The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-28
Stress Being Laid on Native
 Industries
COST IS VERY SMALL
Among the Things Taught Are Car pentry, Cabinet Making, Bas- ketry, Straw Braiding
 and Hat Making
nr E. (. STEIN AIT

Washington December N.-tSpecial.)-- An exhibition of the work done in the Philippine island schools under the oirec- ton of the bureau of education of the islands has been set up temporarily in the southeast gallery of the old building of the National museum. and will be open to the public for several weeks.
 This exhibit was originally prepared for the Lake Mohonk conference of friends of the Indian and dependent peoples, held sat Mohonk Lake, New York; and is un- dor the charge of George N. Briggs, a member of the bureau of education of Manila. It's main object is to demon- strate the wealth of native material in the Philippines, available for industrial use, and that the bureau of education is teaching the natives to use their own val uahle resources.
 Along Practical Lines
 The education is mainly along practical lines, especial stress being laid on the na- tive industries and the utilization of na- tive grown materials. New industries are being developed, which will make use of new and hitherto unemployed native raw materials In the schools only the most practical and salable objects are made. Although formerly the natives had sev- eral arts and industries of their own, they were not always managed on prac- tiea basis; materials were imported to manufacture articles and textiles which could have been made of local material and supplies, and which are, in many cases, far superior to the materials for merly used. Great credit is due the Americans for teaching the Filipinos how to employ home products for the manu- facture of articles with both a local and foreign commercial value. This applies not only to textiles made from the fibers Of Philippine plants, but also to baskets, which are constructed from rattan, bam- boo. pineapple and several other fbers and barks. There are on exhibition many fine specimens of cloth, embroidery, bas- ketry, etc, made according to native de- signs and those suggested by the Amer ican teachers. Through the medium of a sales agency in Manila, a market is found for the work turned out by the schools. Al the last exhibition in 1912 at Manila. after the finished work was sold. more or- ders were received than could possibly be filled in the coming year.
 Among Industries Taught
 Among the industries taught in the Phil ippine schools are carpentry, cabinet malx- ing, basketry, straw braiding and hal making, sandal and slipper. making. weay. ] ing, embroidery, etc. Household economy and domestic science are featured in the schools and large school of household industries has been established at Ma n1la, The course in housekeeping is a comprehensive one, ranging from the pri- mary through the high school grades and designed not to revolutionize the ideas and methods in Filipino homes, but to grad1l- ally better them where opportunity per mits.
 The Vkhibit in the museum includes specimens of a large number of the text books used, covering the subjects of read lng. writing, arithmetic, English, geog- raphy, history, zoology, domestic arts, etc It is interesting to note that while the books are patterned after similar texts in the United states, they are made suit able for the native schools by the use of local color. names of persons and familiar objects. In the primer for example. the native proper names are found: native fruits, animals and traditions are men, toned, and altogether the books are par- tlcularly appropriate for the Philip pines
 Physical culture is taught. as are all sports among which baseball seems de- cidedly the most popular, having practi- cally been adopted as the national game Of the islands.
 Cost Is Very Small
 Much information is gleaned from the qiff nh ,,.1e. <l played, concerning the statistics of these remarkably rich islands. With a popu- lation of 1885, ,426, in 1908, there are be- tween 100000 and 500000 children in the public schools, while about 100000 still remain to be provided for In 1903 there were 2233 schools all primary, but in 1911 there were 3364 primary, 2Ss intermedi- ate. 3S secondary and 3S training schools Out of Il total of over 9000 teachers S27s are native and the remaining ones Amer icaf The school buildings are all modern 1 in design and mostly of concrete and steel, making excellent sanitary ouar. l ters for the students. In comparison tc the per capita cost for scholars in the 1 United States, the Filipino students cost the local government a little over one. tenth the expense incurred in the United States. The exhibit showing the fine work done by the bureau of education. i. all the more significant when it is remem. bered that the United States Congress makes no appropriation for the Philip pines, and in 1910 the revenues were Sa6, l 736, ,450
 ] An American scholar who has tray. eled extensively and studied tho prob ' lem of social conditions is said to hay, remarked to President Taft that our gov. ernment was doing the most interesting and most promising piece of origina l work education in
 where in the world" This is readily ac corded when the exhibit is examined anc tho wonderful results are realized. ] LAND FOR NAVAL