The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1898-09-24
Moving q Large City.

i @E& ~ @@%4 G&
Japanegoyernmens in ordering the
destruction Of the city Of Teckcham;
Formosa, and the removal of all its
inhabitants to q new location, is pro-
baby without a precedent in history.
The city il situated 90 the northwest
coast Of the island and has been FREE
quently subject to pestilence, with
the sacrifice of thousands of lives. AS
long as Formosa was under the con-
troll OF the Chinese no attention was
/, paid to the matter, and there are sey-
eral cities in China where such calami-
ties occur with regular frequency
without any effort OF the part of the
government or the people to prevent
or remedy them. The cities along
the shores Of the Yellow river are IL
lnstrations. This stream is known ys
| China sorroW,' because It always
J oyerllows its Banks after d heavy rain
fall. The bed is not sufficient to
contain the drainage Of the valley
through which It flows. AS many as
100000 people have been drowned id
one Of these periodical foundations.
But, with a curious persistency which
is 4 characteristic Of the Chinese race,
the survivors return to their former
homes as Don as the water subsidies,
burn 4 few sticks Of incense to APP
pease the dragon Of The water, but
take no further steps for their protec-
ton.
The Japanese are different. and are
as fond of Inclination as the Chinese
are opposed to them. Japan has been
in control Of Formosa nearly three
years AMI ii 1866 and 1897 plague
visited Ieekcham with enormous fa-
tally. The phenomenon being called
to the attention. Of the government.
an investigation was ordered By SAM
tary experts, who reported that the
city was built upon d swamp, and
that 1T certain seasons of the year
| poisonous gases issued from the
ground, ~Wheraupon an order was is
sued 10 Mr.. Sakurai, the governor
to select i new location as convenient
to the old III as possible, where the
natural conditions were healthful. E
new city was laid out By experts, and
each property holder III the old one
was assigned d site that correspondent
m In with that he occupied at Teck
cham, and he was given twelve month";
to move his buildings and belongings.
Sewers, roadWays and sidewalks,
public buildings, water-works and alt
other public Improvements were laid
ont by the government in the new
city without expense to the people,
but they were required to pay tl9
cost Of the removal Of their own prop
erty This Is not So expensive an I'M
d~ertaking as one might suppose, be-
cause most Of Che houses and other
buildings IN Teekchan, as well as III
other cities, are built of the very
highest wooden material, and d Js-
panese hdsise offers tile d Of
being taken apart without difficult
Or injury
The undertaking is i notable illus
tration Of The enterprise and the wis.,
lon Of the japanese government.
The masses on whom taxation Is
shifted indirectly, eare realizing the
rank injustice Of the war tax inflicted
through Republican legislation ii
Congress. This Republican reeeEue
measure i unjust, and violates the
principle Of taxation, upon which the
supreme Court Of the United States
dwelt at length in their decision
against tic income INK. Under the
provisions III Gflis Republican rneasf1rG