Page
April 4, 1904.]
MANILA.
[FROM A CORRESPONDENT.]
Manila, 17th March.
THE GOMEZ CASE.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
261
himself; and the court dockets have shown an shipment out of the Philippines to Hongkong unusual sprinkling of conspiracy charges. So for speculative ends. far, however, not a single private soldier nor
Commissioner Ide held petty official has been discovered, the majority Philippines currency will not serve equally that the only legitimate purposes for which of those arrested being "generals "; and all the well are: documentary evidence gathered consists of a
(1) to pay foreign balances; (2) for current expenses of travellers going home; (3) individuals in question, who are, without ex- few wild manifiestos and the commissions of the to meet previously contracted ception, men of very inferior station and currency; and (4) to
obligations which are specifically payable in United States intelligence who have been lured by high-employees and others in the Islands who wish accommodate insular sounding titles and the fascination of respon- to transmit funds home and do not care to use sibility.
obviously speculative. He referred to Professor purpose; and that any other purpose was post-office money orders or bank drafts for that
immediately, it will probably be found wise to Jenks's recommendation that later, although not stop redeeming Philippine currency as provided object of the discretionary provision was to off in the Act. and stated plainly that the set the chance of the exchange could be made for purely speculative becoming a free shop at which currency Insular Treasury
purposes, and to enable the Government to which to meet its obligations. reserve enough United States currency with
One of the principal events of the past week was the closing of the prosecution and the opening of the defence in the long drawn out Gomez trial. This is the most tedious case heard by the Insular bench, having already covered a period of over four months in session. during which in the close neighbourhood of last December one of the most solicitous in When Ricarte surreptitiously entered Manila seventy-five witnesses have been examined offering assistance and information by the prosecution. The public prosecutor has | Constabulary was Pio del Pilar, another ex- to the presented an intricate line of testimony on the count of conspiring to raise a rebellion. the Viper" at Guam.
general of insurgents and a fellow prisoner of strengthened from time to time with fresh to Guam in 1900 after repeatedly breaking his Pilar was transported developments by the constabulary and local parole, and since subscribing the oath of allegiance police. As the case now stands the hand of Dominador Gomez has been shown in every engaged in gambling and cock-fighting for a on his return to Manila last year has been unlawful disturbance or seditious act of the livelihood in an outskirt town. His unsought past year, and his plottings revealed since the proffer of help to the authorities aroused their time when the Madrid junta first held its suspicions and brought about his surveilance. meetings in his house in 1899. Gomez's rela-Then, finding himself watched and out of tion with the Hongkong junta and the money. Pilar suddenly disappeared from view, banditti over here have served light on the true motives of the so-called comrade in arms in the jungle.
to shed and is now known to have joined his former Labour Union. as president of which he corresponded in both cases.
Another gentleman who managed to vanish The ingenious successfully is Aurelio Tolentino, the seditious manner in which this man succeeded in playwright who was under a $5,000 bond to veiling the real purposes of the Union and appear for trial as the author of Yesterday, To-day, secured absolute financial and administrative and To-morrow, who also joined Ricarte. This control marks him as ons of a peculiarly resulted in the bondsmen of Tolentino's brother dangerous type-and a type he unquestion-surrendering their charge, who is to be tried for ably is.
He is a meztizo, with a strain of staging the play. Aurelio jointly subscribed Chinese blood in him, and belongs to a class himself to Ricarte's letters to Governor Wright, much too common in the Philippines, whose in which he posed as an unfortunate journalist personal ambitions for power and money cause them to agitate their less intelligent country-door, and had become an involuntary fugitive who had only written to keep the wolf from the men into a state of political dissatisfaction from the persecution of the Government. leading to disturbance. invariably resulting in their own profit but the misery' of their followers,
The public prosecutor pointedly referred to this a few days ago when addressing the court at the arraignment of ex-General Lukban and his brothers on a similar charge. The offence of men of this class," he said. is not against the American Government; it is against those people" (indicating the throng of barefooted natives). They are the people who have been going to prison and to the gallows because such men as the defendants have made tools of them; and it is now time for the leaders to take a little punishment."
Those who are anxious of making the pre- sent satisfactory conditions appear as other wise have attempted to connect the Vigan mutiny and some pulija raids in Samar with the Ricarte affair. The latter is not unusual to the periodic banditry of that island, and the leader. a Constabulary corporal named Ayala, was former was only related in that the chief ring. a junior officer under Ricarte during the insurrection and was inspired to incite the mutiny by a letter from his former chief. expressed here over the manner in which the A great deal of satisfaction has been quietly Vigan affair was handled. of its suppression by Colonel Scott, the Acting The personal conduct Chief of Constabulary; his unhesitancy in asking for military co-operation; the final recapture of all the mutineers with their arms; and the prompt trial of the ringleaders, the principal of whom received the death sentence within a week of his capture, have had a salutary effect and have won the commendation of all.
FINANCE.
