Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1905-04-26


in 1902, and 1926 in the following
year. Thus the average death rate for
1902 was 3d. per thousand, ranging
from twenty-five i'll Paragua to l33 in
Batangas. In 1903 the death rate
diminished to 47.2,a rate still clearly
excessive, and study of the earlier
the average normal death rate is
about 80, which is much greater than
that of the United States and exceeds
that of any European country whose
death rate is known, although it is
less than that of most of the pro-
vinces i'll British India.
The average birth rate, as obtained
from statistics covering period of
10 years, is as per thousand. The
excess of births over deaths in normal
years is greater than that of nearly all
other countries, although slightly less
than that of the United States.
Nearly one-third of all deaths were
due to cholera, which appeared in
Manila March, 1902, and swept over
the entire archipelago, reaching a
maximum of nearly 10000 deaths in
September In 1903 it subsidized, and
deaths from cholera during that year
numbered only GO, S43.
Malarial fever is always prevalent
in the islands and is responsible
for large proportion of deaths.
In Manila the death rate for the
white race was 36.9 per thousand in
1902. In 1903 it was rs for Americans
and 2O.2 for Europeans. The death
rate of the city since American
occupation has averaged about Al per
thousand, with the exception of the
cholera season, when it advanced to
50. This region is especially fatal to
young children.
At the date of the census there
we're 1880 schools in the archipelago,
an average of three for each mum
cipality. OF these, 90 per cent were
public, about 3 per cent were private,
and the remainder were under the
control of the Roman Catholic church.
OF the total enrolment 90 per cent
was reported for the primary schools.
There are only institutions devoted
to higher education. Five per cent
of the civilized population of the
Philippine islands is enrolled in the
schools. One sixth of all children of
school age are enrolled, and three
fourths of that number are in the
public schools.
Six thousand teachers are employed,
four ffths of whom are Filipinos, re-
ceiving an average annual salary of
2GG pesos, equivalent to Sl25.02. The
average public school Teacher has
charge of seventy three pupils, while
in the United States the number is
thirty-siX.
OF the BAG school buildings, the
majority of which are public, APP
proximately one-third are built of
durable materials. There is great need
of additional school facilities better
buildings and equipment.
Although the study of English has
met with some opposition, this is
diminishing. Eleven per cent of the
pupils throughout the archipelago are
reported as understanding the language
and this may be regarded as very sat
isfactory progress for the short space
of two years.
In Manila there are twenty
two night schools with an enroll
ment of more than 1000 adults who
are engaged in acquiring the English
language During the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1903, about 81, 500, 600
were expended for educational pur-
pures.
Although the Filipino families have
been diminished in size by insurrec-
tions and cholera, the average family
consists of A. persons, and this is still
about equal to that of the United
States. Nintey-four per cent of all
the dwellings are made of nipa or
similar material, and most of them
are therefore but temporary structures
(Which serve for few years only
leach dwelling shelters on an average
W. 6hersons, or 1.l8 families
= HilXinos generally own their horses !;
Slef tiHn 6 per cent are rented. About
, TIM ee-fifths of the homesteads are
toSned by the occupant.
Rental for land, for house, or for
land and house, is often paid in labor.
hG fiye-s iXths of the cases of monthly
CASH rental for land the amount of
rental is one peso or less.
The ci.iof eo"-~~ wealth in the
na axnortation of agricui ,raI com
modities. LII l'o| ao- oeo ultural ex-
ports were valued at go ,' oTU nl75, form
inc 90 per cent of the VAIN of all ex-
: ports 80 fertile
\ The soil Is 81 :. ~ at when