The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-04-09
SIMPLE LIFE IN GUAM
NO LABORERS TO RE FOUND ON THE
 ISLA ND.
Nature Has Provided Everything, So Natives See No Need of Hiring Out 10 Work for Others-No Stores or Mar ltets.

Work for Others-No Stores or Mar
 kets.
 The new government which is now il
 process of formation at Guam, the littl
 island away out in the Pacific Whicl
 has passed into possession of the Unite'
 States, has an interest for American
 from the fact that the conditions Whicl
 have been met with there are almos
 unique, and problems have arisen tn
 solution to which was by no mean
 easy to see. Lieutenant w. Edwin Saf
 ford of Chillicothe, Ohio, was appointed
 vice-governor of the island nearly
 year ago, and has been a most efficlen
 assistant to Captain Leary, the gover
 nor of the island. Lieutenant SafforC
 has written to his parents letter whicf
 contains no little information concern
 ing the present condition and needs oi
 the island, and the facts given may bt
 taken as authoritative, as they come from him. The letter is in part as fol
 lows:
 have just been going over the treas ury accounts for the two quarters be- ginning July 1 and October 1, 1899. Dur
 
 government exceeded the receipts. We found that the roads of the island were almost impossible, especially in the ! rainy season. The bridges were dilap- dated and often dangerous. The school teachers were all receiving three pesos (Mexican) per month--a little less than $1.50 in our money-think of it! There were accumulations of filth beneath the houses and dangerous cessopools in close proximity to wells. The streets had great hoes and projecting stones in them, and there was no way of drain ing the town. How were these things to be corrected? We did not want to call upon the general government at Washington for the money, but money was needed and must be had. Accord ingly, the governor asked me to make schedule of duties to be levied an arti- cles imported to the island from foreign countries and an export duty on copra or dried cocoanut, the only article of ex- port from the island. We shall now be able not only to make better roads and to pay the teachers salaries big enough to keep them alive, but we can also raise the pay of the insular artillery, 
 salaries to the justice of the peace and his clerk, as well as to the gobernador- cillo of this town-a kind of executive officer. Before they got nothing, and accepted their appointments in the same spirit as a man condemned to pay fine by court They had to neglect their business and ranches, and were subjected to the temptation of accept ing bribes to keep body and soul to- gether.
 BLESSINGS OF A TARIFF.
 At first people did not understand the object of the duties and protested against them. Now that they see the revenue is for the benefit of the island, they approve of it. Necessities and raw materials are on the free list, and the only things from the United States which are dutiable are wines and alco- holic liquors. Drunkenness, once prev alent here, has entirely ceased.
 Some have greatness thrust upon them. Imagine me as. judge of the court of first appeals, registrar of deeds and titles, comptroller of the treasury, and commissioner of education. Be- sides these official duties I have impos- l ed upon myself the task of teaching a class in English three nights week. my pupils ranging from five to fifty years of age.
 To prepare myself for my official du- ties have the various codes of Epanish l laws, civil, commercial and criminal, | which I follow as closely as possible in | classifying offenses, admitting evidence | and awarding punishments, except in | so far as they may be modified by gen. eral orders issued by Governor Leary
 One of the most important features of my work is the registering of land and granting of titles, and in this also I conform to the Spanish laws, which are excellent if carried out honestly. When a man wishes to acquite title he ap pears before the judge of the court of first appeals and presents a petition stating that he is in possession of cer- tain piece of land situated in such a locality, planted with cocoanuts, cacoa, coffee or other staples of food; that he has owned it from such a date, having acquired it as an ihertance from his father, or having bought it in such a year from such a man, or having sim ply cleared the forest and occupied 1t; hat it is bordered on the east, north, south and west by the property of peo- ole, whose names he gives; that it measures so many meters from north to south, and, so many meters from east to vest, and has superficial area of so many hectares: that he has no title to t, sand wishing to establish one, he ,egs that the necessary information be aken to establish the truth of his state nents, offering such persons as wit lesses who will swear that they know Jim to be the riEhtful owner of the in question. I then cause marginal indorsement 0 be made on the petition, ordering the land judge" to visit the property and make report upon it. If it appears to ,, e all right, take the evidence of the {, witnesses and grant the title of possess orship This is called Information ! 'osesoria."
 SIMPLE LAND TRANSFER.
 In order that in any future dispute ,, egarding ownership the courts may J ecognize the validity of the title, it 1ust be entered in the register of prop :. rty. The paper is brought to the reg ;trar of deeds and titles, who cites all f the adjacent neighborlng proprietors ) appear and sign sworn statements the statements of the wner and witnesses and agreeing to the