Hizzoner Robin Hood

Times were hard in the little Spanish town of Santisteban del Puerto when young (30) Mayor Agustin Sanchez Lopez-Conesa took office in 1946. For two years straight, a searing drought had scorched the olive groves that were the town's only means of subsistence. More than 700 families were without work or food. "One day," recalls Don Agustin, "I came across the body of a worker, dead from starvation, lying in a ditch by the roadside. That decided it for me. There were too many rich people in my town for the poor to be dying of hunger."

Without law or precedent to justify him, the mayor, himself a well-heeled aristocrat, began a campaign to equalize local resources in a system of "voluntary donations" levied against the rich. "I myself opened the subscription with a donation of 2,000 pesetas," he said. "Then I dedicated myself to visiting all the well-off people to obtain donations."

One patrician who refused to ante up was promptly popped in jail. With these funds and others collected through high special taxes on "luxury items," Don Agustin was soon providing free meals for 4,000 townsfolk every day. In time, his "Social Benefits Fund" was expanded to cover an ambitious job-providing public-works program, which gave the town new streets, a better sewage system, a recreation hall for workers and even a new altar for the local church. Some of the funds were used to make a movie about the Santisteban way, which brought more funds into the town coffers.

When at last the rains returned to nourish the olive crops, the poorer townspeople of Santisteban were happy in a prosperity such as they had never known before. The rich were not so happy. In April 1949, the wealthy industrialist whom

Don Agustin had jailed for failing to contribute to his fund haled the mayor to court for illegal taxation. Don Agustin was forced to resign his office. He was free on bail during the five years it took the slow-moving Fascist courts to bring him to trial. When he was tried a year ago, the court said it was sorry, but the fact remained: Don Agustin had violated the law. He was sentenced to one month and a day in jail, fined 1,580 pesetas and ordered to pay back every cent (total 604,367 pesetas) he had extorted.

Last week, seizing on a legal quibble (the case was improperly drawn) to mask its compassion, Spain's supreme court reversed the lower court's decision and ab solved Don Agustin of all blame with the passing note that he "was motivated by the sole desire to resolve with honor and efficiency the multiple and urgent problems facing his community." From all over Spain, letters of congratulation poured in, but for Don Agustin, onetime mayor of Santisteban, the kindest words of all were spoken by a weather-beaten olive picker in his town. "Don Agustin," said the old man, "at last justice has been done. The people are very happy."

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