Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-28
SALARIES IN MANILA
Payment Of Government En-
ployes in the Islands.
HIGH COST OF LIVING
ENORMOUS RENT DEMANDED FOR
HOUSES.
Specialists and Experts Engaged Who
Are Devoted to Their Work
Recompense Too Small.
HIGH COST OF LIVING

1sSCCllpSllSe 1CO 0Illdl1.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
MANILA. P. l., May IA, 1902.
Considerable has been written of late in
the United States concerning salaries paid
government employees in the Philippines.
1tinerant congressman and others have
made it a feature of their interviews and
reports. most of them characterizing such
salaries excessive. In some cases tables
have been published showing the salaries
paid, while others have sought to fortify
their conclusions by indulging in personal
reflections upon members of the commission
and their subordinates. Most of such ar
ticies are not only misleading, but unjust to
the many who are stalking their health and
future prospects in serving our government
in these islands. To merely publish the
amounts paid salaries is special pleading,
for it makes no count of the conditions I'M
der which such salaries are earned. Sim
ply because an annual salary of three
thousand dollars in the United States rep
resentS certain possibilities in the way of
service and comfort, people are expected to
believe that it furnishes general standard
and that person receiving four thousa nd
dollars for the same service in Manila is
oVerpad.
A Point Overlooked
Those who have taken it upon themselves
to declaim against the rate of pay in the
Philippines have failed, either through par
tisanship or ignorance, to enlighten the
people as to the price paid for life by An
glo-Saxons in the tropics A pleasure sail
about the archipelago as a guest upon a
government transport or the fleeing eX-
periences of a wandering correspondent
with expenses paid hardly furnish a basis
Tor dealing with the PRACTICAL question of
what salaries can induce good men to come
to these islands and remain here in spite of
climate and environment.
Had our learned congressman and others
taken the trouble to eXSfmne England s
pay roll in India before giving their re-
Elections to the public they would hardf,
have pronounced the salaries paid in the
Philippines high in comparison. Had they
thought also of writing to our civil service
commission in Washington they would
have found how difficult, if not impossible,
1t is to induce stenographers to come to
the islands at 500 gold per month even
with the promise of Transportation and a
substantial increase after six months. Our
visiting friends bear a rather close an
alogy to the worthy spoken of by Kipling
in his poem, 'Pagett, NJ. P and we would
recommend that subsequent visitors read
about Mr.. Pagett before rushing into print
Had those who have treated the question
of salaries cared to represent the situation
fairly to the people in the United States
they would have told something about the
cost of living and the many other things
which make life more serious problem
here than at home.
The Universal High Prices.
When the American forces occupied Ma
Mia the Industries of the islands had al
ready suffered from over two years of war
To this paralysis succeeded the insurrec-
ton against authority, which COM
pleted the decentralization Of the producing
industries To the ravages of war and out
lawry were later added the rhinderpest
among the cattle and the pest Of locusts
in the crops.
The result was and is that in a land of
plenty Americans have been compelled to
import practically all their food stuffs
Meat has had to be brought in cold storage
from Australia, vegetables from Hong
Kong and other Chinese ports and canned
goods and other necessaries from the
United States and abroad. Add to the first
cost Of these goods transportation charges
and duties and the profits of the trader and
some idea will be had of the bare cost of
living in Manila. From $75 to 500, gold,
per month is the usual price for good board
and lodging, while seldom anything
satisfactory be had for less than $50. In
the early days civilian employees of the
government had the benefit of the army
commissary, but with settled conditions
this privilege was withdrawn. For men
with families who must keep house the
situation Is even worse.
Enormous Rents.
Manila, while a city of something over
two hundred and fifty thousand inhabi-
tants, has comparatively few fine houses,
while there has been little or no building
since American occupation. The great in
flux Of Americans, both army and civilian,
with the consequent demand for houses.
lne ~oir 70 oil, orS "a,
figure. Houses which rented for $50 Mex
ican) per month in Spanish times now COM
mand $3.50 or more, while frequently 1t is
impossible to get them at any figure. A
corps of servants must be maintained to do
the work accomplished in the states by one
or two, while almost every person is COM
PEELED to own his own transportation. Ma
nila's one-horse car line starts nowhere,
goes nowhere and runs when it pleases.
Nobody who is interested in reaching any
particular point at any particular time ever
uses it. AS the climate forbids walking,
and no dependence can be placed upon Sc
curing public vehicle, there is no alterna-
tive but to buy and support ones own con-
veyance. Here, again, one is met by war
prices.
Native ponies which formerly brought
from $50 to $50 Mexican now bring from
$500 to $500, while ordinary vehicles cost
from $500 to $500 gold Forage for the
horses is brought from the United States
or Australia, and is proportionately ex-
and for everything. 1t may be argued that
this situation is abnormal, and that with
the restoration Of peace prices will fall
1t will be a long time, however, before the
country will be able to produce in abund-
ance those things to which Americans are
accustomed, while settled conditions are
apt to bring such an influx of Americans
and foreigners as to constantly keep the
demand above the supply. Only in the
matter Of street transportation is there any
prospect of immediate change.
The Price Paid FOR the Office
The mere cost of living, however, i'm
portant though it be. and close as it
touches the lives of most. is not the most
serious question to be answered when con-
sidering the price of life in the tropical
east. To most men such life means sep
aration by half the world from kindred and
friends; it means a complete break with
plans and hopes and ambitions that have
occupied and perhaps filled years of time