510
MANILA.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Manila, 9th June.
THE DECISION OF THE SUPREME COURT.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[Jané 22, 1901.
Philippine Tariff proposed by you (Taft)_ will | poisonous condition, I do not see what benefits be considered in a few days. [Bigned]—Root, | will bo derived by fumigating these houses. Secretary War."
In view of this condition of affairs it may be possible that Washington will see fit to con- tinue the military government of the Philippines indefinitely, or at least until Congress meets at
the end of the present year.
tion.
The cabled information concerning the decision of the Supreme Court in the much agitated question of the constitution following carrying on its work without interruption, In the meantime the Civil Commission is the flag, came like thunder out of a clear sky though this latest change in the political The first intimation was received last Thursday, situation has ensiderably embarassed its legisla and was addressed to the Civil Commission. As it happened the Commission was spending the
It is quite possible that the complete change which it was believed would occur on day in the town of Pasig, discussing provincial 1st July, when the Civil Authorities were to government with the delegates from Manila
succeed the military, may be considerably and Morong provinces, bat a special launch was
delayed. sent up the river to deliver the communication without delay. This cable was from the War Department at Washington, but it was indefinite that it only served as an intimation of the actual facts and opened wide the field of|[We do not hold ourselves responsible for the speculation. The next day some of the business opinions expressed by our correspondents.] houses heard from their Ámericau agents, and
80
CORRESPONDENCE,
the impression rapidly gained ground that THE SANITATION OF THE COLONY. under the decision of the court they
17th June.
woull soon have all their customs duties To THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS. returned to them. Many of the firms have been paying duties under protest, anticipating a
SIR,-In continuation of my letter signed favourable ruling of the Supreme Court in the T." published in your issue of the 24th May Porto Rico case and expecting that the same last. I beg to recommend the early adoption of raling would extend to the Philippines. If high iron ventilating pipes for the better this should come to pass many of the Manila ventilation of all existing Chinese tenement houses would be made very wealthy. The liquor houses, or rather human rookeries. These pipes and provision men would especially be benifited, are provided with revolving rain-proof caps as such firms as the American Commercial with connecting appliances for the interiors of Company and the Pacific Oriental Trading ground and upper flats of each house. They Company have paid out thousands upon thou-enable the wind to draw out the foul air from sands of duty, which of course they have not the dark and fetid-interiors of the various flats lost, as they, like all other business men, have and yards. The suction is continuous and goes made the public pay the duty in the long run. on day and night, the void being filled with To refund the duties would be to make a simple | fresh air which rushes in from the outside. clear gift to them.
The revolving cap is so constructed that the The city was full of these legitimate specula-mouth always faces in the direction the wind is tions and numerous others, including the possibi-blowing, so that there is no pos-ible chance of lity of trial by jury, universal suffage, territorial the foul air being blown back down the pipe. government booms in hemp, tobacco, and sugar, These ventilating pipes are simple in construc. under free trade with the United Stats, and so tion and easy to put up. They must project on to infinity. It was not until Sunday afternoon beyond the roof. high enough to catch the wind, that definite and final word was received and should be fixed outside the houses, the describing the action of the Supreme Court. openings connecting the Interior of each flat This came in the shape of a carefully con being protected with iron gratings. sidered and clearly worded cablegram from I strongly recommend these pipes for the the Secretary of War to President Taft. ventilation of the main sewers of the city. I It is self-explanatory, and the following is the shall be glad to furnish particulars of my design text:-"Supreme Court holds that uniformity to anybody who may care to apply for them. of duties clause of the Constitution does not apply to the Government of the islands ceded by Spain; that Congre s has power to impose Customs duties on imports from Porto Rico and that such duties levied under the Foraker Act are lawful. The Court also holds that im- position of duties on merchandise imported from the United States into Porto Rico before the cession was a valid exercise of the President's power as Military Commander, and that the same duties imposed after the cession and before the passage of the Foraker Act were invalid, because the United States having both title by cession and peaceable possession, Porto Rico ceased to be a foreign country within the terms of the Dingley Tariff. The Court did not decide the case raising the question of the power of Congress to impose duties in Porto With our hobby of human rookeries and Rico on imports from the United States, which foul drains, how can we blame the plague germs is objected to as constituting an export tax in for having such an affectionate attachment for violation of the Constitution Article I, section | this Island of Fragrant Streams? 9. The Court did not decido the case which Not until these rookeries are resumed and raised the question of the right of the Pre-demolished by the Government, and the existing sident to impose duties in the United States system of drainage improved or remodelled, under the Dingley Act upon merchandise can the Colony ever expect to be free from imported from the Philippine Islands after plague, typhoid, malaria, &c., and the sooner the ratification of the Treaty of Faris. this is recognised the better it will be for the The most obvions distinction between the trade and prosperity of the port. status of Porto Rico and the Philippines after the cession, indicated in the opinions of the court, is in the fact that Porto Rico was at the time of cession in full peaceable possession while a state of war has continued in the Philippinos. As the question of the President's power
In the meantime, all the traps and gullies the city should be daily flushed and cleaned. But as the tenants cannot be expected or depended upon to do this regularly, it would be better for the Government to take the drainage question in hand without further delay.
