The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-01-30

Most Of the clerks are honest. At
TINS writing the loss by defaulters
among the employees has been only
about , per cent.
Justice and tho courts.
PRESIDENT Taft says that the s,t-
nrehlc cour of the Philippine Islands
IS e4uai TO the courts of any state Of
oar | mon. This IS IL ability and hon
tst:. | doubt whether the same could
be said Of the provincial courts. II is
dlllcuit 70 get good judges. The old
spanish judiciary Was corrunt and the
american udSes did not understand
the or dialects. They were
not 1amlllar with the local laws. ON
he other hand. the Filipino Judges
were not familiar with our ideas OF
equity. There was a distrust on the
part q the people and the govern
ment. ! am told that his has passed
away. and that the Filipinos are at
tanning nigh rank as judges. out Of
tWcntE-nlne .judgShipS fifteen are held
oy Americans and fourteen BY Fill
pines.
The laws are enforced by the DO
ice, and Tho papers of the justices
ana the courts are served by them.
mere Is now q police force in every
town G1d this is So even Of the colony
or lepcIs which has its own govern
lnent. For some years after we took
noio OF n islands the policing was
done by u army. There were
orlgands everywhere, and almost
every bamboo clump hid a bandit.
The towns had to be protected from
invasion, n every public road was
guarded by soldiers. AS it is now,
the provinces and municipalities pro-
tect themselves with their own police
ana h aid OF the cOnstabulary.
Uncle Sans Police EOrca
Eat | want to tell you something
apo}lt this coEstabulary, as the gov
police force is called. 1t IS
the development and Improvement Of
the olt Slardia civile OF the Span
lsh. II now consists OF about 5000
men VINO are scattered all over the
islands acting as advisers and aids to
tue local police, as the protectors Of
the roads and Us the guards Of the
wild men. There Is q detachment Of
this police in or near every tribe, and
us O1flccr is a part OF the commu-
nifty where it is stationed. He guards
it from thieves. He is ever on the
lookout for disease, and he hunts up
the stolen animals and quarantines
the sick one.
The constabulary has completely
show it has captured 1900 bandits.
n killed more than 1000. It has
retaken about 10000 stolen animals
II returned them to their Wner
This government force consists
largely Of natives, being made I'D of
fighting men from all parts OF the
tnlllppine Islands. Some If the men
are Moros, some 1gorrotes, some
Visayans n some Maccabeebes and
others. All have been trained by the
soldiers. and we have a training school
at Baguio where they are instructed.
They make excellent fighters and are
proud Of their positions.
The Reform OF the Prisons. :
Since we took possession Of tho
Philippines we have brought about
some Of the greatest prison reforms
Of the world. Take Bilibid. which
was once about the most horrible
~penitentiary Of the far east. Its pris-
oners were f1ogged, and the only mode
Of execution vas by the garrote, a
machine which broke the neck Of the
victim, or rather screwed the head
back until the neck cracked.
That institution is now one Of the
finest prisons under the American flag.
and n Of the largest Of the world.
The buildings have been remade, and
the institution is now laid out like
the spokes Of a wheel, with a tower in
the center. There is a great wall
around it, and upon his are twelve
guard towers, in six Of which stand
American soldiers armed with Calling
guns, shotguns and r~evolvers. In the
other six are native guards, also
armed, but not with Cuttings. In the
center tower stands an American
guard with a loaded revolver and
three rifles. This man has control
Of the lighting of the prison, and he
can, in an instant, turn off the cleo
tricity in any or all the buildings. He
has telephone connection, and can
call out the force on short notice.
When l visited Bilibid it was dirty
and filthy. The prisoners are now
made TO keep clean, and everything
Is spOtless. There is no waste nor
litter. The men are on their good
conduct and they may rise from ella SIS
to class as they do better. At pres
ent 80 per cent Of the prisoners are
in the first class.
The prisoners are we'll fed. and they