THE PI.ANT WORI.D 243 



Tuesday, March 13. — The question of taxation is one of great interest. 

 When the island was seized by the Americans the officer who came ashore 

 to take possession of it in the name of the Government is reported to have 

 said to the natives : ' ' Now you are free American citizens ! No more 

 taxes ! " I have heard this story several times from natives, who with 

 a shake of the head and a smile would say : "Seiior, we now pay more 

 taxes than ever before ; we are taxed for the guns we carry, the fields we 

 cultivate, the houses we live in, and even for our dogs. Besides this, we 

 have to work on the roads or pay the equivalent in taxes." I explained 

 to them as well as I can that the money we receive for taxes does not 

 leave the island, but is expended in salaries for teachers, native officials, 

 and the expenses of the island government ; that roads and bridges must 

 be kept up for the convenience of the natives themselves ; that dogs are 

 taxed to prevent their becoming a nuisance ; and that guns are taxed to 

 keep an account of the individuals who own weapons. I^ieutenant Craven , 

 of the Yosemite, has been interested in the theory of " single tax," and 

 has lent me some of Henry George's works. I like George's attitude 

 toward mankind in general ; his sympathy with the workman, — the 

 producer, — his hatred of selfish monopolies, and his protest against the 

 condition of serfdom, or vassalage, in which poor people are born in 

 many parts of the world. I feel great satisfaction when I think of the 

 abolition of peonage on this island, which appears to be common in all 

 Spanish countries, a system by which people sold themselves or their 

 children, incurring debts and making contracts in which they accepted 

 money in advance and were allowed $1.50 per month silver (75 cents 

 in our money) for their labor in cancelling their indebtedness, the victim 

 being encouraged to increase his indebtedness by continuing to receive 

 goods on credit for himself, his parents, his grandparents, uncles, aunts, 

 or cousins. When such a person left the employ of his master he was 

 said to have " escaped " as though he were a slave. 

 The Governor this day issued the following : 



"Government House, Agana, Guam, 



" March 13, 1900. 

 General Order No. 15. 



" 1 . All owners of land or claimants of land are hereby warned that in 

 order that their ownership be recognized they must acquire legal titles to 

 the said land and have it registered according to law in the ofl&ce of the 

 Registrar of I^ands in Agaiia before May 15, 1900. 



"2. All owners of lands are hereby ordered to send to the Registrar of 

 lyands without delay a statement as to the extent and nature of their land, 

 so that they may be assessed accordingly for the tax which becomes due 

 June 30, 1900. After that date no titles will be recognized as valid unless 

 the claimant of land wishing to prove ownership presents tax receipts for 

 the land in question. 



