That article seems to describe a system where public uses were prioritized over paid. Like in any system, some degree of favoritism/corruption existed, but at l

That article seems to describe a system where public uses were prioritized over paid. Like in any system, some degree of favoritism/corruption existed, but at least initially it seemed to still serve the public at large quite well. Especially when one considers many of their contemporary equivalents or what followed for centuries in Europe.