Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-29

people have been compelled to clean up
| the town and to keep 1t clean. and to OBJ
serve the strictest regulations in their
homes and habits for the preservation of
| their health. Notwithstanding all these
precautions. the death rate is still very
large. owing chiefly to the fact that the
drinking water is drawn from shallow
wells which receive the drainage of all
| the filth ever deposited on the surface of
| the ground. The government Is now try
| ing to provide pure and sufficient wa
| ter supply. but the inherited habits of
| the people. the lack of drainage and other
| conditions make it difficult to prevent or
cure the prevailing diseases. some of
| which are unknown in this country. The
| death rate. however. has been very large
| ly reduced by the adoption OF regulations
| and by the medical care of and treat
ment furnished by the government. This
reform has been attended by great deal
| of difficulty because of the absolute ig-
| norance a dnindifference to their health
by all classes of people.
Moral Welfare of the People.
The islanders are nomnally Roman
Catholics and. like the Philippines. Guam
was cursed by dissolute and incorporate
friars, who were expelled from the island
shortly after the advent of the Americans
A noble, patriotic and devoted priest, Pa
Dire Jose Paloma. was placed in charge of
the churches acting bishop. He Is de-
ScrlDod as man OF cODSlueTdDle euucd-
ton. of undoubted piety. untarnished rep
utation and considerable ability. and ex-
ercses a powerful influence for good
among the people. He is assisted by
| four Capuchin monks who do the parish
| work, celebrate mass preach to the peo
Pile and lead exemplary and useful lives.
| They are commended in UNQUALIFIED terms
! by the American authorities for their
good work and devotion TO the moral and
| physical Improvement of the natives.
| There IS also a Protestant church pre-
| sided over by the Rev. Francis Price,
| Congregational missionary, who is assist
| ed by his son-in-law and holds regular
| services which are attended by the Amer
lean residents and few of the natives.
| While there is no criticism of Father
| Paloma and his assistants. it is believed
| that the America nization of the inhab BIZ
j tants could be more rapidly promoted if
| American priests could be sent there TO
| do their work.
Island Government.
| Under the Spanish domination the is
| land were governed by an army or navy
officer. subordinate to the governor gen
eral of the Philippines. with the assist
! ance of a treasurer. a superintendent of
public works. Judge. a tax collector and
| other local officials. Under American con-
| troll the same system has been continued.
with a naval officer as governor The ma
| tives are well pleased with the admins
| tration of the United States. and with the
new roads, schools and other improve
| ments they are being allowed a larger de-
eree of home rule than formerly. The
governor general is assisted by legis-
| lative council composed of officers of the
garrison and natives, who adopt ordi-
nances to regulate local affairs. assess
and collect taxes, authorize expenditures
and administer the governments gener-
! ally. For convenience the island is di-
| vided into four districts or wards. with
| native alcaldes. justices of the peace and
other officials elected by popular vote A
| civil service board has been appointed for
the examinatio of candidates for posi-
tons. working knowledge of the Eng
| Ish language being the first requisite.
| There are three judges who are elected
! by the people.
Climate and Soil.
| The climate of Guam is dry ana healthy.
The mean annual temperature is 81 de-
| grees Although the sun is hot. there is
| always a pleasant breeze. and during the
| rainy season. from June 10 December. the
prec pitation is about lo2 inches Al
| intervals the island has been visited by
| typhoons which have destroyed crops.
| fruits and many of the houses In No
| vember 1909 the most disastrous OF
these storms occurred. and the people
| have not yet recovered from the effect.
Tho soil is exceedingly rich and produces
rice corn. coffee. cacao sweet potatoes,
sugar and every othe. fruit and vege
| table known to the tropics. But the
production is seldom larger than is re-
quired for the local demand. Occasionally
there has been a surplus of coffee and
cacac for export. but II is very small.
and the chief export is copra. the pulp
of the cocoanut dried in the sun. The
total exports do not exceed $4,000 a
year and the imports are valued at
about the same amount. They con-
sist chiefly of cotton cloth. groceries.
kerosene OIL household utensils and vari-
Gus notions. Nature is very generous
and the inhabitants can easily supply their
own simple wants.
| In order to enable them to be entirely
Independent the government has estab-
lished a manual training school. in which
carpenters. blacksmiths. plumbers. ma
chinists. shoemakers and other tradesmen
are being educated. There Is a depart
] men- in which girls are taught plain sew
ing. dressmaking. embroidery. nursing.
cooking. laundry work. the chemistry of
food weaving. mating and baskets and
othe- branches OF domestic economy
! The children are also taught to sing