Mayor Civil Spark took his first step today toward reforming the City Guard. His activities prior to election, when as judge he declared Muddy Tail, an Earthling boy, a victim of guard persecution and had his picture removed from the gallery, brought him prominently before the public.
Judge Spark at that time said the practice of indescriminate "mugging" should be stopped. Today the subject was brought forcibly to the mayor's attention.
"It is inconceivable that such things can exist in a free country," he burst out when informed that an innocent pony had been arrested, held overnight without permission to communicate with his family, and then lined up with the day's grist of crooks to be photographed and measured.
The mayor then sent a letter to Commissioner Steel Specter, in reference to the latest victim of the "mugging" system, in which he said:
"Be so good as to see that his measurements and pictures are destroyed at once. The measuring of him and the taking of his pictures by force was unlawful. Let no such thing be done in the future except in the case of ponies convicted of some felony. Our Supreme Court has explicitly decided that it cannot lawfully be done in any other case."