Journal of Race Development - 1910 - 15.pdf

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The Progress of Public Works in the Philippine Islands

Author(s): James W. BeardsleySource: The Journal of Race Development, Vol. 1, No. 2 (Oct., 1910), pp. 169-186Published by:Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/29737856 .

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THE PROGRESSOF PUBLICWORKS IN THEPHILIPPINE ISLANDS.By James W. Beardsley, recently Director of Public Worksin thePhilippines.

An address delivered at Clark University during the Conference uponthe Far East.

When an invitation was received from Clark Universityto present some notes on the progress of public works inthe Philippine Islands the task appeared easy to accomplish.The first difficulty encountered, however, was the factthat few general statements hold true throughout the Islands.

The numerous dialects and customs, the separation of thepeople by natural barriers, the lack of inland communication,and the absence of a previous form of government whichtended to unite the people, readily account for these varia?tions and may explain seeming contradictions. The seconddifficulty was the selection and extent of detail of such publicworks as would clearly show the nature of the work accom?plished, the conditions encountered and the progress made inpromoting the prosperity of the Islands, and the welfare ofthe people.I shall assume that the members of this conference arefamiliar with those remarkable instructions of President

McKinley to the military commander and to the first andsecond commissions, with the first work of the PhilippineCommission and the transfer of military control over the pro?vinces to the civil government during the years 1901 and 1902,with the creation of the legislative, judicial and executivedepartments) with the enactment of municipal and provinciallaws and with the creation as necessity arose of the variousgovernment bureaus.The chronological development of the bureau of public

works follows. The provincial government act dated Feb?ruary 6, 1901, provided as one of the three members of the

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170 JAMES W. BEARDSLEY

provincial board a supervisor who was required to be a civilengineer, and who was responsible for provincial publicworks and also for numerous non-technical branches of pro?vincial administration.

In August, 1902, the office of consulting engineer to thePhilippine Commission was created, under which designa?tion the writer began his work in the Islands. In January,1903, the bureau of engineering was created, providing fora small technical and clerical force, and the supervision of

provincial public works was placed under this bureau. Inthe latter part of 1905, the office of supervisor was abolished,and that of district engineer created, partly to reduce pro?vincial expenditures and partly because the provinces hadno funds for public works, but mainly to centralize the engi?neering problems of the government. At the same time thebureau of engineering was reorganized and designated thebureau of public works, and the title of consulting engineerwas changed to director of public works. To-day aboutone hundred engineers including a few of the returning Fili?pino students are engaged in the bureau.

The Islands are divided into some thirty-seven provinces,in five of which the non-Christian or semi-savage tribes pre?

dominate. The remaining thirty-two provinces, averagingover one and one-half million acres each, are divided intotwelve engineering districts, the district engineer of each ofwhich is responsible for all of the technical work executedunder the direction of the bureau of public works. He isassisted by such assistant engineers, inspectors, clerks, fore?

men, and laborers as the nature and extent of his work mayrequire.The principal responsibilities imposed by law upon thebureau of public works relate to survey designs, estimatesand specifications for insular, provincial and municipal pub?lic works, to the awarding of contracts and the supervisionof works thereunder, and to the execution of public worksby day labor when contracts are impracticable. These re?sponsibilities do not include the municipal wrorks of the cityof Manila, the lighthouses and port works of the bureau ofnavigation, nor at present the supervision of railways.



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PROGRESS OF PUBLIC WORKS IN PHILIPPINES 171

The principal sub-divisions of the bureau of public worksare the road division, which is charged with the construc?tion of roads and bridges throughout the provinces; the build?ing division ,which is charged with repairs, and new construc?tion; the provincial division, which includes the districtengineers and their works; the bridge division, which pre?pares all designs; the irrigation division and the divisions ofartesian wells, of drafting, of property, of records and ofaccounts. From small appropriations in 1903, this bureaubecame responsible during the fiscal year 1908 for the expendi?ture of appropriations aggregating nearly one-third of thetotal revenues of the insular government. It's technicalforces had been increased some thirty fold, and the technical

works of the provinces were centralized. The bureau wascarrying out policies relative to roads, bridges, buildings,artesian wells, and irrigation as aggressively as conditionspermitted.

