Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-03-06
American Enterprise in the Philippines.

American Enterprise in the Philippines.
The Journal Is i'll receipt ~ the
Manila Times Of December p. contain
ins the report ~ Lieut. C"l John X.
Mct;inncs.-. chief ordnance officer of the
Division of the Philippines, ana form
crly commander uf the Kcnucbcc
Arsenal in this city. The Times is AN
eight page, SIX column paper. printed
in the English language. The number
in question is the christmas issue and
is ornamcnted hy a special cover
printed on glazed paper ana contain
Ing Il number of excellent half-toncs
vividly illustrating the present oondi-
tions of life III thu Philippines.
ii IL evident from the report .:
Lieut. col. McGnuess that hia depart
mcnt ~ a very busy as well as d re-
sponsible one. 1t the time it was
made it's working force consisted OF:
Civilian clerks. in office.
ordnance sergeant. ia Office.
Detailed enlisted men. IN Office,
Native employee, IN Office.
Civilian employee. in Stor"h"use.
civil service employee. in chHrE, ~
carpenter. blacksmith and mtchin"
shops, !
civilian in charge of Saddlcrs shop.
Detailed enlisted men. employed IN
handling ana packing stores tor ship
mcut.
Native mechanics, ~
Chinese coolies detailed from the quar-
t,rmastcr's department. s.
Men on guard duty. detailed from the
3nth T.. :. Infantry. and changed cV-
cry month. l.
y study of the exhibits made in
the report leads us to wonder
how force no larger was able
to accomplish the work there shown.
The communications received az
and sent from the ordnance Depot
office from July J. 1899 to July /, 1000,
about 1000. ANA to these
must bc added about 1000 tclograms.
The list or stores invoired is very
long one. and is revelation Of the
extent and variety of the supplies
necessary in the ordnance department
alone for troops who are engaged in
active operations in the field.
This issue of Times also gives us
some general ideas of what American
occupation of Manila has done for tn"
promotion of its civilization. ANA the
Of its methods Of admins
tration. Sanitation Of the city has
come in for special attention.
Tho department. in full includes
captain. II licutenants, q srrgeants,
ana GA laborers. Thirty laborcrs are
assigned to the markets alone.
With regard to the work done by this
during the past year, the
following will give some slight idea of
IT'S magnitude: About 30,o00 cubic
meters of stone and 10000 cubic meters
of gravel have been placed on the
streets. ana still the greater part Of
the projected work remains to be done.
The sewerage system has been eX-
tended and will ultimately be adequate
to the fullest needs Of the city. 50 far
as the work has been advanced it has
been we'll done. but much still remains
to be accomplished. The work is be
ing Vigorously pushed and will doubt
less be completed within a year or
two.
When the city came into American
control ice machines We're practically
unknown. Now they may be seen on
every hand. and the demand is steadily
The peculiaritics of this
climate make ice an every day neces-
sity, and the demand for ice and re-
frigerators is greater than the supply.
Another result of American occu-
patton has been the organization of IA
well equipped and thoroughly-d drilled
fire department.
The courts. too. have been thoroughly
and while exceedingly cos
in the character of the
people who come before them. have by
their fair dealing won the confidence
and respect of all nationalites.
1t is evident that progress is being
made in the establishment, of our
American civilization inf the Philip
pines. and the object lessons afforded
by American enterprise and honesty, in
Manila. may in the end prove even
more effective with the natives than
our troops in the field.