At the coming elections of Jun e 1.800.000 duly in,cribed electors may cast their ballot. In the elections of 1922 only l,3.):l,500 were registered.
The province of Pangasinan counts with lW.500 elector!", and Manila with i0.500.
~
The fuLure of sugar must be bright, for La Carlota Central sugar plant will spend 'f"l,500.000 for extension this year.
~
Some Moros are openly or otherwise challenging the Government. One of the reasons is that they neglected or are unwilling or hate to pay their tax- es. Director of Non-Christian Tribes and ).1ajor Johnson, governor of the Moro Province. are working to ham all the last dt>bts of taxes condoned to the said Moros. That's how a little resist- ance may win for the Moros what they ask. just as some time ago they got in their schools what they wanted, while pacific Catholics did not get what they too wanted for their children in their schools.
~
According to official statistics, illit- eracy has been greatly reduced in the Philippines among people over 10 years of age. It has been lowered from 75%
in 1903 to 50% in 1919 and may be re- duced to about 30% in 1924. This is due to the great number of schools
established in towns and barrios. A question. Could the!:'e be nothing done to decrease likewise criminality which has been on the increase the last yea rs?
~
Instructions have been given by in- sular authorities to division superin- tendents of schools to eliminate as far as possible all teachers of public schools affiliated to the secret society called
"Legionaries of Labor", unless they re.;;ign their membership of their own free accord. 50% of all teachers in
~orthern Luzon, including eYea those o[ the most remote parts of the :'.\fount- ain Province, are members of this an- tireligious society.
~
Rinderpest continues to rage in the provinces of northern and central Lu- zon. Great propaganda is made in N ue\•a Ecija to make people plant more cocotrees. ~lore wealth among the peo- ple of that province will help greatly to preserve peace.
$
Several Filipinos are professors at the university of Amoy, China, while one of them is now acting President of the same during the absence of its Chinese president.
~
The Colorums are again active in the province of Leyte and the island of Bucas, Surigao. The authorities have taken all possible precaution .
foreign
Russia.
Seven years ago. Communism was established in Russia. The Tzar and his family were murdered. The Bol- chevics ruled this empire of more than 100,000,000 inhabitants. The land for- merly owned in great part by nobles was confiscated by the State and then distributed among the peasants. In fact what the soil would henceforth produce would have to be given to the State, which in turn would giYe each
Russian according to his needs and
work. In Russia no one can buy except from the State. No one can sell except thru the State: this is the case in the in- terior as well as in the exterior. Of course anybody who wants to cheat 1.1ay do so. Whoever resists confisca- tion, does so with all his power and thus for seven ~ears the reYolution, especially among the peasants of the provinces, has been continual. An- other result was that people worked much less, and consequentl.Y the fruits of their more or less work had to go to the State.
Two years ago private property seemed to be restored in this way that the State gave permission to trade a little in private and granted so called long leases to peasants and merchants.
But during last year the former old regime was reestablished with all its cruelties and consequently bloody re- volutions. The workmen are subject- ed to an iron discipline: labor is mili- tarized and one who works, receives in return just enough food and clothes to keep him from starvation. Stiikes are punished by death. 33,000,000 star- ving persons are at the mercy of every kind of epidemic which has killed mil- lions in Russia these last few years. Famine, the result of confiscation and
Jes~ work, has killed millions more.
2,000,000 victims were tortured or killed.
according to official statistics, (proba- bly rnry incomplete.) during the year 1920. Petrograd. the old capital, counts actually only 100,000 inhabitants. while before the bolchevic regime it counted 2,000.000. All Religious property has been confiscated. Children of both sexes are brought up together in schools where religion is only mocked at and bad morals publicly taught. While the Bolchevics once proclaimed that every street would ha 1·e a school, fewer schools than ever now remain. Not only does Russia not export, but she needs the charity of other countries to ward off famine which always threat- ens in some part of thecountry.
These and many others are the bless- ings of the Bolchevic Paradise on earth as promised by its leaders, but which, in fact. is a hell. in which only the cleYils, who rule without a heart. do not rnffer but enjoy the lolood and the tears of their millions of victims. And there are people who would like to in- troduce the blessings of this regime into the Philippines: the baby rern- lution of Nuern Ecija sho"·s what Bol- chevics would make of the ·"Pearl of the Orient."
Some European Nations recover stability.
Survey of the year 1924 shows im- proving conditions in Europe, and also less threats of war. The 1924-1925 budget of E:N"GLAND will probably have a small surplus. Unemployment has been decreased by about 10.% dur- ing the past year. The production of the nation is now four fifths of the na- tion's capacity. The pound sterling is nearly at par.
FRANCE had during 1924 the best year she has had since the war. The
French budget is hardly ~-et in a satis- factory condition. The Herriot min- istry fell down on the financial q ues- tion of increasing taxes and asking a capital levy, although thelall had been prepared by its antireligious politics.
56% of the national income is needed to pay the debt,s, charges, and France is looking for further loans. NeYer- theless unemployment is unknown in France and her commerce is thri\•ing.