The status of public works prior to American occupationwas deplorable. While the Spanish engineers accomplishedsome excellent work in the Islands they have been creditedwith a few results which exist only on paper. The mostnotable public works of Spanish days are the walls of thecity of Manila, the massive masonry churches throughoutthe Islands, the irrigation systems on a few of the friar landestates near Manila, some bridges of masonry or steel andthe fortifications of a few of the principal cities.

The remains of some sections of well constructed road?ways can be found, but no evidence exists of any continuoushighways serving the agricultural interests of the islands.In a consular report on the condition of the highways in1898 the American Consul stated that the roads and streetsof the Philippine Islands served only asan illustration of the sad demoralizing effect of neglect and indiffer"ence. There is not a single driveway beyond the city limits o*Manila, Iloilo or Cebu, nor a roadway which will allow the pas"sage of a four-wheeled vehicle with any degree of comfort to itspassengers or of safety to its integrity . . . No attempt is evermade to haul the produce of the provinces over these wretchedroads and all that reaches the cities comes by water . . . Thecountry is traversed by numerous foot paths over which the natives



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carry produce on their shoulders or heads. The major portion ofthe archipelago is practically an undeveloped wilderness.A brief account follows of the geography, meteorology,

people, and material which are important in a considerationof the progress of public works.Disregarding treaty boundaries, the location of the Is?lands is between themeridians 117 degrees and 127 degreeseast longitude and the parallel 5 degrees and 21 degreesnorth latitude. Officially the total number of Islands is3141 and the total land area is 115,026 square miles. Thetwo largest islands Luzon and Mindanao, contain 40,969

and 36,292 square miles, respectively. These islands, to?gether with Samar, Palawan, Negros, Panay, Mindoro,Leyte, Cebu, Masbate, and Bohol contain 106,823 square

miles. For all practical purposes these eleven islands con?stitute the Philippine Archipelago. The entire land areaof the islands is fourteen times as large as Massachusetts.It is almost as large as the combined area of Massachusetts,Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.The density of the population of the entire Islands is abouttwo and six-tenths that of the United States, but only onefifth that of Massachusetts. This comparison is, however,somewhat misleading, as the axial mountainous centralportion of Cebu comprises a considerable area which issparsely populated. There are no large cities, and actualdensity of the rural population greatly exceeds that of

Massachusetts.There are two seasons, the dry, occurring during the firsthalf of the year, and the wet, during the latter half. Thecooler winter months are sometimes classed as a third season.

The average rainfall in Manila is about seventy-five inchesper annum, and in the mountainous region it may be twoor three times this amount. Typhoons are coincident withthe rainy season. These storms extend over an area of from100 to 300 miles in width; the cyclonic center moves usuallyat a rate of 10 to 15 miles per hoar, but the wind velocitywithin thirty, forty or even 100 miles of the center may behigh and destructive both to structures and to growingcrops. The elevation of the rainladen clouds over the moun



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tain ranges occasions intense precipitation over a large area.The rainfall under these conditions frequently may amountto one or two feet within two or three days, and it sometimesaverages an inch an hour for an entire day. The result is adangerous flood throughout the tributary and trunk systemof drainage areas. They are the cause of serious difficultiesto the engineers engaged in construction work, to a degreeunequaled in any other oriental country.

The existence of the severe wet and dry seasons for a periodof six months each requires a type of construction whichshall withstand successfully both extremes. This applieswith special force to road work, the greater portion of whichis located on costal and alluvial plains where the soil undercontinued saturation becomes almost incapable of support?ing any load.

It is important that engineers and contractors providefor inland transportation of material on account of theravages of surra and rinderpest which have seriously de?creased the supply of draft animals. Epidemics of small?pox and cholera have been destructive to labor organiza?tions in the past, and their recurrence must be occasionally

expected. These diseases have been so successfully combatted by the Board of Health that future difficulties there?from cannot be regarded as more serious than those presentedby the epidemics of this country. The prevalance of malariain the low-lands, where the greater portion of constructionworks is executed has been and will continue to be a sourceof expense and delay to all public works construction.

