, 1905-04-10
THE PHILIPPINE CENSUS.

mt Ohiteu States bureau OF the cen
sus has just publishedt the first complete
census OF the Philippine islands. In
accordance with an act of congress
this census was taken by the Philip
pine commission, under the immediate
direction of Brigader General J. p. San.
ger, United States Army, assisted by
Mr.. Henry Gannett. of the United
States geological survey, and Mr.. Vic
tor H. Olmsted, who have prepared the
analytical text of the reports.
AS soon as the schedules were turn.
ed in by the Filipino enumerators they
were packed in cases IN shipped to
the United States bureau of the cen.
sus, at Washington, in compliance
with the law which authorized the
president to direct this bureau to com
pile and publish the results. Upon the
arrival of the schedules in Washing
ton, the bureau of the census began the
task of t~abulation. Several bulletins
were issued some months age giving
advance information.
The final results as now published
are comprised in four volumes ,aggrega,
ting 3,046 pages. These handsome
books which have been designed by the
bureau Of the census do not resemble
conventional government reports. They
are bound in brown buckram, stamped
in silver, II bear the seal OF the in
sular government. Included in these
J reports is a large map OF the Philippine
Stands; there are also many small
mcps and diagrams in c~olors, and re
productions of $50 photographs, taste
fully grouped in ~ full-page half-tont
cuts (printed in brown, illustrating
civilized and wild tribes, towns, habi
tations. churches, agriculture, ship
ping, fisheries, transportation and in
dustries.
Volume ii is devoted to statistics Of
population, the greater part of he vol
ume being occupied by tables presen
ing the population by islands, pro
vinces and different statistical comhi
nations. In the analysis of these TIA
bles the conditions of the Philippines
with those of other countries are com
pared, particularly the United States
Porto Rico and Cuba. The total pop
~ulation of the archipelago as returned
from 342 independent islands is 1885,
426. OF this number almost eve mil
lion are more or less civilized. The
wild tribes are practically all adher
ents to the catholic church. The Nor
os are Monammedans and the Other
wild peoples have no recognized relig
ious beliefs.
The total population, according tc
the most reliable authorities, is a lit
tie more than 4 times as great as il
was 100 years ago. During the same
period that of the United States multi
piled almost fifteen times. The Cxcess
Of birth rate over death rate in the
Philippines has been large in spite OF
sudden and great losses as a rcsul,
of epidemics of various diseases.
At the date of the census there were
1862 schools in the archipelago, ar
average of 3 for each municipality. Of
these, SIS per cent were public, about
33 per cent We're private, and the re
mainder were under the control of the
Roman Catholic church. OF the tota
enrolment 90 per cent was reported
for the primary schools. There are, in
deed, only two institutions devoted tc
higher education. Five per cent of the
civilized population of the Philippine
islands is enrolled in the schools. This
proportion is only a little over one
fourth Of hat of the United States
but it represents practically a two
years growth, as the school system
may be said to have commenced with
American occupation. Onesixth of all
children of school age are enrolled,
and three-fourths of that number are
in the public schools. The attendance
Is 62.5 per cent of the enrolment, as
compared with 20 per cen in the Unit.
ed States. Boys constitute three-fifths
of the pupils in the Philippines, while
in the United States the schools are
almost equally divided as to sex. Six
thousand teachers are employed, four
f1fths of whom are Filipinos, receiving
an average annual salary of 266 pesos,
equivalent to $125.O2.