176
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
and upkeep." At present the Singapore which, in the opinion of the Straits Tim Municipality is negotiating a renewal of its sufficient to show that a new system ofli contract for public lighting and it is rather is in contemplation. Seeing that the Compan curious to note that whereas the Hongkong propose that the charge per lamp per month Gas Company are quite willing to adopt the shall be increased from three dollars and Welsbach burner the Singapore Company twenty cents, with a discount of three per absolutely decline to have anything to do with cent., to four dollars net, that the candle- it. There are serious differences between the power per lamp shall be reduced from six- Commissioners and the Company as to the teen to fourteen, and that there shall be terms on which the contract should be some diminution in the time during which renewed, but as to the Welsbach the lamps are kept burning it would be burgers the Commissioners are disposed sound policy for the Municipality to favour to meet the views of the Company. the introduction of an alternative system. What the objection to these burners is In Hongkong the introduction of the does not appear, but at a special meeting electric light has not only in itself been of the Commissioners held to consider the advantageous to the public, but has also whole question Mr. SHELFORD is reported by its competition brought about a con- to have said:-" He thought the Board would siderable improvement in gas lighting. "agree with him that the Welsbach lights Similar competition would no doubt prove "had not been successful, and as he under-equally advantageous to Singapore.
stood from the letter of the Secretary in London that the great objection the Gas Company had to the continuance of the "contract was to the clause by which they "had to supply the Municipality at a reduced "rate for any lamps which were lighted by
“
CC
A CONSPIRACY IN MANILA,
SERIOUS STATE OF AFFAIRS.
HUNDREDS OF NATIVES IMPRISONED.
REPORTED ARREST OF AN AMERICAN.
29th August
There is serious trouble in Manila. Exactly what it is, by whom and for what purpose it was started, and how it will all end, are things. over which there is a mysterious veil. Some gentlemen in Hongkong whom we have in- terviewed give entirely different versions, while the Manila press gives no version at all.
The Zafiro arrived yesterday, but the in- formation obtainable is of the vaguest descrip- tion, and therefore we will give the various versions without attempting to decide which side is in the right.
test throD the
His
it has confid
Blanco to solve the situa
All parties the affair in
"The Hispano- closed."
[September
#operati
Club
In an article on the above the that considerations prudence, has closed its few days concerning
have been in circulation,
praise the local express devotion to the mentioning a single fac the conspiracy and com sion of a hope tha way to allow the pub concerning this important
Cene
would seem that the Censor hitherto prohibited the publica. on the subject.
Ath
Arch
In a paragraph following. mentioned that that the Governor-General and t Manila had received numerous
1 considerat pressions of mutua – consic were exchanged between the visito visited.
thats
In a previous issue, that paragraph appeared statin martial composed of general officers held on the 24th to
4
Ara case of
duty in presence of sedition. Thé not yet been published.
