The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1913-05-08

schools aim to educate the orphans
and waits and are doing one of the
greatest works that is being done in
the islands today. They take in poor
children from all over, furnish them
materials, teach them how to make
laces and then pay them in cash for
the laces they make. During the
past year at one of these convent
schools the children made and sold
laces to the value of $4,000.
The question will naturally be
asked, ''What is the present stand
ing of the Filipino with regard to
literacy?' This is a question that
is rather difficult to answer. In
spite of the number of years we have
been there we have been unable to
reach but a small percentage of the
population. There are 100000 in
habitants in the islands and in our
schools we have never had more than
100000 pupils enrolled. The Fill
pino upon the arrival of the Ameri-
cans in the islands possessed very
little standing with regard to liter
acy, perhaps 80 per cent of the popu-
]ation could neither read nor write.
That percentage has been reduced
until at the present time, I believe
it is safe to say that not more than
As per cent of the entire population
is illiterate. The reason the Ameri-
cans have not reached more of the
Filipinos is entirely for lack of funds.
The agriculture of the Philippine
islands is at present in a very poor
condition. The island that is under
cultivation is producing only about
one-half of what it really should pro-
duce, and the cultivated land repre-
sents a very small percentage of the
land which could be placed under
cultivation. What we need is mod
ern machinery and plenty of it, with
American capital to come in and de-
velop the country.
The climate of the Philippine
islands is not so bad as people are
sometimes led to believe. We have
two seasons, known as the wet and
dry. During the months of March,
April and May, known as the hot
season, the temperature generally
hangs about 100 degrees, and some
times goes down as low as 60 This
is our Warmest season in the Philip
pine islands, and during this season
most of the government employees go
to Baguio, which is the summer cap
ital and is located high up in the
mountains. The rains begin in June
and last until November. During
this period we have almost constant
rain storms in the islands, and a
large part of the country is under
water much of the time. Frequently
there are floods that destroy entire
cities. The storms known as the
baguios are something fierce, and the
destruction of Cebu in the southern
islands this year was perhaps the
greatest calamity we have had in
the islands for years. Fires are very
frequent in the Philippine towns due
to the fact that most of the houses
are constructed of bamboo. 4 fire
once started is extinguished only
when there are no more houses to
burn.
The home life of the Filipino is
simple and in many respects beauti-
full. The poor live in huts that are
not fit habitation for human beings.
The middle class have houses made
of bamboo and wood and the rich
live in beautiful residences. They
are great lovers of home, and nearly
all have large families. The respect
the Filipino has for old age is per-
haps one of the most beautiful
things in their lives. They are hos
pitable, kind, generous, honest, and
a traveller going through the Philip
pines will find a home in every house
at which he stops. The people are
polite and courteous, and there is
nothing left undone for the comfort
of an American or foreigner travel
ing in that country.
The Filipino is great on politics
and quite percentage of them
work overtime at this nuisance.
They all desire independence because
their leaders. or the people whom we
commonly call agitators, have
preached this ever since the Ameri-
can occupation. I do not believe
that the Filipino is fitted for indie
pendence now nor that he will be
prepared for independence within
the near future. I believe, with
many of the better class Filipinos,
that the development of the Philip
pine islands must come from the out
side, and that the future depends
entirely upon American capital and
American control.