The labor condition in the Islands is unsatisfactory anda full discussion of the problem is impossible within thescope of this paper. Practically all unskilled labor is fur?nished by that great mass of illiterate Malays, whose wel?fare is the special problem of our government. They areexceptionally temperate, but indolent, unreliable, and invet?erate gamblers. They are easily lead by vicious demagogues,

who fatten on false patriotism and are greedy for personalpower, but they are as easily influenced towards good citizen?ship by those in whom they have confidence and who arefamiliar with their customs. They love music and their



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homes, and are childlike in their anger and affection. Im?provement in these traits requires a modification of tradi?tions, customs, and language, and is not possible within onegeneration. There is no predominating middle class. Con?ditions tending to create small freeholders, to increaseliteracy, and to establish such a class, are now working withtangible, favorable results. The pernicious influence ofthe "cacique," that tyrant of hamlet and village without

whose consent purchases cannot be made nor labor hired,is being slowly but surely destroyed.The Visayans, Tagalogs, Ilocanos, and Bicols, form 46.8

21.2,11.7, and 8.2 per cent, respectively, of the total civilizedpopulation; unfortunately all of these tribes differ in speech,each having its local dialect. Until recently they wereentirely unacquainted with the more permanent type ofconstruction and the ordinary tools used by Americans.

Their principal occupation is agriculture, and the universaltool is the "bolo". The plow, a pointed stick, sometimescapped with iron, and guided by a single handle, moves thedirt to a depth of three or four inches but does not turn afurrow. The bolo, plow, and mattock, are the principaltools of the farmer. Rice is the staple food and it is culti?vated throughout the Islands, but to a limited degree wherehemp, sugar, tobacco, cocoanuts and other valuable cropshave been developed. The observer of rice cultivation andharvest and hemp stripping will not question the capabilityof the Filipino to labor. He is especially apt where deft?ness of hand is required, as in drafting and typewriting, andis quick to learn to operate machines.

The motormen of the Manila Street Railway, the most ofthe chauffeurs, the engine drivers of the railway and of thecoastwise vessels, are Filipinos. They are not efficient inlines requiring independent action and personal responsibilityTheir work along these lines requires competent supervisionbased upon a knowledge of their character and local dialect.The engineer or contractor who cannot or will not learn thislesson of supervision cannot succeed in handling Filipinolaborers. In order to retain the laborers and their familiesfor a reasonable period of time in regions sparsely inhabited



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and where large forces are required, it is necessary to con?struct shelters, a hospital, a commissary provided with food,clothing and cigarettes, and also to furnish recreation andperhaps establish a church and school.

Height and weight are suggestive of physical power. Theaverage of several hundred measurements of matured mengives a height of five feet 3.5 inches and a weight of 116pounds. The average efficiency of labor as compared withAmerican labor is about one-third, ranging from a highaverage where quickness and deftness are required to aboutone-sixth where physical strength and weight are necessary.Experiments made by the army indicate that an increasedefficiency can be attained by substituting nitrogenous foodsfor the prevailing characteristic diet of rice and dried fish.

As compared with other oriental countries the wages of theFilipino laborer is high. Under American supervision theFilipino is beginning to understand themeaning of "dignityof labor/' a term unknown under compulsory labor systems,and where no necessity exists for providing food for the

months of winter, and where the needs of shelter and clothingare so slight.The Islands throughout the densely populated areas arelacking in building stone. Very few good quarries have beenfound and developed. Coral rock isplentiful along the coast,from which the natives produce an excellent lime. The

manufacture of an inferior brick is common. High gradetimber is available only in limited quantities and it is expensisive; cheap grades are used only in the construction of tempo?rary works on account of the destructive action of the whiteant. Sand and river gravel are fairly well distributed andreasonable in cost. Coal is expensive. It is found in manylocalities and it is now mined to a limited but increasingextent. Materials for the manufacture of Portland cement

are so conveniently located in certain parts of the Islandsthat its manufacture by private parties may be anticipated

within a few years, in lieu of which the government would bejustified in its production. It is now purchased at a high

price from outside markets.But few efficient contractors are located in the Islands.



