"Well," answered Sheep, "the Government _are_ the publishers of most
books. That is to say, the number of Government publications exceeds
the number of private publications, but as regards the latter the
publishers or printers assume the financial responsibility for the
sales but are insured by the Government against loss, so long as they
comply with the conditions imposed by the Publishing Department."
But I have digressed too far. My interest in book-shops must be my
excuse. Not only were there no casual shoppers, but I saw no one
sauntering about the streets. Everybody seemed to have an object in
view. There were no children playing. The children were either marching
in step to or from school, or they were performing some kind of
organised game--if it could be called a game--under the supervision of
a teacher or guardian. The workmen going to their work, or returning,
also marched in step like soldiers. The women going to market went at
the appointed time and took their place in a little queue if there were
more than three or four in front of them. At the theatre there was no
crowd outside; every one had his numbered seat and went to it at the
minute. Each man's ticket has printed on it the day of his attendance,
the number of the seat and the exact time at which he must be present.
There are no such things here as football matches or other sports
witnessed by crowds. The men attend military drill once a week, some
on Sundays and some on Saturdays. This is in addition to their annual
periods of drill. The only custom which survives from old times,
resembling the customs of other countries, is that of sitting in the
evening in gardens attached to restaurants. Here the people listen to
bands of music whilst they drink a thin kind of liquor and smoke cigars.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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