thronged the highways and where few
moments before, the principal topics of
conversation had been the price of this or
that luxury, this or that commodity, this
or that camel, horse, OK, cow or goat, now
Aowery speeches or comments on religion,
philosophy, science, art and political activ-
ity was heard.
Foremost in the talk generally resumed
was the almost universal condemnation of
a recently formed marketing company
which with an unheard of daring had
usurped the individual right of every per-
son doing business in the market place of
Navasa by charging buyer or seller per-
centage of the price involved for the
privilege of obtaining or disposing of the
products handled.
This clever scheme of high finance bull
warked by ninety-nine year franchise
was donation .of the properly appointed
or elected authorities, a special privilege
obtained by the exertion of political power,
influence and other ringing means of per-
suasion, in defiance of all constitutionally
granted rights of those mostly concerned.
Usually Navasa accepted the voice OF
authority with the proverbial meekness of
the lamb and humbly bowed its head to
the majesty of the law, as centuries of
official abuse of public confidence had led
them to adopt the viewpoint of the true
fatalist, chat the worst is yet to come"
Spasmodic changes in the personnel of
their administrative and law-giving body
had only proved displacement of an old
CRATER by new one, and old incompetent
by less trust worthy one, so that at last
the great masses of Navasa had abolished
all serious effort to obtain government
for and by the people, and accepted their
lot like a live lobster thrown into pot
of boiling water to be returned vivid
red, most delectable morsel of food for
those who enjoy-well HOLSTERS.
The last outrage though, was different
matter entirely. 1t was no fake street i'm
provement or unnecessary bridge; no park
for the benefit of adjacent property owners