The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-18

icopyright, 1912, by Frank c. Car
 penter.)
 Washington, D. C. " HIS letter has nothing to do with
 the politics of the Philippines l It will not discuss the feelings of the people, nor deal with their abll- itv or non ability to rule. It is pus- mess letter and treats of business con ditions l want to show you some thing of the changes which have taken place in the islands during the past 12 years. When 1 travelled over them fin 1899 the chief method of transporta- a. tion was an OK cart with solid wooden wheels as big around as the top or e kitchen table and rims so narrow that they cut like knife Haif the year the roads were rivers or mud anu the other half they were runts. There were very few roads. The only high ways through the mountains were trails and I found that the people of one io- cality had almost nothing to do with their neighbors over the hills l9 miles away.
 As soon as Uncle Sam took hold he began to build roads. He got the peo- pie to building them. and there is now q good roads movement throughout the whole archipelago. 1t started with building short sections, but the work is being done after great system and 1t will in time form network covering the islands. The insular gov ernment Is offering prizes 10 the prov inees to stimulate road building. Ii gives prize of s7500 each year to the one that constructs the greatest number of kilometers of first class roads and keeps its old roads in con dition. It has a second prize of $5009 for the province which stands next and a third one of s25oo for the one which gives most to the road and bridge funds during the l2 months pre- ceding.
 Four Thousand Miles of New Roads As the result of such work done bs the insular government with the aid of the municipa alities several thousand miles of good roads are now opened and in excellent condition. There arc 300 miles of first class highways which are heavily surfaced and over which automobiles can run as well as over the hest roads of the United states. There are s1oO miles which have been built by The municipalities and there are thous- ands of miles of trails through the mountainous sections,
 The general management of the good roads movement is under the bureau oi public works. That bureau has li0O mer in it's technical and clerical positions ano 1t has road working army of more thar p.oo) laborers. The bureau has mapped out great scheme of roads covering inc 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 completed within the next five years and work or the branch roads. having a length of 300 miles or more, will be carried on with it. During the present year the road and bridge zfunds available will probably ex' ceed s3.oo000o. yhe work is going on ir e9 of the 3l Christian provinces, and fer rIes and bridges are planned everywhere The archipelago has been divided up into road divisions. and these divisions into districts Every district has it's own en giueers and they report to the division en gineers, who get their orders from the board of public works at Manila. Mos