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

1t is estimated that the average civilian
requires five pounds a day but even
at this rate il is easy to see that as
the army is gradually wlrndrawn, and
the capacity Of the plant directed to-
ward meeting the requirements of the
civilian population, il will be practi-
cally able TO fill the demand. The cold
storage department has eleven rooms
with "A capacity of 100000 cubic feet.
This is sufficient space to accommo-
date 800, 900 quarters of beef. The plant
is now about half filled with fresh meat
from Australia for the use OF the
army.
At the time of American occupation
there were but 120 miles or railroad in
the Philippines. Only seventy-five
miles of track have been laid during
the new administration, and this was
merely an extension of the original
line. The reason that so little has
been accomplished in this form of de-
VelOpment is because the Spanish gov
eminent had given the monopoly to an
English company, and it required much
negotiation 10 take over this franchise
at a fair valuation. A settlement has
been effected and bids had been ad-
vertised for 10 include a network of
lines for the whole country. These
ferent islands. requiring about 1900
mills of track The contractors have
been asked 10 submit their proposals
by the first of the coming November.
Thirty Millions for Railways.
Several English and American COM
panies are already in the field with the
hope OF occurring the work Th9 est
mated cost of the 1900 miles of track
ready for traffic is $50, 600, and the
government guarantees i per cent in
terest on the amount or capital actu-
ally invested. After the contract has
been awarded "A year or more viii be
consumed in surveying and locating the
lines which in all instances Will be
subject to the approval of the gov
eminent engineers. 1t is expected that
work viii begin in about a year, and
that the lines viii be ready for bust
ness inside OF five years. although the
construction may be delayed by the
heavy storm which are frequent here,
as well as by the uncertainties of the
abor problem.
The matter of building roads III the
islands has proved to be quite prob
lem. because these highways have L.
be constructed very substantially in
order TO withstand the heavy rains.
additional hindrance that the peOpl=
are very poor and have no commerce
to support them. The total amount of
new roads built in the various prov
inces is something over 200 miles.
These were constructed at d total cost
of S545000 which makes an average
Of about 200 a mile This does not
include "a sixty three-mile trail built
through an almost Inaccessible noun
tain region at a cost of S35, 000 At the
time this was built there was SOM
criticism on account of so much money
having been spent on a mere trail,
but the wealth OF this district is so
small that K viii be many years be
fore it can afford anything more eX-
0ens!ve.
A Government Mistake.
Neither does the above estimate in
clude the much-maligned Benguet road
which, although only twenty-five miles
long, cost about $1,000, 600 or an aver
age of $50, 900 a mile. This road be-
gins at sea level and rises TO AN al
titude OF 5000 feet. II traverses d
gorge in the mountains, ascending al
most to the source OF the Bue1 river,
which il crosses time and again. there
being twelve wooden suspension
UliQEEc Win steer tdntCS til4
merable culverts The slopes over
hanging ii are of loose formation and
il win always be menaced by land
slidss. 1t required four years 10. COM
plete it, and the opinion seems
general that il cost more thar 1t is
worth The reason for constructing
this road aside from opering up what
ever resources the region might pos
sess, was TO provide a summer capital