The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-07-30
An Almost CrimeIess Manila.

The Filipinos may not know much-Iit has been
the policy of American officials to represent them as
an ignorant, semi barbarous, dissolute people-but
at least they might teach the citizens of the United
States several much-needed lessons in regard to the
observance of law According to William L. Cur
It's who is not disposed to give the inhabitants OF
our eastern archipelago more credit than they de
serve there is less crime and immortality in the city
Of Manila than in any city of corresponding popu-
lation in the United States or Europe. About lOooO
FiGpnos were arrested and tried before the courts
during the last fiscal year. but the greater number
of these as Nh Curtis testifes, for violations
Of city ordinances and regulations At least 20 per
cent of them occurred at the several market houses
where the police are trying to regulate the sales
of vegetables and other food products and Keep
the streets clear for traffic Similar petty offenses,
such as fast driving, riding bicycles sidewalks,
CARRYING weapons and begging which can hardly
be classed as crimes furnished nearly 5000 OF the
cases coming up before the police courts.
The superintendent of police in Manila is j. B.
Harding Chicago He is at present III the
United States on a vacation and the acting super
ntendent is his assistant, +. 5. Luthl native OF
Cleveland Such crime as there may be in Manila,
according to Mr.. Luthi's statements in an inter
view with Mr.. Curtis, has been considerably in
creased since the American reign OF enlightenment
and benevolence was inauguratcd.
"The number of saloons in Manila before Ameri-
can occupation is not known he said. However,
it is certain that there were not more than three
or four first class bars in cafes The native tienda,
at which place native who's are sold, has always.
fourished and the number has increased somewhat
since American occupation The principal liquors
sold before American occupation beer of local
brew and native wines; very little whisky used.
Upon the Americans entering Manila several large
wholesale houses were established, and the liquor
traffic started off with boom. The provost marshal
general granted authority to open first class bars
at a nominal fee of four or five pesos Mexican, and
the number of saloons increased rapidly The local
brewery, which had been closed during the lnsur-
rection, re-opened, and the demand for that liquor
was so great that only small part of this could
be supplied Every discharged soldier who had suf-
tcient money opened up more. At the same
time small number of professional saloon keepers
came to the islands and opened up. The city at this
time was under martial law and the saloons were
controlled by the provost marshal general until the
civil government took charge.
drunkenness is not common, and the arrests
made by the police department during the past six
months have not averaged over three or four per
day. a very low percentage considering the fact
that there are no amusements in Manila and that
the poorer class of Americans here have place
in which to gather, diversion and only limited
amount of society. This is an abnormal condition,
and naturally tends to increase the liquor traffic.
From all statistics obtainable, the amount of
drunkenness in Manila is much less than in other
cities of the same size in the United States. This
also applies to crime and disorder, the number of
arrests per day being considerably below the aver
age in large cities in the United States.
THE natives drink very little, and drunkenness
among them is exceptional"