Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-21
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ton. First, what Is called the industrial
| tax, being a fixed tariff on all industries,
! trades, professions and arts; second. the
regular land tax upon fixed valuation;
third, what is called the urban, or city, tax,
which is per cent upon 20 per cent OF
| the declared rental of all buildings, or II
| the buildings are unoccupied, the yearly
rental Is estimated, for taxation purposes.
| as 10 per cent of their value; fourth, the
| sale of stamps for all commercial paper
| legal and other documents; hfth a capita
| ton tax, or domestic passport called
| cedula, issued to adult citizens at the uni
| form rate of 80 cents EACH This very ola
| custom was discontinued when the Amer
| leans first came in, but the people attached
! great Importance to their passports Tor the
| purpose of identification, and the system
| was revived in response to popular de-
mand.
improvements in Progress.
When 1 asked j. w. Beardsley, consult
ing engineer of the commission, to give
me a review of the improvements now in
progress, he said:
The city is extending a comprehensive
system Of streets throughout the adjacent
rice paddles, whereby relief to the exist
ing high density OF population will be OBJ
| tanned. The present narrow streets and
| sidewalks are being widened to conform
| as fully possible to the new streets.
| The cleaning of the streets and mouse
| these duties having heretofore been ac-
| complished by the board of health, an in
! sular body which has performed wonders
| in sanitation and the prevention or cpl
| denies not only in the city of Manila,
| but throughout the entire archipelago,
and upon whose valuable work an in
tenSely interesting and valuable chapter
might be written.
The Pasig river, somewhat resembling
| the Seine, flows through the heart of the
city. 1t is a stream about 500 feet wide.
and from it's mouth to the old bridge or
| Spain, a distance of about one mile, IT
presents a variety of craft and a scene of
activity scarcely equaled in the world.
This river was formerly crossed by two
additional bridges, one suspension
bridge, the other trussed bridge, both
of light construction and unsuited to
present traffic. A fourth bridge has been
| constructed by the Americans and fifth
| one is proposed near the mouth of the
| river. The latter will be a draw bridge,
and it is probable that within few years
| the Importance of the Pasig a navi-
! gable stream will require that all of its
| bridges have draw spans. The improve
! ment of the walls of the river and in
| creasing wharfage facilities are receiv-
ing considerable attention from the mu-
nicipal board
Through the assistance of Hugh Bon
ner, the veteran fire-fghter of New York,
an admirable system has been perfected
of fire alarms, fire stations and equip
mentS, manned by an efficient crew of
| fremen. Likewise a well-organized force
of detectives and police has been devel-
] oped, equal in size to the metropolitan
| forces of our home cities of similar size.
"One of the attractive problems before
the municipal board" said Mr.. Beardsley
| rs the identifying of the city by the de-
velopment of shrubbery filled parks, in
| which Manila is strangely lacking in
| spite of the tropical vegetation possible.
The services of a landscape architect
nave been already secured to aid in the
solution of this problem.
ha nj 1n1 otf.
inhabitants and Is regarded as the I'M
healthest portion of Manila for residences
| 1t contains the principal government build
/ ings, In general buildings are limited to
| two stories, few of them four-storied
| buildings. which are exceptional These
| buildings are mainly heavy masonry of an
! inferior quality for the first floor, with the
| second story constructed of wood. This
| combination is a Spanish type of archi-
| lecture, and. with the highly colored native
| woods, produces a characteristic and pleas
| Ing effect. Not until the greater portion of
the wall is removed will this portion Of the
| city attain to its best condition.
| The construction of this massive mason
ry wall began in the sixteenth century, and
required the greater portion of two CEN
| turtles to complete AS a classical example
| of the medieval type of Notifications its
| preservation appeals to those of artistic
| and history-loving natures. The protected
| Enclosure is nearly mile long, over a half
| mile wide. and includes the famous Fort
| Santiago. The entire distance around the
wall is nearly two and one-half miles The
wall Is pierced by six gates, two of which,
| the Rea! and the Parian. are double or
! specially fortified gates Relief to the con-
gested traffic along the narrow streets has
| already required the opening of three new
| streets through the wall, and other breach
ings will soon be necessary.
Proposed Substitution of Parks.
| While the sanitation of this portion OF
the city. the Importance of pure air. the
| destruction of the mosquito-i nfected and
! sewage-polluted moats require radical
measures in the treatment of this question.
there is no reason why the area occupied
! by the walls, the meats and adjacent este
| ros cannot be converted into one of the
| most beautiful parks of the world. The
1 most interesting portion of this problem
| consists of a strip Of land nearly a mile
| long adjacent to the noted Luneta and the
| Pasco de Bagumbayan. varying in width
! from 500 to 100 feet This area of about
seventy acres includes the two protected
| gates referred to. 1t now presents a beau
| tiful. wild, rustic scene, the venerable grey
| walls festooned with tropical vines for a
| background.
) ITO the practical eye of the sanitary en-