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Contracts have been entered into with American, Filipino,Chinese, and Japanese firms. It has been the policy to en?courage contractors to enter the field and to foster competi?tion. The supervision required with inexperienced contractorshas placed heavy responsibilities upon the bureau of public

works. All construction work has been rush work. Con?tractors' plants are not available in the Manila markets.The supply of small tools was frequently insufficient toequip the labor forces. Salaries have been too small tosecure the required number of experienced technical men.Valuable time has been required to impart from the Statesthe desired material and supervising forces, and exceptionallyheavy responsibilities have been placed upon the engineerin the field. Efficient foremen were lacking; the pick wasprone to break the foot of the man who drove it, and thewheelbarrow was awkward to carry on the head. It has beennecessary for the engineer to learn a new language and to bean instructor in the use of new tools and methods. The co?operation of all interested officials has been necessary toovercome adverse conditions, and where that cooperation islacking the difficulties are almost insurmountable.The principal public works accomplished during the pastdecade, or now in progress under the direction of the bureauof public works, are the construction of roads and bridgesand the development of an active, aggressive, good roadpolicy; the construction of public buildings for officialquarters, barracks, schools, prisons, and hospitals for thecentral, the provincial and the municipal governments;the creation of an irrigation policy and the general improve?ment of public works throughout the province.A brief description of some of these works follows, togetherwith a description of various other important works, thedirection of which was not under the bureau of public works.The visitor familiar with oldManila will be impressed firstwith the harbor improvements which have been completedpractically along lines proposed several years ago by Spanishengineers. Manila Bay is some 25 miles in diameter. ThePasig river flowing through the city of Manila is one of itslargest tributaries. The formation is deltaic and the great



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depth of soft silt complicates the construction of foundations.The break-water encloses an area of some 350 acres, in whichvessels of about 25 feet draft may enter and have protectionagainst typhoons. It constitutes a real harbor of refuge. Ithas three steel piers and others will be constructed as needed.The construction of this harbor including the reclamation ofsome 200 acres of bay front will be available for governmentand private warehouses in a city where nearly all desirablesites were owned or occupied by foreign firms.The central location ofManila as a distributary point toJapan, China, the Strait Settlements, East India, and Aus?tralia, affords great possibilities for future development.The importance ofHong-Kong iswell known. Is it a dreamto say that with the improvements completed and proposedin Manila harbor she will in time, under liberal shippingregulations, equal and ultimately outstrip her rival?The next important ports in the Islands are those of Cebuand Iloilo, whose harbors have been improved whereby thesecenters for hemp and sugar can load at their wharves oceangoing vessels. The cost of these harbor works aggregatesabout $4,000,000.An ice plant costing about $1,000,000, and of a capacitysufficient tomeet the needs of the city, was built by the navyduring the early days of the war.

Two bridges crossed the Pasig river, one of which was anarrow toll bridge, operated by a private company. Theother, the Bridge of Spain, has been widened; two new steelbridges have been built, and the need of the third is claimingattention.

The Manila Street Railway, consisting of about fortymilesof track, has replaced the impossible horse trams of earlierdays. This road was financed and built by an Americancompany and opened in 1905. It is now operated by Fili?pinos under American supervision and is a striking objectlesson of what efficient supervision can accomplish withFilipino laborers. The cost of this system was approximately$5,000,000. This electric road has opened up desirablebuilding sites and is reducing excessive rentals which haveheretofore prevailed.



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The city of Manila was in a very unsanitary condition.The municipal council started investigation, and projectswere prepared for extensive improvements in the watersupply and for the construction of a new separate sewersystem. The intake on the Mariquina River was below athickly populated area. The water was polluted and de?ficient in quality. The new water works system was com?pleted sufficiently to be opened in November, 1908. Thenew water supply is also derived from theMariquina River,the dam being located above populated areas about 20milesfrom Manila in a picturesque gorge at the foot of the moun?tain. The watershed area, comprising 140 square miles, hasbeen set aside as a reservation and contains no settlement.Some stone drains for surface water existed in Manila butno sewers. The new separate system is now practicallycompleted. The cost of house connection is covered by cur?rent revenues. These improvements paid by a guaranteedbond issue of $4,000,000, placed Manila in a sanitary con?dition unsurpassed by any other city in the Orient.Utilitarians demand the removal of the city walls, thefilling of the moat and the utilization of this area for variousbuilding purposes. Fortunately their arguments failed, thewalls remain as a historical monument, unique and of muchinterest. The moat has been filled for sanitary reasons andits area and the glacis are being converted into parks and

play grounds. This area, with the famous Luneta and some30 acres of reclaimed ground, together with the presentbotanical gardens, furnishes a valuable park system throughthe heart of that portion of the city south of the Pasig. Sim?ilar extensive parks on the north side have been discussed,and will doubtless be constructed as soon as funds can besecured.

