Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1902-01-02

ricultural, and manual training school
work. and Isl teachers, all from the
! United States. Besides there were
two superintendent and eighty
teachers from the Philippines. In
! Manila there is a normal school for
the instruction of teachers, in which
600 aspirants were enrolled, Of ws,cN
$40 studied faithfully to the end of
the term.
Up to the date of the last repon
10000 Filipino children had volun.
tarily enrolled in the primary de-
partment of tie public schools. bur
half of them are waiting for school
rooms. Seventy-five thousand Fit
pinos are in actual daily attendance
at the schools already established
Between 5000 and 1000 native
elementary teachers are employe
and of these 1000 are receiving daily
instruction in English, In Manila
over 10000 adult natives are studying
English in evening schools under
American teachers, and more are ap-
plying than can be accommodated.
Commenting on this feature Secretary
Root says:
The greatest eagerness is manifest
ed TO learn English. There is a wide
spread desire to send boys to the
United States for education. Many Of
the towns are arranging to send and
support boys here for that purpose.
The educational situation IL, briefly, as
follows: There is a widespread and
earnest desire for education among
the people of the islands. There are
more people anxious for education
than there are teachers to furnish it
There are more teachers than there
are school buildings or rooms for
them to teach in, I think no one can
become familiar with the facts with.
out deep interest and strong desire
to press forward provision for educa.
ton. All the good influences of
American civilization may enter
through this open door,"
Timber Resources.
Turning to more material things,
! Secretary Root takes up the timber
and agricultural interests of the
archipelago. The forest areas of the
island embrace (estimated) 1887.
243 acres. Between 100000 and so,
000.0 acres of the immense area are
public lands of the United States
coded by the crown of Spain. Pine.
cedar, mahogany. and hundreds Of
hardwoods, valuable dye woods, and
rubber and gutta percha trees exis,
in immense quantities. The annual
growth of these forests is estimated
at 1,400.000,000 cubic feet, about three
times the cut of lumber for 1900 in the
entire United States, At present 90
per cent. of this annual growth Is
going to waste. but with proper treat
ment It may be made an inexhaustibl,
source of wealth.
The forestry bureau is under the
direction of Captain G. p. Ahren OF
the 9th United States infantry, and
the forestry laws of the United States
modified to meet local conditions, are
in force. The price Of lumber in the
islands is excessively high, because
congress has as yet made no law per.
hitting the development of the timber
! interests by private capital The
agricultural interests of the island are
! touched upon briefly The methods
of cultivation are primitive and
/ effective, but the bureau Of agriculture
has gone to work to develop 1t.
Secretary Root devotes a large part
of his report to the progress Of public
works in the islands. Manila harbor
is being improved at a cost of ST.
100000. Two million dollars Mex.
cam is being expended In the cah
struction of highways and bridges.
800 miles of road being In progress az
construction.
Ia Manila cold storage and ice
plant has been completed at a cost of
100000. Two market houses have
been built, and two others are il
course OF erection. bridges have been
built ana repaired, crematories erect.
ed for the disposal Of garbage, build.
ings for public departments and ware.
houses have been erected, and
public printing plant installed.