The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-09-10

"a ANILA-The first thing the Ameri-
N cans did after they marched their
troops into the city of Manila was
10 organize a custom house. Before the
end OF the first week the receipts from
this source amounted to more than
500, 600. The postoffice was opened the
second day after occupation. During
the seven years since our forces took
possession OF this musty. ancient cap
1tal, there has been no cessation in the
work of organizing and renoyating.
While our political leaders have en-
gagged in much discussion over the
Nquestion of retaining or relinquishing
the Philippines, thereby causing our
people to become somewhat clouded on
the issue. the officials here have suf-
fered no abatement of energy in the
meantime. They have transformed
this thoroughly foul and debilitated
city into a very presentable metropolis.
Our European critics in this part of he
world are sitting in solemn judgment
upon what they consider American
mistakes. They have been in the game
over a century, and We began seven
years ago. yet by their comparisons
they admit that we are in their class.
What follows is an outline of the prin-
cipal improvements that have been
made during the American administra-
ton.
Fine Harbor for Manila.
The most important work has been
that of improving the harbOr of Manila.
Formrly the anchorage in the bay was
so shallow that ships had TO remain
over a mile from shore. During Dor
tons Of the year. when typhoons' and
mOnsOOns were frequent, vessels often
no 4
weeks before they could discharge or
receive cargo. The Americans have
dredged $50 acres 10 a depth of thirty
feet, and have completed IL 600
feet of breakWater.
The mud obtained from deepening
the harbor was utilized in making a
tract of new land which is 100 acres in
extent. This is larger than the old
walled city of Manila, a triangular
area three-fourth of a mile long and a
third of a mile wide. This redeemed
land is located in front of the park
and driveway called the Luneta, and
viii be devoted TO commercial pur-
poses, affOrding a site for warehouses,
Office buildings, etc.
The sediment procured from the
dredging yet 10 be done will be used
for making a thirty-siX acre extension
10 the Luneta and 10 complete a
driveway along the city front. a dis
lance OF about two miles. The I'M
slightly, disease breeding meats en-
circling the walled city are also being
filled in. Included in the grand scheme
OF Improvement is the erection of a
modern, steel-frame hotel on the
Luneta. Nearly $4,000. coo will have
been spent on haFb0r improvements
in Manila when the extensive plans
are finished. With a year of fair
weather for the wharves, warehouses,
etc, viii be completed SO that the larg-
est ships can find ready and safe ac-
cOmmOdations. Additional harbOr inn
pTOVements are under way at IlOilO and
Cebu which involves a further eX-
penditure of $500 600 or 500 900. 1t is
expected that the former VIII be com
pleted within year and the latter in
side of eighteen months
Street Cars Are Popular.
Ground was broken for the Manila
Electric Street railway in d cember,
1908 and the cars began running last
April. The system includes forty miles
OF track. The farthest point reached
outside the city limits is three and a
half miles. but this Will likely be CX-
tended in the near future To about
twice that distance. Although the
construction was performed by labor
which had never seen any such ma
terial before. the work was completed
on schedule time. The problem of Sc
curing operators was solved by finding
six army men who had been motor
men in the United States. They drilled
the raw recruits until they were COM
petent TO take the cars out on the
line. At present there are tifty-five
cars in operation here but the num-
Der Will be increased TO ninsty-five
within three months.
During the first month the ears We're
operated 25O.00O people We're carried
the number increased the second month
TO $50, OO0, and the third month To 1 OO0.-
00O 1t is expected that hereafter the
patronage will not fall below the last
named figure The cars are equipped
with first and second class COmpart-
ments, the fare being and : cents
respectively. The management states
that the average net far. including
transfers, is Az cents. When asked if
their conductors were dishonest they
replied that they had to discharge
about the same number as if they
were operating I'm the United States.
The street car company also pro-
poses TO furnish electric light TO the
City OF Manila. With this end in view
the old Spanish company was taken
over, and a new modern plant is being
installed. The manager of this COM
pany told me that they were now put
ting up 500 miles of wire, which would
carry sufficient power fOs 600 city are
and so. 600 commercial incandescents
as we'll as several thousand desk fans,
ceiling fans motors. etc. The install
lation OF the combined street car and
electric light plant viii cost about So
600 600. the most of which was fur
nished by parties in New York Pitts.
burg and Detroit.
Best Ice Plant in Orient.
Manila has the largest and most COM
plete ice and cold storage plant in the
Orient. II was constructed by the
government ana is worth upwards of
a million dollars, having capacity of
seyenty-one tons daily. IL was built
10 supply the nseds Of the army where
the allowance for each man is recE-
oned on the basis of a pound a day