Suitable hotel accommodations have been lacking, butprivate parties are providing this need so important to thetraveling public and the temporary resident. Near the Lun?eta is Camp Wallace, and its area will contain the futuregroups of government buildings. The beautifying of Manilawill require years to complete. It is advancing practicallyalong the stately lines laid out by Mr. Burnham.



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Relative to the construction of school buildings, the follow?ing statement is taken from the message of the GovernorGeneral to the Philippine Islands for the year 1907:

From insular funds and contributions of the people twentyfour high schools, twenty trade and two intermediate schoolbuildings, all of strong materials, have been constructed. The insu?lar schools are housed in thirteen buildings and intermediateand secondary schools in forty-nine buildings. Three hundredand forty buildings of strong material, two thousand four hundredand ninety-five of mixed material, and four hundred and ninetythree of light material furnished accommodations to the municipalschools. Nearly all of these buildings have been constructed sinceAmerican occupation.

During the fiscal year 1908, the building division completed1223 projects at a total cost of $533,674. Eight trade, inter?mediate or high schools, a market, an official residence inBaguio, a hacienda building on one of the Friar land estates,and two constabulary buildings were completed, and sevenbuildings extensively repaired at an aggregate cost of $163,385. Five provincial buildings, seven trade and high schools,two constabulary barracks, and three buildings for variouspurposes, aggregating a cost of $367,200.00 were under con?tract and 61 per cent completed. Eleven buildings, includingone provincial building, two hospitals, three constabularybarracks, and four school buildings were under constructionby day labor and two thirds completed. The aggregate costof these eleven buildings was $151,700. Plans had beenreceived from the consulting architect, many of which wereunder advertisement for twenty-three buildings, the aggre?gate appropriation for which was $653,000. Of the seven?teen school buildings included in the number five were tradeschools and one an agricultural school building. The mostimportant of this group of buildings was the General HospitalinManila, for which including amedical school the appropri?ation was $515,000. These buildings are now under con?struction . They are located near the government laboratoriesand the weather bureau. The later was established somefifty years ago under the Jesuit Fathers, and has renderedservice of enormous value to the maritime interests of theIslands. This group of buildings will probably be completed



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within a fewmonths and will form a scientific center superiorto any now existing in the orient. All of the new constructionis of strong material either fireproof or of slow combustion.

Reinforced concrete is used extensively.The rainfall of the Islands is ample, but its distributiondoes not at all times meet the needs of agriculture. Rice,which is the principal food staple, requires double the amountof water of other crops. From time immemorial the Filipinoshave leveled the land and conserved the rainfall by meansof small embankments. The semi-civilized Igorote hasterraced the mountain sides in a remarkable manner. Thefriars during the last century constructed on some of theirestates irrigation systems of considerable extent. The lackof water on non-irrigated land at critical periods of culti?vation has resulted in a failure or a short crop about twoyears out of five. These conditions have been understood,but the small revenues and the demand for funds along linesofmore immediate importance have limited expenditures tothe restoration and maintainance of the few existing systemson the Friar lands, which, to avoid agrarian difficulties, hadbeen purchased by the government. In 1907 the first appro?priations for general irrigation were secured, for the con?struction and maintainance of irrigation systems in theprovinces. The law requires that this appropriation shallbe reimbursable by owners of the lands benefited.In 1908 two additional appropriations weregranted. Theseconditions made it possible for the secretary of commerceand police to outline an irrigation policy and to authorizethe organization of the necessary force for investigation andsurveys.

Proposed irrigation laws have been drafted and are nowunder consideration. Much aggressive effective educationalwork has been in progress. Numerous preliminary investi?gations have been made. River hydraulic data are beingcollected. In the latter part of 1908 a corps of about twentyengineers had been secured for this work. Eleven importantprojects had been selected, detailed surveys authorized andpractically completed. These eleven projects comprise about180,000 acres of irrigable land. The cost of construction



