The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-12

bad influence upon the balance of the police
force and upon the inhabitants Of Manila
at large.
Closely allied TO the police force in meth
DDS of extortion are the native inferior
courts. administered by four Filipino jus
tices of the peace The establishment and
maintenance of this local judiciary has
been carefully supervised by the secretary
10 the military Governor. who at one time
had much faith in their honesty and eff
ficiency But to-day they have fallen into
disrepute-one of their number has been
removed from office under criminal proceed
ings which may eventually bring him 10
prison All four justices are VIGOROUSLY
corrupt According to the system OF DOCK
keeping and checks prevailing In the pro-
vosf Tnarshal'S Office in Manila, these jung
SO shouId send in daily to the proper des-
ignated American authority all nnes cor
lected by them in their courts ana ~ Is
estimated that together the Tour JuseiSS -
fines each month. As q matter OF TACT,
these native judges send IN less tnan a
hundred dollars each month, ana DIVERT the
balance of their collections TO their own
nses This has been going on for months
mast There is evidence, and plenty OF IL,
that these judges are in the haDit Oh COM
promising with petty oHenders "i nv. gu
trial by taking money from them IN ex-
change for their freedom. Ii Is a furtner
we'll known fact that during a period OK
eight months fifty-nine prisoners, sen
fenced UNEMPLOYMENT by these native 1uds-
es. were started from the court rooms 10 the
prison and never arrived there. Ihey were III
charge of American soldiers IN some cdses,
and of native policemen In others, tney MeIe
not killed en- route, but they were given
their freedom in exchange for casn, ana
the system of checks was st that ume
so imperfect that their nonarrival at the
nrison was not officially noticed unui an
irn,eStioation of the matter was made.
GA ses wherein trial has long been Delayed
without cause before these courts are COM
mon. and the local press are contlnualiy
citing examples of the farcical metnous,
corrIption and unjust decisions OF these
native Judges The facts l nave stated
above have long been known TO the MN,
tary authorities, both 10 1enerai Oe,s anu a
ia General Macarthur, yet neither mas
ever taken effective steps to remedy TINS
evil which so directly AFFECTS the common.
people and the continuance OF winch
tends daily TO dissatisfy the thinking ele-
ment of the inhabitants of Manila with
the military administration, as well as 10
shatter their belief in our much heraldeo
clean and good government And In THIS
latter result lies the deplorable effect OF
corruption and maladministration. We
do not talk the Tagalog tongue; few OF
the natives talk Spanish well, and the ma
jority not at all, so we get no close con-
we fail to realize how closely the com
mon people watch each and every one OF
our official actions and draw their owf
conclusions therefrom We have criec
to them: I'VE will give you clean and
good government until the words are
become a habit and we can hardly speak
officially without using them. Yet the
two branches of the municipal admins
tration of the this city that most directly
reach and touch the common people are
woefully corrupt. incompetent and dishon-
est. and the result of the contrast which
is thereby forced to the minds of super
stitious and unreasonable natives, none
too well disposed toward us at best, is al.
most disastrous TO the great work Of win
ming the confidence and affection of the
Filipinos.
CUSTOM HOUSE PROBLEMS.
The matter of unloading vessels in Manila
bay. and that of imposts on imports, affect
every merchant in town. and through them
| the consumers of what these merchants
handle for sale. The incompetence which
| is manifest in the doings of the men who
| administer the custom house and control
| the unloading of ships in the harbor duo
| partly TO their lack of business ability and
| understanding and partly to the necessity
| of doing their work according to army
| rules and regulations, has resulted in ship.
pers very materially increasing freight
rates to Manila in order to protect them
| selves against losses incurred by their YES
/ sells while in this port because of the end
1 less and incalculable delays in getting mer
chandise from ship to shore. In support OF
| this statement L will cite one instance: The
steamer freight rate on can of kerosene
| oil from New York to Manila has gone from
80 cents TO so cents, gold, within TIVE
| months; the same rate by sailing vessel fol
| the same case of oil has risen 10 cents. gold
I also within two months, which latter in
| crease advances the cost of getting a small
| shipload of oil out here by $6,000 gold
/ These rates are advanced because shipper:
| know by experience what to expect a
| Manila, and / think it constitutes th'
| strongest kind of condensed arraiGnmen
against the administration of this port
| And the consumers pay to merchants an(
shippers the cost of this increase in trans
/ pOrtation.
Such conditions here at Manila aris
1 from variety OF reasons; from the end
| less swirl of red tape with which the mill
| tary have to surround their dealings witt
business men, details of which woul
| cover pages, and in my note books hav
dozens of examples which brevity pre-
| vents my using. Also from the fact tina
| we are proceeding in custom and harbo
matters under former Spanish rules, con
! fused by the application OF army regula
| lions. The Spanish rules were good an
adequate for the conditions extising whel
they were framed. but to-day, in view o
| the new and greater requirements, the
| are distinct hindrance to commerce
There are not nearly enough lighters 70
unloading purposes in the bay, and tn
| customs warehouses have, up TO thi
present month, been utterly inadequate
Government property. material and store
| take precedence in transportation over al
Individual interests, and here commerce
again gets the small end of it, The rent
al or lighters is abnormally high, and be
| cause OF the lack of facilities for unload
Ing, they are often kept waiting in from
| or the government custom warehouse
Tor weeks at time for chances to dis
charge their cargoes. / know of on
| steamer with eight hundred TONS q
freight to unload at Manila being ken
mere nineteen days to do ii, demurra 2
ping UP at the rate of $3.50. gold, a day
l knp" OF another consignment of good
which arrived here June is and onI