In GERMA.NY the internal bud§et has been balanced: i.e. the income coY- ers the expenditures, but the war debt budget shows a deficit. Her trade improves more and more. Prices have been high in the country and wages probably ha Ye not kept pace with li\·- ing costs. Hencn there is great po,·er- ty among the laborers.
RUSSIA is still in a complete mess.
The Government continue<; to fight the people confiscating the fruits of all la- bor, and the Church and religion in general, for which end a so-called sem- inary to spread hatred against relig-ion and God has been established at :'lfos- cow. The other nations distrust Rus- sia who has little to export and needs herself foreign importation and help to keep her people in some isolated prov- inces from staning.
ITALY has a fa\'orable trade balance.
Her industries are thriving. There is no unemployment. Thousands of pil- grims and tourists visit her shores every day enriching her considerably.
The Fascist Government is trying to decrease budget deficits, reducing sa- laries and suppressing useless jobs. It gives its rights to the Church more and more, while it is at the same time defending itself (alas! too often thru the force of the mob) against its polit- ical opponents. suppressing their papers and societies, where it is deemed nec- essary for the purpose. The last budg- et deficit was 67 ,00,000 lire less than estimated.
BELGIUM has succeeded in reducing
her budget deficit. While there has been an enormous increase in the na- tional debt. it must be remembered that, due to the depreciation of the franc, the debt is actually about twke as large as the pre-war debt. The state railways are expected to show a surplus.
The Theunis ministry fell on a bill granting women the right of voting for the provincial councils. General elec- tions were held during April.
HUNG ARY followed the plan of finance imposed ~y the League of na- tions and recently has shown a small surplus in her budget. Trade has in- creased by nearly 60% and the number of unemployed has been reduced to 30, 000 only.
GREECE not only has intern a 1 troubles but has her exterior friction with Turkey. The deficit of her budg- et is on the increasfl.
RUMANIA suffered from unemploy- ment and was ablP, to balance her budg- et on paper only. Hence a stress in money.
SPAIN suffers a deficit in her budg- et of. nearly $10.000,000. This is greatly due to her war with Morocco. Nev- erthelern her trade has improved.
PORTUGAL taxes her people more and more and her accumulated deficits since the war amount to one million.
AUSTRIA once on the brink of com- plete bankruptcy has made some recov- ery, but still has an ad\·erse trade bal- ance: she imports much more than she exports. High costs of living and un- employment prevail and her budget has still a deficit.
HOLLAND this year will balance her budget for the first time in many.
TURKEY is fighting >ictoriously the Kurds who, as the Berbers in Mo- rocco against Spain, make a guerilla warfare against the forces of Angora.
Nevertheless the Government has or- dered a general mobilization which means to say that after all, its >icto- ries are not quite complete.
296
ft ~ ~ ~
l:=Q=U=~~~~<B~:r:;::I==O:;:::&,~~~.<B~B=O=X=J
Questions unsigned wi11 not be at1swered. Anonymou> Ir tter must find their wa~-into the waste paper baskt't. "·e will not pnl.llish tlw names of those who send <Juestions.
5.-0n Good Friclay I made the Sta- tions of the Cross at 3 P. Jl. The Church
teas so crou:c1ed that I cr•uld not moi:e.
1.-Coulcl I gain the Indulgences? 2.- Please tell me the exact conditions for gaining inclulgences of the Stations of the Cross.
1.-If you have Rlade the Stations of the Cross with the· Priest and his assistants, you certainly could gain the indulgences.
2.-The conditions for gaining all the indulgences of the Stations of the Cross may be given as follows:
If you want to gain them for your- self, you must be in a state of grace;
and thereforeitis recommended always to begin this exercise by a good act of contrition.
Making the Stations of the Cross, you must move from one station to the other. It is only when you make them together with the priest, preceded by the cross and the candles, that you can gain the indulgences from your place in the church.
ln front of each station you must meditate on the Passion of Our Lord.
This means that you are not obliged to say any particular pra_1•er. as the Our Father or the Rail Mary, etc. Neither is it required to meditate on this part of the Passion, as represented by each particular station. It is sufficient w meditate on the suffering of Our Lord in general. Although the meditation of each station, concluding this mecli-
tation by i::ome vocal prayers, is very good.
Very probably ~-ou can gain all the indulgences of the Stations of the Cro~s
only once a day.
It is not a good practice to make the Stations of the Cross while another ser\·ice is going on in the church: as for example during ~!ass or Benedic- tion. It is better to join in the service going on, and make the Stations of the Cross before or after the service.
6.-Jiay a person who has been anoint·
ed t1nd icho receiL"es the Holy Vi at i c ti m daily, may this person recefre the Holy Viaticum more than once a day if there seenis to be an increasing imminence of cleath?
A person dangerously sie;k must re- ceive the Holy Viaticum, unless that same person had receiYed Holy Com·
munion the same morning che danger·
ous sickness began. If however that.
person, who became very sick during the day, had received Holy Communion in the morning, neYertheless Ho 1 y Viaticum may be given that same day, but there is no obligation for that per- son to receiYe it, although it is much recommended.
