Evening star., 1901-12-25
PUBLIC INSTRUCTION ORGANIZATION
Experience of Teachers Sent tc
the Islands.
TEACHING THE TRADES

poSfoa nave bcSu bdScd upon the tbf1n laws
| which were in force under the Spanish
regime. and revised, with minor modi1ca-
tions. by order Of Maj Gen. Otis. The re-
| port says:
The duties thus imposed have been. in
some respects burdensome, and, while pro-
| ducing large revenue. have yet been un-
| just in their operation upon many classes
| in the community. The duties upon neces-
sartes OF life were generally high, while
those upon luxuries were usually low. The
tariff in its practical operation was not
adapted to encourage the importation Of
| goods produced or manufactured In the
United States. The commission entered
| upon the work Of its revision in the fall of
| the year 1900, intrusting the preparation Of
| the first draft to George w. Lyon, who had
| had large experience as surveyor Of the
| port of New York. After Mr.. Lyon had
| completed his draft it was revised by the
| commission, with his aid. and then printed
and widely distributed in the islands. Pub
| lie sessions of the commission were held for
discussion of the various schedules and the
views Of all local importers and consumers
| who wished to be heard were received and
| considered. As a consequence Of these pub
| lio sessions notifications were made in the
bill as first drawn, and after its completion
| 1t was forwarded to Washington for your
| correction. modification and approval.
Theory of the Tariff.
'"The theory Of the tariff as constructed
| by the commission was to give reasonable
| encouragement to the productions and
| manufactures OF the Philippine Islands,
| greatly to reduce the cost Of importing the
necessaries OF life, particularly those pro-
| duced or manufactured in the United
| States; to increase the duties upon lux
uries, to give substantial or entire freedom
| from the imposition Of all duties upon GER
| tain articles fmperatively needed In the
| islands, and to make the duties specific in
| stead OF ad valorem to the fullest extent
| that was practicable. In Washington, as
| we understand, measures were taken to Sc
! cure suggestions from all citizens Of the
\ United States interested in trade with the
Philippines. and notifications were made
| in the schedules as submitted by the COM
| mission. the most important being the in
| PRODUCTION of minimum ad valorem duty
| in many Of the schedules where 1t seemed
| that strictly specific duty would prevent
| discrimination in the assessment of duties
| between articles of high cost and great
perfection of workmanship and those Of
| the same class which were far inferior in
| quality, workmanship and value.
| Modified In Warrington.
Upon the completion Of the modifca-
| tions suggested at Washington and their
| return to Manila further public hearings
were had after due notice, and other modi-
cations were made In view Of new informa-
| tton acquired at the public hearings. The
| new notifications were submitted to you
| by cable and approved. On the 17th day
| Of September. 1901, the new tariff law was
| enacted, to become effective on the 10Th
day Of November, 1901, with the impor-
tant proviso that during the first sixty days
| after the law became effective the import
ers of goods en- route to Manila at the
| time the law becomes effective might elect
I to pay under the new tariff or the old.
That the new tariff win furnish needed re-
| lief to business men and consumers here
Is certain; that its effect will be for a time
| to reduce the revenue is probable; but it
| Is hoped that ultimately consumption will
| be SO increased when ths islands become
| entirely paciied and the people acquire new
wants that the revenue may be at least
| as much as under the existing tariff.
'In the consideration Of the final modih-
| cation of the tariff bill. after its return
| from Washington, the commission have
had the benefit Of the assistance and sug-
| ges1ons Of Mr.. W. Morgan Shuster, ap-
| pointed collector Of customs for the archi-
pelago, and Mr.. Charles A. Conant. else
| where referred to in this report. Both
| these gentlemen met representative busi-
| ness men in San Francisco and there re-
ceived suggestions as to changes that
ought to be made in the tariff, and thus
were enabled to give the commission valu-
| able Information. Their aid has been great
| ly appreciated"
Schools for the Fflipinos.
One Of the most interesting portions Of
the commissions report is that relating to
| the organization and progress Of public
instruction. The first important step was
| the enactment Of a law establishing a de-
partment or bureau OF public instruction,
| which should have Jurisdiction over all pub
| lie schools in the archipelago. This law,
with its amendments, provides for one
general superintendent of public instruc-
| ton, eighteen division superintendents and
such a number of deputy division superin-
tendents as the secretary of public instruo-
tion may consider desirable. but the num-
har oho1 fnt ood in dIryfcf Ia
number Of provinces in that division.
The law establishing the system Of pub
lie instruction provided also that as soon
as practicable the English language would
be made the basis Of all public instruction,
and the general superintendent was author
| lied to obtain from the United States ], 900
| trained teachers at monthly salaries Of not
less than S7b and not more than S125, the
exact salary Of each teacher to be fixed by
| the general superintendent.
This act OF organization established
trade school and normal school in, Ma
nila and an agricultural school in the Isl
and Of Negros. The attitude which the
| schools should assume toward the teach-
ing Of religion was fixed by the adoption
of the so-cailed Faribault plan. This was
| set forth in the following language:
mo teacher or other person shall teach
or crittcise the doctrines Of any church. re-
ligtous sect or denomination, or shall at
any church or religious sect In any public
school established under this act II any
teacher shall Intentionally violate this SEQ
tion, he or she shall. after due hearing, be
dismissed from public service" It was pro-
vided. however. that the priest or minister
Of any church established In the pueblo
where a public school 10 situated, either In
person or by designated teacher Of re-
ligion. might teach religion for one-half an
hour three times a week In the school build
ings to those public school pupils whose
parents or guardians desire 1t and express
their desire therefor in writing filed with
the principal teacher Of the school. to b
forwarded to the division superintendent,
who shall hx the hours and rooms for sici,
teaching.
Down to the present time no priest or
other religious teacher has asked FOR the
use Of any school house for the purpose OF
teaching religion In accordance With the
terms Of this section.
Reception of the Teachers.
'AThe transportation, reception and dis
tribution OF the teachers who left San
Francisco in small companies In the early
part OF the year presented no diflculties.
and called for no extraordinary action on
the part Of the authorities In Manila says
fho Eron oh %,>oy