第 3 节
作者:希望之舟      更新:2021-04-30 16:13      字数:9322
  prisoners received no pay during the time they were on bread and water。
  Corporals   received   fifty   per   cent。   more   pay   than   privates;   and   sergeants
  and company clerks one hundred per cent。 more。 Prisoners were required
  to work eight hours each day; Sundays excepted…commencing at eight a。
  m。; with one hour for dinner; and ending at five p。 m。; and to attend night
  school from six p。 m。 until eight p。 m。 five nights in the week; and once a
  week musicians and singers visited the prison and gave entertainments。
  The   company  quarters   were   only  one…story  high;   but   were   large   and
  well ventilated; being eighty feet square with wide verandas and furnished
  with steam and hot water pipes for cold weather; and lighted throughout
  by incandescent lamps。
  The   beds   were   all   singly   arranged   in   rows   and   well   furnished   with
  mattresses; blankets; sheets and pillows; and the room had nine large wash
  10
  … Page 11…
  EURASIA
  basins   at   one   end   of   the   room;   where   all   the   company  could   wash   their
  hands and faces and comb their hair。
  The    captains    were    required    to  sleep   in  the   same    rooms    with   the
  prisoners;     and   to   eat  with   them    in   the  dining…room;      and    were   held
  responsible for their care and good conduct。 He could sentence them for
  misconduct to three days on bread and water; but for serious offences they
  were tried by a Court of three Judges; appointed by the Minister of Justice。
  The     regimental     dining…room      where     all  the  companies      dined    was
  divided into three sections; with partitions eight feet high between them;
  each   section   having   a   door   connecting   with   the   kitchen;   and   the   food
  furnished of good quality; but differing in degree according to grade。
  The hospital was on one side of the square; and was fitted with every
  modern appliance and at the distance of half a mile was a pest house; to
  which     all  prisoners    suffering    from   leprosy;    cancer;   syphilis   and   other
  malignant diseases; were consigned。 What most attracted my attention was
  the bath house; a one…story building; one hundred feet long; adjoining the
  laundry。 It had a swimming tank in the middle of it sixty feet long; forty
  feet wide and twelve feet deep。 At the two ends were porcelain bathtubs
  for the old and feeble; with hot and cold water faucets; and on one side
  were shower…bath nozzles overhead; with hot and cold water connections;
  on the side next the laundry were rows of shelves reaching to the ceiling
  and numbered from one to eighteen hundred; holding a change of clothing
  for   the   entire   regiment   of   prisoners;   with   a   passageway   and   counter   in
  front; and every prisoner was compelled to bathe on every Sunday; passing
  over   the   counter   the   clothes   worked   in;   when   they   had   undressed   and
  when they had bathed; they received clothes; washed and ironed; to put on。
  Any   prisoner   who   did   not   bathe   was   placed   in   solitary   confinement   for
  three   days   on    bread   and   water;   then   taken   to   the   bathhouse   and   well
  scrubbed。
  Two prisoners were assigned to work as chiropodists to keep the feet
  of the prisoners in good condition; and the laundrymen; besides washing
  and    ironing    all  the  clothes;   sheets   and   pillowcases;     had   to  wash     and
  disinfect all the blankets once a month。 There were no walls surrounding
  the prison building; but the reservation being the headquarters of an army
  11
  … Page 12…
  EURASIA
  corps with barracks on all sides; escapes by prisoners were very rare。
  On marching out of the dining…room after breakfast the roll was called;
  and also after supper; by the captains of companies; and after nine p。 m。
  the doors were locked and no smoking or talking was permitted。
  A parole commissioner appointed by the Minister of Justice resided at
  the    prison;   who    was    also  Superintendent       of  the   Night   School;    with
  authority to parole any prisoner according to law that in his judgment was
  a fit person to be paroled。 A paroled prisoner; if he did not have friends to
  take   care   of   him;   was   given   employment   by   the   Government;   and   no
  money   deposit   was   required。   The   Government   paid   over   to   him   what
  money   he   had   earned;   and   gave   him   a   dress   suit   and   a   working   suit   of
  clothes and two changes of underclothing…by those acts of justice giving
  him    encouragement        to  become     a  useful    member     of   society。   He   was
  required to report by a letter once a month to the Governor of the District
  from which he came; and the Governor was authorized by law to pardon
  him when he thought proper。 Those rules and regulations applied equally
  to both sexes。
  12
  … Page 13…
  EURASIA
  CHAPTER IV。
  THE BANK OF EURASIA。
  Leaving     the   prison;   I  returned   to  the   Capitol   and;   calling   at  the
  Department   of   Finance;   was   given   a   copy  of   the   laws   governing   it;   and
  learned   that   it   operated   under   the   name   of   the   Bank   of   Eurasia;   with
  headquarters in the capital; having a branch in every district and in every
  town of one thousand inhabitants or more。 It paid out all money owed by
  the Government and received and receipted for all taxes due; and accepted
  all deposits from one dollar upwards; and issued all banknotes and bills of
  exchange;  and   in   consequence there   were   no panics   and   no   necessity  of
  issuing clearing…house certificates。 To avoid the folly of locking up large
  amounts      of  money     received    for  taxes  each    year  on   the  one   hand;   or
  permitting stock…gamblers and money…sharks; on the other hand; to use it;
  each district was allowed by law to issue district banknotes of one dollar
  denomination;   guaranteed   by   the   Government;   drawing   two   per   cent。   a
  year interest up to eighty per cent。 of the yearly expenses of the district。
  The taxes were payable on the first day of November; and if not paid on
  that   day   a   delinquent   tax   of   ten   per   cent。   The   banknotes   issued   by   the
  district were called in and canceled by this means; keeping the money of
  the people in circulation。
  Every branch bank in a district was required to send daily accounts of
  all money received and paid out to the central branch bank of the district;
  which in turn sent a daily account of all bank transactions in the district to
  the Bank of Eurasia at the capital。 No district treasurers were required; nor
  treasurers in any department of the Government; but vouchers to be paid
  by the Government had to be signed and scaled by the proper authorities。
  The bank also conducted a National Lottery; with tickets for sale at every
  branch bank for one dollar per ticket; drawings monthly; and the highest
  prize  drawn   was   five   thousand dollars;   and   the   lowest   five   dollars。   Five
  per    cent。   of  the   gross    proceeds    going    to   the  Government       for   the
  maintenance and education of orphan children。 The amount received each
  month and the names of the prize winners was published in the National
  13
  … Page 14…
  EURASIA
  Gazette   (a   weekly   paper);   and   a   copy   sent   to   every   prize   winner。   This
  paper   was   published   by   the   Government   and   every   voter   was   free   to
  subscribe for it without cost; but no advertisements were allowed in it。 It
  published the work of every department of the Government and all bills
  approved by Parliament; and all laws recommended by the Parliament for
  whilst     the    Parliament      could    approve      and    legalize    all   Government
  expenditures; it could only recommend by a two…thirds vote the amending
  or creating of any acts pertaining to the Political; Civil and Penal Codes;
  which had to go before the people at the next general election; when they
  became   the   law   of   the   land   by   a   two…thirds   vote   of   the   qualified   voters
  who   took   part   in   the   election;   and   had   a   universal   circulation;   as   the
  Government         owned      and    operated     all  railways;     telegraphs;     teleposts;
  telephones;      wireless     telegraphy     stations    and   levees;    all  wa