THE J i:\lOR REPUIU.IC

28 7

them wages in their card-board money (later tin coin) and they, in turn, paid him for board and lodging at the hotels. As a matter of form, and to give the government some material rea- son for existence, the citizens paid small taxes levied by the leg-

islature, though Mr. George as sole capitalist paid the bulk of the taxes. In 1896, in order to extend democracy, the contracts for hotels and mercantile establishments were let by the govern- ment to citizens on the payment of a license or percentage cU -tri- mmed by auction. But Mr. George still retained ownership of tin land and enipl\vd a large force in agricultural pursuits. He paid them wa^es daily, and as he had nothing to sell to the citi/rns, since his crops would not mature until alter their return home the first of September, the money was not returned into his hands. As a result, the currency was expanded and contin-

ued to depreciate through rapid fluctuations until one dollar of