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will approach two million dollars. The successful inaugur?ation of this irrigation work with annual reimbursableappropriations will provide, when reimbursements becomenormal, nearly one million dollars, and it should through itsoperations furnish direct practical means for the improve?ment of agricultural methods and the selection of the mostprofitable products. It will make possible the productionannually of two or three crops in some localities, insure afair yield over all the areas concerned, and tend towards ageneral development throughout the Islands of agricultureupon which the prosperity of the people depends. A fewyears ago it was necessary to import rice to the amount oftwelve million dollars. This useless drain should not occur,but rather, with a reasonable improvement of agriculture,with the restoration of draft animals and especially withthe development of the thrift and industry of the people,the Islands should become exporters of rice and other foodproducts.A work of large importance to the health of the people isthat of securing potable water. Outside ofManila themainsource of supply is the subsoil water which is reached bymeans of large shallow and unprotected wells. Exceptingmalaria the most serious diseases are intestinal, and theseshallow polluted surface wells form amost efficient method ofretaining and spreading them throughout a community.Artesian wells and also driven wells, where their use is pos?sible, have also been provided for by a reimbursable appro?priation.In 1908 a further appropriation of $75,000.00 was made.These appropriations are augmented by contributions fromthe local governments. The first deep-well outfit was re?ceived in August, 1904, the second in September, 1907, andthe third inMay, 1908. Three deepwell outfits and severalsmall jet rigs have been in operation the past year. Chemicaland bacteriological tests are made before the well is turnedover to the community. Up to June 30, 1908, 28 wellsaveraging nearly 300 feet in depth had been drilled. Insome communities the death rate has been reduced 50 percent since pure water became available.



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The Manila Railway Company, an English company, hadconstructed and was operating 120miles of railway at thetime of American occupation. Provisions have been madefor a bond issue to the amount of $30,000. Some 750 milesof new road have been authorized, on 300 miles of which nointerest has been guaranteed. These lines must be com?pleted in 1913. Probably 200 miles of these new railroadshave already been opened to the public. One of these linesleads fromDagupan, the terminus of the old railroad, to thefoothills of the Benguet mountains, from which point theBenguet highway leads to the Baguio plateaus, whose eleva?tion is about 5,000 feet. The highway, 20 miles in length,follows the Bued river, through canyon and forest and alongprecipitious cliffs and steep slopes, presenting varying pic?tures of tropical vegetation and rugged mountains up to thetree ferns and pine-clad hills of Baguio. Here are locatedin an almost temperate climate an extensive military campwith its commodious hospital, a w^ellequipped civil hospitaland a naval reservation, while the construction of anotherhospital is proposed. Here are the summer homes of govern?

ment officials, several business houses and many privateresidences. The general plans for the development of thisbeautiful, healthful region were also made by Mr. Burnham,and the work accomplished from year to year is in accordancewith his general ideas. The results in time will be a healthresort of exceptional beauty and advantage to the peopledirecting the governmental and commercial affairs of theIslands.

The development of coastwise transportation and of rail?roads connecting the centers of trade, distributing commodi?ties and produce at moderate rates, are of large value, but theconstruction of the highways of the island whereby the inter?ior areas can be served is of far greater importance to thedevelopment of an agricultural country. It is a notablefact that the first act of the commission dated September12, 1900, appropriated $1,000,000 for roads. This fund wasexpended almost entirely under the direction of the militaryauthorities mainly upon roads in the vicinity of army posts,and when their upkeep fell on the local government the



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advantages of this expenditure disappeared. The civil gov?ernment also made various appropriations for roads aggre?gating some 500 miles in length, only a few of which werelocated through a developed region. While the local gov?ernment sought appropriation for road construction andaccepted responsibility for their maintenance, funds as wellas public spirit were lacking and neither new nor old roadswere properly maintained. The need of creating sources ofrevenue and of arousing in local governments greater inter?est in these highways by placing upon them an equitableportion of their cost became evident.The first aggressive enactment in the development of thepresent road policy was the Philippine Road Law of 1906.This law provided a tax of five days labor or a payment incash of its equitable commutation. It was an optional lawto the extent that it was not to be effective in any provinceuntil it had been adopted by a majority vote of municipalpresidents and councilors of said province. These electiveofficials uniformly declined to adopt the provisions of thislaw.

In 1907 a double c?dula law was enacted, also optionalto the extent that it was to be adopted by the provincialboards. The double c?dula or per capita tax applies to aboutone and one-half million persons. The increase in the taxwas to be expended only on roads and bridges and aggre?gated about $750,000.

