Evening star., 1901-09-05
TEACHERS WERE MlSLED
THOUGHT THEY COULD OBTAIN COM
MIsSARY STORES.
Privilege Was Denied Civilians Before
They sailed-Extracts From
Pamphlet Sent to Them.

The cabled report from Manila to the
effect that the newly arrived American
teachers at a mass meeting yesterday de-
cided to cable to the President complaining
that promised commissary privileges were
denied them and that they found their ex-
penses double what they were assured
they might expect, attracted considerable
attention at the War Department today
The privilege of purchasing cemmlssary
stores at the government warehouses IN
the Philippines was taken away from all
civilian employees by an order OF the Sec
retary of War issued in June last, and as
that order was widely published, It was
presumed that the teachers, who sailed
subsequently to it's issuance were aware
of it's existence.
The letters and circulars issued by the
War Department to applicants for these
positions in the Philippines contain no d.
rect statement upon the subject OF COM
missary privileges, but the promise that
they would have these privileges might
easily have been assumed from some state
ments contained in manual of informa-
ton relative to the Philippine civil SerV-
ice,' which was published in Manila early
in the present year and to which attention
was invited by Colonel Edwards, chief of
the division of insuar affairs, in his cir
cular to applicants This pamphlet, in set
ting forth the conditions in the islands
for the information of Americans seeking
tains the following:
"At this time. January 1901 the cost of
living in Manila, the seat of government,
is higher than in the United States. Sat
isfactory accommodations cannot be secured
at any of the hotels for less than $35 a
month. and the rates exceed this amount
according to the character of the hotel and
the accommodations furnished. Many of
the Americans, however, secure rooms with
private families, and board in messes. the
provisions being purchased from the COM
missary. The food obtained from the COM
miSSary stores is the best, and the average
cost for room and board for those who live
in this manner Is about $35 a month.
1T will be the aim to make the service
attractive for competent Americans who
will be required to assist in the work Of the
government. AS soon practicable, the
government will have erected q number Of
houses in a desirable and heaithful section
of Manila. The rent of these houses Will be
low, and each one will probably accommo-
date five or six persons. Those who occupy
them can obtain servants with little diff
Guilty. 1t Is also proposed to establish
stores similar to the army cOmmisSary
stores for the benefit of civilian employees.
The stores will be well stocked with pro-
visions, groceries, and other necessaries of
life, and civilian employees will probably be
able to purchase from these stores at
about 10 per cent above the cost to the
government. When the houses referred to
are erected, and the stores established,
civilian employees will be able to secure
very satisfactory quarters and board at
not exceeding $50 each a month. Those
who are assigned to the provinces live con-
siderably cheaper than In Manila"
The pamphlet containing the above state
ment was mailed to each of the teachers
appointed, but unfortunately attention was
not called to the fact that the privilege of
buying supplies at the &C -ernment COM
missary had been discontinued The gov
ernment was compelled to cut off this priv
ilege both to stop the alleged frauds said
6,,n TO Ion md leo To p
isfy the regular merchants in the islands,
who were complaining bitterly that the
furnishing of supplies by the United States
was closing one of their main channels Of
revenue