El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-22

| lions were opened with the TilipinOs to
effect an exchange of mails with the
provinces around Manila, but came to
| naught. Filipino stamps could not be
recognized, and the commissioners OF
Aguinaldo asked that pay the salaries
of their postmasters.
Under the Spanish regime, in each
province there was one postoffice ad-
ministered by postofice official, and
in some of the larger provinces there
were two such offices. In all the other
cities and villages it was made part OF
the official duties of the chief of the
city or some civil official to
no pay, maintained no offices, and In
general exercised their own free will
in the matter of delivering mail re-
ceived. If they saw anything they
thought would be of more benefit to
them than to the address, they kept it,
and If time hung heavily on their
hands they were free to open any let
ter and get the latest news. This
beats the postal card snap our country
ing effect 1t must have had on lovers.
They had star route carriers, and
some of them we're paid little for
their services. On some islands, how
ever, the natives were required to give
fifteen days. work to the governme nt
every year. and six days of this time
sould be put in carrying mail. AS 1t
was much easier to carry, few pounds
of mail than to work on the roads,
bridges and public buildings, the mail
csrrying.was considered a"snap," and
hence the limit of the time that any
one man could carry.
A station was opened at Cavite
early in September and an outfit sent
to Iloi]o in December with the expedi-
ton sent to occupy that place. On &C.
count oftthe delay in landing at Iloilo
a .office was opened upon one of tho
transports and was kept open until the
day IloilO was taken when it was NOV
ed to the shore and located in the only
available building unburnt. This
CHANGED to be saloon, and the only
one left in town, and many were the
devices used to inveigle the postmaster
into dealing out some of the liquors.
When it was seen he could not be in
duced to part with any of it, or allow
relieved him of the responsibility and
took all away.
Stations were soon thereafter opened
a. Cebu and Bacolod. After the cap
ture of Malolos, when the quartermas-
ter's department put on train to that
point. q mail car was added to the
train and regular railway postal car
service established between Malolos and
Manila, serving the troops stationed
opened at Malolos, but soon closed on
account of the advance on that point
and the consequent removal of the
troops.
Arrangements are now being made
to open up q sub-station at the hospital
in Manila, where there are between
1900 and 1000 men. The hospital en-
ployes have all they can attend to in
hospital duties and in consequence the
mail for inmates is more or less neg
lected.
Experience has demonstrated that |
there ia one makepoint in the handling |
Of the army mails in time of action. |
U nder the circumstances the only pos
,ible course for the postoffice TO pur-
sue is to deliver the mails for each re-
giment to the orderly for that regi-
nent and entrust the distribution to
he regiment. In the regiment the
Who have other duties to perform and
lave had no experience in postal mat
ers. After the arrival Of mail and
to distribution at headquarters to COM
,anies, the company sack Is opened and
Bill Jones is not there when his
ame is called, Tom Smith takes all
II BilPs papers. magazines and letters
md carries them to Bills cot, where
hey are left. and before Bill gets
owed" one of the magazines and never
links TO return it. 1t is really strange
hat there have not been more COM
,laints on this score. We ought to
lave postmaster with proper outfit,
With every regiment in the field.
The number of letters received with
ut proper address has shown mark
ID increase of late. Letters to soldiers
hould have on the address the compa-
And don't forget it because your boy
7as first there, there are several more
rsts.
Several states sent their first regi-
aent of volunteers to Manila and by
he time letter addressed to cole
olsen, First U. S. volunteers, has trav-
led the rounds of the California, Colo
ado, Nebraska. Idaho, North Dakota,
outh Dakota, Tennessee and Montana
egiments. Ole has lost all :patience
nd is in luck if he gets the letter after
II, and hundreds of just such letters
re received here.
We were told coming out, by men
tho knew 1t all, that white men could l.
OF work in this climate and that we
'ould have to employ natives or Por- ,
lgese to do the manual labor. We
ave found that this is not the only
g that has been told about this coun-
y. We have been here over ten
lOnths, have seen much hard work
nd are all in good health. To bring l
MS about we have had to regulate our
yes to the environment and avoid ex-
esses of every kind.
The rainy season has opened up SO
nat all that is now lacking 70 make
[anila desirable place of residence
plenty of good society. !
FRANK M. VAILLE,
United States Director of Mails, Phil
ippine Islands, in Dallas News. 1