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THE SUBAK Once a month, or oftener if necessary, a general meeting is held in the little temple of the subak, a small shrine dedicated to the agricultural deities, built out in the middle of the ricefields. Attendance is compulsory and an absentee who is not properly justified is fined. When the members have gathered, the headman reads the roll, communicates the improvements and repairs to be carried out, reports on the relations of the society with higher officials 1 and with other subaks, and accounts for money received in fines and fees as well as what has been spent in materials, offerings, and so forth. Important decisions are reached by majority vote. When all business is settled, the headman adjourns the meeting and an informal social gathering follows in which tobacco, sirih, and refreshments are served by appointed attendants. If the subak is a prosperous one, there may even be a banquet. Like other Balinese associations, the spirit of the subak is essentially communal; all members abide by the same rules, each one being allotted work in relation to the amount of water he receives. Certain stipulations are made to prevent individuals from holding more land than would be convenient to the community. A man who has more land than he can work is compelled to share the produce with people appointed to help him.
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