The internal revenue laws were amended granting about$375,000 to the road and bridge funds of the province andhalf as much for schools, provided the conditions of thedouble c?dula law were adopted. The general appropriationact for the fiscal year 1907-08 included an item of $250,000for the " construction, improvement, and, when necessary,for the maintenance of roads and bridges in the provinces,to be allotted in the discretion of the secretary of commerceand police," and the road and bridge fund from the usualprovincial sources aggregate about half a million more.The two elective members of the board hesitated on ac?count of political reasons to act. The people, however, hadbeen accustomed to a c?dula tax and raised no serious ob



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jection. A vigorous educational work regarding the import?ance of good highways was fruitful. Only four provincialboards failed to adopt the double c?dula law in 1907-08.The general appropriation bill for 1908-9 carried $500,000for the same purposes, and subject to the same conditions,and all but one of the provinces accepted the double c?dulafor that year. The annual aggregate of these conditionalfunds and the ordinary road and bridge funds of the provincesgives a total of over $2,000,000 for the year 1908-9. Thework accomplished during the previous year had made thescheme popular to an exceptional degree; the native officialsand the people began to perceive the integrity of the Ameri?can officials. These events made it possible for the secretaryof commerce and police to authorize a road policy whichequals the good roads policies of our foremost States. Main?tenance of existing roads, the repair and reconstruction ofexisting structures and the construction of new roads onlyin a first class manner are the essential items in order ofimportance for which the allotment funds were available.The value of this road policy to thematerial developmentof agricultural lands and the reduction of cost in the mar?keting of goods can hardly be overestimated. Agriculture isthe real wealth of the Islands and its condition presents atrue measure of the prosperity of the country, and the in?dustry of the inhabitants.

The construction and maintenance of these roads andbridges requires the employment of a hundred thousandFilipinos annually, the large proportion of whom live inagricultural regions. They will become familiar with moderntools and methods of work and to a considerable degree willapply this knowledge to farm work, thereby incidentally

making amarket for American tools but materially increasingagricultural outputs. The total cost of the conversion ofthese roads and bridges to permanent types will be some 25or 30 million dollars, and their annual maintenance willapproach $3,000,000. While these figures represent thelarge outlays the advantages derived to the prosperity ofthe country will be manifold.

The American government found a Malay people the



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great mass of whom did not know the value of thrift, ofproviding for themselves sustenance and shelter during theice-bound months of a northern winter, and in whom anydesire to provide for a rainy day or old age or sickness hadbeen stifled through the danger of loss by robbery, by greedand graft, and who had never realized that a public officewas a public trust. These people are learning that taxationfurnishes a fund which is returning to them in increasedfacilities for transportation, in buildings formarket, publicoffices, jails for the protection of society, and for schools forall classes. In the construction of schools they have showna most commendable spirit. Contributions from rich andpoor in money, material and service have been added togovernment funds to produce a better or larger building^ orfor a school house when no government funds were available.It may be that this public spirit has been fostered by theidea that ability to read and write meant national independ?ence. No matter what the cause, the aggregate result ofthese lessons is developing individual independence andreal patriotism. It will direct the people to a considerationof sanitation, justice and other public questions. It fore?tells the overthrow of caciquism and grafting.

The men who have secured results and advanced the wel?fare of the provinces merit a tribute. To the field engineer,the district engineer and his assistants much credit is due.His work has been educational in the highest sense. He hascontended with jungle, storm, and epidemics. He has showna high degree of courage, efficiency and integrity. He hasadapted himself to strange conditions. He has been anexample of Americanism throughout the Islands. He hascome in closer contact with the large masses of the peoplethan perhaps any other American official. His work hasbeen "rush" throughout the year without the relief furn?ished by the frost of winter. He has been required to layaside his note-books based on former practice and to learnthe value of new materials and a strange dialect.Sir James Strachey states in reference to the stupendousirrigation works in India that: "no similar works in othercountries approach in magnitude the irrigation works of



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India, and no public works of nobler utility have been under?taken in the world." While inmagnitude our public worksin the Philippines are exceeded by those in India, they standforemost in advancing the civilization of the masses. Thatremarkable policy of the American government towards thePhilippines was enunciated by our lamentedMcKinley, andit has been vigorously advanced by our President. I cannothelp believing that these practical utililarian works by theengineer are powerful instruments useful in the attainmentof a true sense of liberty among the great masses in the de?velopment of our dependencies and their people, and inthe realization of the American Colonial policy.

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Journal of Race Development - 1910 - 15.pdf

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