New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-20
Advocates Of Immediate indie.
pendenCe of Islands Are Find
ing Difficulty in Solving 1t.
s2O PROJECTS UNDER WAY
Will Take twenty-five Years to
Complete Necessary High.
ways, Says Insular Blu
reau Statement.
from The Tribune Bureau. I

FROM Inc Tribune Bureau.
Washington, oct. 19.-The continuation
Of the policy adopted by the present gov
eminent in the Philippines of building ex-
tensive public Improvements throughout
the islands, schoolhouses, roads, bridges,
municipal markets. water systems ferries
and lighting plants, is one of the problems
which the advocates of immediate indie
pendence are finding difficulty in solving.
The present government, through the
Bureau Of Public Works. has established
public Improvements throughout the ISL
ands contributing TO a marked extent to
the prosperity which they now enjoy.
These vary in cost from $3.50 to $3.50, 900,
and so per cent Of them are constructed
by the administration itself, private con-
tractors refusing to submit bids on the
hazardous undertakings.
The smallest number OF active projects
IN any one Of the regularly organized
provinces inhabited by the Christianized
Fflipinos on April /, 1913" says a state
nent Of the Bureau Of Insular Affairs OF
the War Department, issued to-day, was
three and the largest thirty-two.
Nearly one-half the total number was
connected with road and bridge improve
nents. The list included ninety-six new
school houses and thirty-four municipal
markets, public buildings, water systems,
parks. ferries, an electric light plant ana
two telephone systems.
rs Years Work Ahead on Roads.
at has been said that although cur
rent expenses have been cut to provide
money for public works IT will take
twenty-five years at the present rate to
bring about the highway improvements
needed to-day. These roads. the best CT
them being fully equal to any park roads
in the United States. have been one of
the great factors in the very marked in
crease OF prosperity during the last few
years Hundreds Of communities are in
urgent need of school houses, for which
no funds are available. and il will neces-
sarily be several years at the present rate
Of construction before the schools are at
all generally housed in permanent buili-
ings.
'Tn undermining public improvements
IN the Philippine Islands the Insular Blu
reau Of Public Works has found il ad-
visable in order to keep its widely scat
tered engineers, surveyors and other tech
meal employees in touch with the general
progress o, work. to issue a quarterly
bulletin. The latest number contains an
interesting summary by the Acting Direc-
tor Z. J. Westerhouse, in which he says:
"Public works projects in the prov
inces OF the Philippine Islands are OF an
extremely diversified nature. They are
distributed over sixty islands and groups
Of islands. Labor conditions and trans
portation facilities differ n each case.
many Of the projects being accessible
only with the greatest of difficulty This
In a large measure accounts for the fact
that private contracting firms are bidding
on less than % per cent Of the public
works problems. The Bureau Of Public
Works is consequently called upon 10 con-
struct by administration those projects
not readily accessible. representing so per
cent Of the whole, on which no advan-
tageous bids are received.
Government Contract Agency.
ITO accomplish this end, the bureau
has been constituted a government con-
tract agency. executing the work on a
percentage Of the actual cost basis, fixed
ats per cent for insular projects and
ger cent for provincial and municipal
projects. These percentages cover the
cost OF administration for the central or
ganization Of the bureau.
The engineering expenses OF the dis
trict organization for each province are
covered in a like manner, the percentage
being governed by local provincial condi-
tons. with an average OF 7 per cent. The
district organization is charged with the
actual execution of all work, the district
engineer representing the director of pup
lie works
"'The average number OF projects ac-
tive at any one time for the thirty-one
engineering districts is approximately
go. This is equivalent TO twenty projects
which the district engineer has in active
operation every day in the year. Each
project represents an expenditure OF from
$3.50 TO s25O. 900. with the responsibility In
most cases the same many OF them ac-
eessible only at the expense OF conslcer-
able time and energy.
Were the district engineer TO give
each project the time required for investi-
cation and inspection in keeping with
good engineering practice. the twenty
four hours Of the day would be more than
occupied His responsibility not only in
wolves correct location, sufficient design
and economical prosecution OF construc-
ton work. but also includes cost account
ing property accountability in its Sc
Ferest form and a multitude OF admins
ration matters