The local Press last week made quite an outcry over the refusal of the Insular Treasurer cheque for 27,447.79 Philippine dollars, claiming to cash in American currency a Government that the Government by this action failed to make good the provisions of the Gold Standard Act and redeem at par Philippines currency with United States currency. The Secretary of Finance ruled in the case that "in view of the fact that the gold standard fund can be increased only by the premium that is received from time to time for sale of exchange and that the price recoinage at the official ratio, is such as to now being paid for Spanish-Filipino coins. for
In the Ricarte episode the hand of Gomez appears. It is for plotting with Gomez to the end of bringing Ricarte to Manila to organise an active rebellion that the Lukbans are standing trial. Artemio Ricarte seems to have suffered an impression that the Filipinos were just ripe for an uprising, and that they only needed a leader. Instead, he found the native population apathetic and less inclined to listen to agitators than ever since the American occupation. Worn out from a warfare that has only earned trouble for themselves, and satisfied that they are getting good treatment from the present government, the common people are now lending themselves to recouping from the effects of stagnated industry. Ricarte clearly evinces his disappointment at this by the bitter tone of his absurd vapourings, which he has been uttering in the form of public letters to the Press and rabid epistles to the Governor, in which he violently denounces his countrymen for their moral and material support of American authority. These communications have aroused no concern in the Government, but rather amuse-deplete that fund. it is not considered desirable ment everywhere at their extravagant and im- possible threats.
The letters to Governor Wright bear all the earmarks of the desperate attempt of an impecunious and unscrupulous agitator to place himself in a false position of importance with a view to obtaining some con- cession or consideration for a change of heart (?). In one of these Ricarte frankly intimated that if a sufficiently lucrative position were assured to him he would come into daylight and exert his "friendly influence in pacifying (?) the Islands. These tirades are patho-comic, and palpably ridiculous efforts at political blackmail, such as are perhaps only possible in the Philip- pine Islands.
Nevertheless, the secret service of the Govern- ment has been busy rounding up officers bearing the appointment of the Viper," as he styles
The
to make exchanges of United States currency for Philippine currency in all cases." payee was offered a treasury draft on the United States, which is at a local discount of 3/4 of one per cent.. which he refused, and placed the matter in the hands of an attorney, with the claim of discrimination.
|
As a result of the outcry, and in order to just been issued by Secretary Ide setting forth reassure the public. a lengthy statement has the Government's position with reference to the interpretation of the Act.
MUNICIPAL WORKS.
street-car system is being rapidly pushed, and The laying of the track for the new electric the walled town is already well gridironed. Three breaches have been made in the walls, providing more direct routes into and out of the Intramuros district and a saving of much time and trouble. The passage of the Municipal Appropriation Act places a large fund available for carrying out the other projected improve- ments, including a modern sewerage system the filling-in and parking-out of the moat and glacis area around the old city, the construction of a steel bridge connecting the southern suburbs, from the hills back of Mariveles. and the installation of a new water-supply These works will of course involve the employment of a large force of workmen, and the mooted question of native labour will come in for a test. In the construction of the street-car line Filipinos have been employed, and have been found satisfactory with American foremen over every gang. No difficulty is encountered in large waiting list, and summary dismissal for all obtaining 'men. With fair and prompt wages, a shirkers, a surprising energy is the result, so that the work is being rapidly and efficiently accomplished. This is interesting in view of of Chinese and Japanese labour, although the the advocacy of a large class for the introduction
percentage of unemployed, and the same pro- problem in a metropolis, with the ordinary blem in the provinces, among the peasant class with a generous soil, are two different things.
WEIHAIWEI,
MR. LOCKHART QUILTS A RUMOUR. The N.-C. Daily News publishes the follow- ing correspondence :-
Weihaiwei, 15th March, 1904. Your Honour,-We have the honour to inform hai, supposed to emanate from reliable sources, you that various ramours are current in Shang-
and wounded from the war and not a desirable to the effect that.Weihaiwei will be full of sick place to come to this year, also that it is pretty certain that no one will be able to come to the port this summer; and as intending occupants of our bungalows are being deterred by these Weihaiwai during the coming summer, we have rumours from making arrangements to visit
inform us if there is any trath in them, and if the honour to ask whether you are able to not, whether you cau authorise us to make it known publicly in Shanghai that the rumours are without foundation, and thas enable us to eassure intending visitors to the port-We have the honour to be, Your Honour, Your most obedient servants,
(Signed) LAVExs & Clark,
Agents, the Weihaiwei Land & Bailling Co., Ld. o on, The Commissiouer, Weihaiwei.
Bis
Government House, Port dward, Weihaihei, 16th March, 1904.
Gentlemer.-I have the honour to acknow-
It was shown that the Government has always reserved the right to deny the par tion. In the case in question it was known forming me that various rumours regarding this redemption wherever it is for its own protec-ledge the receipt of your letter of the 15th inst.in- (nor was it denied) that United States currency Decendency, supposed to emanate from reliable was called for in payment of the cheque for sources, are current in Shanghai, and in reply
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