Omaha daily bee., 1912-02-18
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iues OF the philippines. II will
not discuss the feelings Of tn,
HlStTfI people, nor deal with their sbl
49, ity or non-abllity to rule. Il
IL business letter and treats of bushes.
conditions. l want to show you something
Oh the changes which have taken place In
the Islands during the last twelve years
When l travelled over them in 1899 the
chief method Of transportation was an or
cart with solid wooden wheels as big
around as the top OF kitchen table and
rims so narrow that they cut like a knife.
Italf the year the roads were rivers of
mud and the other half they were ruts.
There was very few roads The only high
ways through the mountains were trails.
ana ! found that the people of one To-
CAVITY had almost nothing to do with their
neighbors over the hills ten miles away.
As soon as Uncle Sam took hold he be-
gan TO build roads. lie got the people to
building them, and there Is now a good
roads movement throughout the whole
archipelago. II started with building
short sections, but the work is being done
after great SYSTEM and IL viii In time
form network covering the Islands. The
insular movement is offering prizes TO
the provinces 10 stimulate road building
il gives a prize Of 1850 each year to the
one that constructs the greatest number
of kilometers Of first class roads and
keeps its old roads In condition. 1t has
a second prize Of $500 for the province
which stands next, and third one OF
E.5oo for the one which gives most to the
road and bridge funds during the twelve
months preceding.
Four Thousand Miles of New Roads.
As the result Of such work done by the
insnlar government with the aid OF the
municipalities several thousand miles of
good roads are now opened and in excel
lent condition. There are go miles OF
first class highways which are heavily
surfaced, and over which automobiles can
run as well as over the best roads of the
United States. There are 3.lOO miles which
have been built blythe municipalities, and
there are thousands of miles of trails
through the mountainous sections.
The general management OF the good
roads movement is under the bureau OF
pubic works. That bureau has LOO men
In its technical and clerical positions and
1t has a road working army OF more than
eDeg laborers. The bureau has mapped
out great scheme of roads covering the
Islands. Each island has its own prob
lens. but there are to be chief roads con-
Meeting the provincial capitals and cities
with branch roads extending out to the
smaller towns and important villages.
The trunk lines are expected to be COM
pleted within the next five years and
work on the branch roads, having a
length Of 300 miles or more, will be car
ried on with it. During the present year
the road and bridge funds available will
probably exceed 100000. The work is
going on in twenty-nine OF the thirty-one
Christian provinces, and ferries and
bridges are planned everywhere.
The archipelago has been divided up
into road divisions, and these divisions
into districts. Every district has its own
engineers and they report TO the division
engineers, who get their orders from the
board Of public works at Manila. Most
of the designing is done at Manila, the
bureau furnishing plans and specifications
for all bridges and culverts.
Keeping Up the Roads.
These new roads are better maintained
than those Of the United States. Each
of the provinces has a road fund, taken
out Of the provincial treasury. and every
mile OF road has one or more men en-
ployed to keep it in order. The road man
has shovels and picks, and he spends all
his time on the highway.
The people are now spending about
in he aai 81
hood of 500 a mile, a year in keeping up
the first class roads. The head man Of
each division makes a special inspection
Of such roads, and the division engineers
go over them every two weeks. AS it is,
nearly 1900 bridges have been built since
1877.
The most important Of the new roads
now under construction are in Luzon.
There are two principal projects. one is
a wide automobile road running from
Manila to the northwestern end OF the
island. and the other is a second road
from the capital TO SorsogOn, in Albay,
at the southeastern end. When these
are completed one will be able to travel
in an automobile posthaste from one end
OF Luzon to the other.
Already there is an excellent automo-
bile road from Manila TO Baguio, the
summer capital, and there is regular
automobile service between the two
places. This carried 500 or coo passen-
gers last year. The automobiles also
transport mail and freight.
am told the new roads have greatly
improved the condition OF the localities
through which they 20. They are having
the same effect as the building Of new
o railroad in the United States. Villages
are springing up along them, new farmJ
have been laid out and blacksmith shol.