+
in
ves
From another source--a gent position in Manila—we learn are peaceful, but the priests are bellig The priests, says this gentleman, instiga bogus conspiracy for their own ends fully determined to vigorously r policy of antagonism towards the ne priests have a terrible dread of the natay fear a revolt in the near future. guard against this and preserve their ow (which of course would be demolished in: an outbreak) they have made up their. posed to, so that the Spanish? exaggerate the danger which they are be compelled in their own-- considerably increase the strength of pean garrison. To back up their Tas0 priests have, without the slightest reason said, thrown into the Manila prison durin past three weeks over four hundred nati One day an English gentleman was passing prison when he saw half a dozen youth together outside the gate. They were victims of the priests', wrath and when an officer was questioned about the crime these committed he merely laughed and said “Oh,
By imprisoning, a few hundre nothing! natives the priests believe they will so stir up th Spanish Government that the addition thousand soldiers
the Welsbach burners, he thought the difficulty which at present existed between "them ought be met by consenting to forego "the question of these burners altogether." In Hongkong the Welsbach burners have proved eminently successful for private lighting, and We can conceive of no reason why they should not prove equally successful for public lighting, but if the experiment at Singapore has really turned out unsatisfactorily it would be use- ful to know something about it. Mr. SHEL- FORD does not my in what respect the burners have proved unsuccessful, and the only objection mentioned by the Straits The trouble is a conspiracy on the part of Times, which discusses the subject editor- either the priests or natives. A gentleman of ially, is that they burn less gas. "The Spanish blood says the natives are once again "Welsbach incandescent burner consumes
endeavouring by secret plots to throw off the fifty per cent. less gas than any ordinary, half-castes, as has been the case ever since the Spanish yoke. The natives and mestizos, or "burner, so that it is 'anathema maranatha
Spaniards had the islands, are bitterly opposed "to the Company" But if that is the to the present form of government They wish only difficulty, it would seem rather a
for more power themselves; they are under the stupid policy on the part of the Municipa- impression that they are being trodden under the lity to forego a superior light in favour of the feet of their rulers; they hate
a hatred that is an inferior one simply because they cannot priests and friars with get it considerably cheaper than the inferior most intense, and they are only waiting for one. In Hongkong we are to have burners the time to come when they can crush for ever the power of the Spanish Government. Clubs that will consume, it is said, twenty per cent.
are formed and seditious pamphlets are con- less
gas than the present burners, but the re-tinually being circulated amongst the natives in duction in the cost is to be only 51 per cent. order to intensify the strife, and their leaders That seems to be a profitable arrangement are actively engaged in bringing their con- for the Gas Company, but it is also satisfac-spiracy to an immediate head. tory to the public, inasmuch as we are to the priests are fearfully anxious for their get an improved light for less money, though own safety. Not only are the native in- habitants in an immense majority, but about it is not quite so satisfactory as if the re-ninety per cent. of the soldiers stationed in duction in cost were greater, as we think it the Philippines are natives, the war ships on might very well be. The Singapore Com- the station are manned principally by natives, missioners and the Singapore Gas Company and all of them would join the insurgents in may have good reasons for their policy case of an insurrection. It is estimated that with respect to the Welsbach burners there are 13,000 soldiers quartered in the Philip with which we are not acquainted, but pine Islands, and only about 1,500 of them are if the only objection be that, although of true Spanish blood. The latter would fight to the death to uphold the Government, but giving a better light, they do not burn what about the remainder? Under these cir enough gas, we cannot entertain a high cumstances the priests are agitating the Go- opinion of the intelligence of either of them,vernment for additional troops so as to insure more especially the Municipal Council, for the permanent stability of the present Govern it would be in the interests of the public to ment. Asked if it was not true that the priests pay the same price for the superior light were really the conspirators our informant of as for the inferior one if it could not be ob- the above simply replied "What can the priests tained for less. Perhaps the real reason may that the conspiracy was really formed with the possibly conspire gainst ?" He was of opinion be, however, that the Commissioners do not object of turning the attention of the Spanish wish to incur the initial expense of fitting Government from Cuba to the Philippine the Welsbach burners, in view of the Islands, and that a serious rising would in time possibility of a new system being adopted in take place which it would be very difficult to Philippines. In 1899 the near future, though this does not agree suppress. with Mr. SHELFORD's explanation, which
In support of the theory that the natives are nea is that the light has not proved successful. rising, the following telegram appears in the de
Manila Comercio:- The Company have offered a contract for ten
Madrid, 22nd August. years, and the Commissioners decline to bind: themselves for more than two years, a fact
The conspiracy, disco in the Philippines,
And thus
and thwart
Unanimo
the Eu
will be decided upon. The gives this account is of opinion thing is a fisale and that it smoke or rather it will all
as there will not be any
says, placed priests, he
of fon arms somewhere in the
on the discovery
garrison tlemandwhó
fighting
bout the s
but no weight "need" be The natives do not know much of arms, while even if they di number would be, practically useless hard fighting. As a matter of fact were intended for Mindanao.
not want to fight, they do fight, but if they did they wou against the misdoings of the soning innocent men
The
and
sident: Manil rmation fro
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