The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1913-06-06
BOISE VISITOR TELLS OF PRO
GRESS IN PHILIPPINES.
CAPITAL News,


most rapid advancement under Ameri
can government and tutorship and
have entirely emerged from the heath
en- state in which they were found
when the United States took the reins
of government in the Philippine, Is
lands to a fairly enlightened people,
but still not enough enlightened and
educated for self government, is the
opinion of Colonel L. A. Darlington
who for IA years has been stationed
at Manila in charge Of the federal
prison there and who is regarded as
one of the best versed men on condi-
lions in the islands. who has ever
visited this city. Colonel Darlington
spent several days the past week Wis
iting his sister Mrs. A. A. Records at
the Beggs Terrace and left Friday
night for Nebraska and other points
east. He will spend his furlough of
II months in this country as it is his
first time to visit home land in many
years.
Colonel Darlington is highly en-
Unused over conditions in the Philip
pines and states that when one has
witnessed the advancement Of the
natives of that country and has had
hand and taken an interest in the
work, he cannot help but feel justly
proud of a government which has
brought such changes about. He
states that every official stationed in
the islands for any length -- of time
feels as much interest in the govern
ment there as he does in his native
land. In order that one can fully ap-
preciate conditions in that country
now, he states, comparison must be
made with the conditions there IA
years ago when he first took up his
post of duty at Manila. To sum it up
briefly conditions at that time were
simply awful. 1t was impossible for
an American to go through the street
of that city without holding a hand
kerchief to his nose. Filth and ven
ON were everywhere and the natives
were a sickly understood people.
Picture Of the Progress.
ITO fully understand the situation
he said, zone must stretch the i'm
agination and picture a city of over
100000 people where sanitation was
unknown, where filth existed in its
most vile form and had existed for
years. Then picture the Manila of
to-day, city of $4,000 inhabitants
or which $4,000 are whites, which
has a magnificent sewer system cost
ing 100000 and a city water sys-
TEN which cost an equal amount, be-
sides an up-to-date electric plant and
| fine street railway, as modern as
can be found in any city in the Uni
ted States and greater than all this,
a city where the death rate is second
lowest in the world. These condi-
lions are due to the wonderful gov
ernmental system established there
by the United States, and what rs
true of Manila is true of the other
cities in the Philippines, although
the advancement has not been as
great or the transformation as won
derful.
along industrial, and business
lines the Filipinos and Americans are
working hand to hand and doing
well, in some instances Americans
and Filipinos are partners in bust
ness, but generally the natives are
given employment in stores and fac
tories and are doing we'll, being will
ing workmen and quick to learn. AT
Manila there are three large sugar
factories and the big plantations are
utilized for raising a higher grade OF
produce than was formerly done I'M
der the management of the whites
of other nations stationed there
During the past few years a consid.
ere Bile amount of railroad building
has been going on and lines have ex.
tended in various directions from
Manila, while the amount of ma.
cadamized road built is wonderful
In that line of improvement the is
lands are second to no country in
the world, size taken into considera.
ton.
Mining Carried On.
Mining is carried on quite exten,
sively there being both gold and cop.
per mines in the islands while 9
good grade of soft coal similar to that
found in Japan is also mined in pay
ing quantities while the fields do MOI
begin to be fully developed The
gold mining at present consists most
L.. of dredging the rivers, which ha
proved successful, and the characte
of the gold found shows that i