Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-18

are put up at the crOSSWayS, to make
broad-ttred cart wheels.
AS to the railroads. the government has
been slow In granting concessions for
them. Indeed it is a question whether it
has not been too slow. We have now had
the islands over twelve years, and at the
present writing We have not more than
LOCO miles of railroad This is true not
Withstanding the population numbers
100000 and that the country is about
the richest Of the world.
In this estimate l include both electric
and steam roads. There are about 400
miles of railroads being operated in
Luzon. There are 70 miles in Panay and
50 miles in Cebu. In addition something
like $40 miles more are in projection and
construction. and these when completed
will give lines covering the principal is
lands. 1t would seem that electric roads
might do we'll in the Philippines. The
mountain streams should furnish cleo
tr.c power and many parts of the island :
are so thick1y populated that the roads
will pay well.
President Taft says that the chief hope
for profit in the railways is the passenger.
traffic, but when one considers the enor-
NOUS possibilities in tobacco rice sugar.
hemp and other heavy crops it is hard
to sec why tho freight traffic would not
pay equally well.
When we took possession OF the islands
the only road was n line 12o miles long
running from Manila north to Dagupall
through valley covered with rice and
sugar plantations. | rode through that
region keeping my head we'll away from
the windows. which were occasionally ep-
pered by the shots of the bandits who hid
in the bamboo clumps here and there.
The road was poorly built and poorly
managed. being owned by the English.
That road has been reconstructed and so
extended that it opens up the northern
part of Luzon. 1t has good traffic and
is said to pay well.
1t is now sending out branches into
southern Luzon, into Batangas. Tayabas,
and other provinces. The Visayan Islands
are being opened up by the Philippine
Railway Company. several roads being
under construction in Cebu and Panay.
Roads have also been planned for the
Island of Negros.
A great deal of work is going on in bet
tering the water transportation of the
Philippines, ard the shipping has greatly
increased There are now more than 154
steamers engaged in the coasting trade:
and there are four or five hundred sailing
vessels and boats which ply from island
to island Modern methods of handling
freight have been introduced. and sea
going vessels can load and unload with
safety at moderate expense. The haTbor
have been deepened, ard ships drawing
thirty feet can now come into Manila. y
new custom house has been built there and
a great deal has been spent on the harbor
Lighthouses have been erected alons
most of the coasts throughout the islands.
When We took possession there were only
twenty-seven Lights in operation. There
are now 139 and in addition 33 beacons
and 126 buoys. The waterways Of the
interior have also been dredged and many
of the rivers and creeks which We're I'M
used in the past are now navigated and
carry considerable freight.
AS to the postal and telegraph services,
they have been thoroughly reorganized.
All the chief cities have a free delivery,
and there are now in operation in the
neighborhood OF COO post offices, connect
ed with which are 223 postal savings
banks. These banks were established be-
fore We began to have them in the
United States, and their deposits are fast
approaching million. They have now
1900 separate accounts, and the number
CT depositors is increasing. During the
past year forty-two new banks were es-
tablished.
As to the telegraph, its lines are every
where. There are more than 400 stations
with $500 miles of wire, and the rates
are. lower than those of the United
States. The foreign cable service has
been increased, and one can now send
messages over different lines to all parts