Page:Life in a thousand worlds.djvu/150

 the liquid from the raw springs to the private tanks of the monopolists. Not long after this, when the monopolists saw that they controlled all the liquid air of the country, they had rigid laws passed forbidding the importation of air from any other country. Then when all preliminaries were arranged, the magnates raised the price of their commodity.

The burden fell most heavily on the persons of limited means, for some were compelled to give half of their earnings for air.

The monopolists grew richer and richer, while the poor became still poorer, until a cry went up for cheaper living. Then the generous-hearted magnates decided to build new and larger storehouses, thus giving employment to the large army of impoverished workmen. Thus did the poor feel very grateful for the privilege of earning enough to satisfy their hungry stomachs.

With the larger storehouses now in operation the magnates were enabled to conduct this air business on a scale more economical, and so it resulted that the profits of their business were constantly increasing.