If that person remains dangerously sick for several days, he or she may receive the Holy Viati.cum, according to the advice of the confessor, several times, but on distinct days and only once a day.
ftAILBAG OFTHE LITTLE APO.rTlE
For all correspondence with "THE LITTLE APOSTLE" $end yciur letters to T/1e Little Apostle. J](Jx 1393. Jlanila
Dear Readers of the "'Little Apos- tle".
Just think of this: two letters were dropped into the mailbag of the "'Little Apostle" on the same day. The first came from Ceferina Witte. She is known by the readers. She writes the following:
Dear Father Yandewalle:
While on my way home from St.
Teresa Academy. :\Ianila. I distri u- uted some numuers of the ··Little A- postle'' among- my friends. The~· prom- ised to subscribe. but I cannot fully rely on their words until I know they really did it. Howe\'er I ::un sending two subscriptions. I obtained them while at Jloilo on my way home. As I am now at home in Bacolod I will try my best to find more subscriptions.
Please help me, Re\'erend Father, to pray for the success of the little mis-
ionary work I long to accomplish.
Is that not a nice letter. full of mis- sionary spirit?
I was told by sernral students be- fore vacation they would send me sub- scriptions. Shall I say as Miss Ceferi- na: "I cannot fully rely on their words until I know they really did it?"
Letter :No. 2 was from the president of the ·'Non-Ilocano-Speakino- Societ\''' of Vigan, Miss Salrndora Bello. •
Santa, Ilocos Sur. :\Jarch 22-19?5.
Dear Rev. Father.
We hope you ha ,.e not forgotten the
":'>.ine Little Apostles of Rosary Acad- emy." (How could I?) Well Father we are glad to tell you that instead of ba- Ying nine members, our SociP,t,y has now fifteen, because the day-scholars of our class ha\'e joined us. (all the
tudents should join your society).
We are inclosing twenty pe;;os col- lected partly by our·' Xon-Iloeano-Spea- ki11g Sueiety" and partly by little con- tributions from us and the other girl~.
It is not much, Father.hut.we know it will be useful for our dear friends the Igorotes. (Certain]~·.)
We hope \·ou will bear from 1o1s a•Yain next schoolyear (the more the better) for you know. Father, we shall contin- ue our work as long as the "Fifteen Little Apostles'' are together.
At present n·e are enjoyin)! our rn- cation during which time we shall not cease being "Little Apostles" but we shall show our Apostleship both in name and in deeds. (Bravo! In deeds and not in words. eh?)
With sincere wishes for the success of '·The Little Apostle" we remain:
Yours very respectfully Salvadora Bello. (President) This letter could make the subject of a long meditation. Alas! how many wealthy persons are there not in the world who could easily sacrifice a few
298
pesos a month, say for instance to sup- port a catechist, even a priest in the Mountain Province. And here are a few girls, students, (ordinarily students do not have too much pocket mone~·)
who sacrifice every month a part of·
their little income. Some rich people spend thousands of pesos and dollars to satisfy their rnnit~", but little or noth- ing to help their poor Pagan brethren.
Dives of the Gospel was carried into hell. because he did not gi Ye the crumbs \1hich fell from his table to poor Lazarus. Who is poorer than those who do not possess the means of saving their soul':' If the body starves and the soul is saYed: all is saved. But if the soul 1<,tarves although the body be well fed, all is lost and for ever.
Well done, little girls of the "Non- 11 ocano-Speaking Society.'' \\el 1 done
"Little Apostle.,, Miss Ceferina Witte.
Well done, all ye subscribers of "the Little Apostle". All of you have list- ened to the words of Christ: "go ye, kach ye all nations"'. Listen to these other words of the Savior: "whatso- ever you shall have given to these little ones, you have gil·en it to Me".
Great shall be your reward for having cooperated with Jesus for the salvation of souls.
Accept the most sincere thanks of all the Missionaries of the Mountain Province and especially from
Yours in Ct.
Rev. 0. Vandewalle.
CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIYED
Blessed Little Flower's fund for the Bokod .'\:lission.
Mis-; C. ""
'Ir. Au.
Ya.rious
Acknowledged before
Total Total
P 3.CO l.CO 25.00 211.00
4~2.00
461.CO Father Legrand's fund for the
Bauco Mission.
From the .. non-ilocano-speaking society:'
Acknowledged before
•.rota I
For the Missions.
Dolores A bola, ~anila
Anonl-mous
p 20.00 104.50
12~.50
p l.00 50.00 We gratefully acknowledl?e the receipt of canceled stamps for the benefit of the ~lissions
from:
)'!iss 1\lilagros Alcazar .. Julia Lamadrid, 'l'a- gudin. l.S. Bibiana Acosta. Ta1?udin. T.S. Ca1·- lcs Loanzon, Lubao, Pampanirn. EI e u t er i o Tiamzon. :llanito. A Iba~-. Cristina Fajardo, Tarlac. Tarlac. Emilio Castro. Ba.rombonl?.
N.V. Dolores Oledan, Ba.1-ombong. C\.Y. Dolo- res A bola. Manila.
The Little APOstle thanks most heartily tbp benefactors. A 11 the Missionaries remember them every day at mass.
If Your Subscription Expires This Month, Don't Forget to Renew It Now