If a system has been proved to be a failure, is it reasonable to expect it to turn out a success? To expect good from the present state of sanitation in this Colony, one might as well expect the moon to turn into a green cheese.
We must protect the trade and commercial reputation of our port at all costs, no matter if we have to sacrifice lakhs of dollars.
|
Why should the Government hesitate, when trade and shipping, the life blood of the Colony, is being paralysed from year to year.
In all resumed areas the Government should introduce the system of
twin "
or semi- detached houses, as suggested in my letter of the 22nd ultimo,
The Government cannot help sacrificing its revenue, as good things cannot be had cheap.
Regarding the proposed experiment of fumi- Island to impose duties in the Philippine
under the existing conditions of military gating the houses in the district bounded by occupation has not been decided by the court, Graham Street, Wellington Stree', Shing the President has determined to continue to Mong Street and Caine Road, may I ask impose duties as heretofore. We hope for whether the results would be so beneficial as further decisions by the Supreme Court shortly | anticipated ?
The poisonous germs may be destroyed by the process of fumigation, but will not these vory houses get recharged with the same poisonous gases after they have been released ? I therefore ask, will the good effects be permanent, and will they counterbalance the anuoyance and inconvenience occasioned ?
Again, what about the rats? Of course these found dead in the houses will be picked up and destroyed, but what about those in the holes and other hidden places? These will be left to rot, I suppose, and remain undiscovered until the stench is unbearable and the air inside the houses is poisoned and full of germs, perhaps of plague !
In my opinion it would be dangerous to kill rats by fumigation unless there is a certainty of collecting the whole lot of them. It is far different with the holds of ships, when there is every possibility of the whole colony of rats being killed and collected..
dead rat, let alone a rotting one, is sufficient to Poople are so scared of plague now that a
unhinge their minds.
Fumigation is benßficial, but only when cumstances. Instead of having the houses carried out judiciously under favourable cir- fumigated why not have them thoroughly washed out by a liberal use of fresh water and disinfectants? The tenants could do this them- selves under the supervision of the officers of the Sanitary Board. This would result in some practical good being done. Water would clear the houses of their filth and help to flush the drains, and disinfectants would purify the air.
This would not necessitate the wholesale
racation of houses by their inmates as in the case of compulsory fumigation; and it will not be necessary for whole families of respectable Chinese women and children to stand or fit in the streets for hours in the broiling summer
gaze
sun, and during all this time, open to the vulgar Is this going to be one of the beneficial results of crowds of ignorant coolies and loafers. of fumigation?
fumigating this district it must not be taken, By doerying the proposed experiment of for one moment, to mean that I am in any way a prejudiced obstructionist.
I merely compare the two experiments, point- ing out their advantages and disadvantages in the sole hope that the best scheme will be adopted for the benefit of the people and the Colony.
Under existing circumstances, I am of opinion that a thorough cleansing of the houses by a liberal use of fresh water and free disinfectants will give far better results than four hours of fumigation. Sunlight, fresh air and water are
Nature's cures and therefore the most reliable.
I am sure the Chinese would be only too glad to wash and clean their houses, and in case a house was found to be imperfectly washed the superintending officer could order the operation. to be repeated to bis satisfaction.
irritation, and give satisfaction to all con- Co-operation of this nature would prevent
cerned.
of your valuable space.I am, yours, etc.,
Thanking you for tresp.ssing upon so much
TSE TSAN TAI,
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PREB9.
19th June.
*1
SIR,- Referring to the publication in your issue of to-day of the Government reply to the communication received by it from the Hong- kong Chamber of Commerce, I venture to call attention to a trite, and at the same time thoroughly applicable maxim, the very triteness and applicability of which more than answers the nonsensical and utterly irrelevant observa- tions, which acccording to the letter in question constitute His Excellency's opinion on the sub- ject matter of the communication he received from the Hongkong (hamber of Commerce.
6+
Resipsa loquitur" is the maxim to which I refer, and having regard to its applicability to the state of affairs at present prevailing in Hong- kong, I would ask what has H E. the Governor done and what does he intend to do?
In conclusion, I would remark that if the
conditions at present prevailing in Hongkong were permitted to so prevail without any due
after it meets in October and before the If the traps, gullies and drains in this district meeting of Congress. The revision of the are allowed to remain in their present foul and ' and proper attempt at prevention (as I contend
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