Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-24
The PHILIPPINES.
M.-Roads and Bridges.
By Frederic j. Haskin.

One Of the important usees to which
Americans are putting Philippine labor
and Philippine money is in the construc-
ton of roads and bridges. The Philip
pine government has been following a
definite and comprehensive program Of
construction in this regard for the past
FIVE years. When Americans took over
the archipelago there were practically
no roads and bridges worthy Of the
name, except military and strategic
highways of Spanish type. Here and
there dirt highway in fair condition
could De found in and around the provin-
cial centers. Within a few miles they
dwindled into lootpaths and mudholes.
There was not a modern bridge in the
entire archipelago. The Spanish govern
ment may have had plan of road con-
struction, but if SO 1t slept sweetly on
paper along with most of their dreams.
Up to 1906 such roads as were worthy of
the name were reduced to still further
uselessness due to hard usage and neg
lect in the instruction of 1896 % against
Spain and the insurrection against the
United States from 1899 to 1901. The
army built some new roads while it con-
trolled affairs, but the civil government
failed to keep them up.
ne nfSt eHOFt 10 Improve the SeNeTdi
road situation was made in 1904. when
the Philippine commission appropriated
$685.. 500 The following year $4,000 was
spent but in neither year were the re-
suits satisfactory to the authorities. a
road labor law was passed in 1906 This
act provided for a few days of labor
every year by the male citizens and also
made il optional for the provinces to CO.
operate The people were extremely hos
tile to the work and the Philippine Off
i'll E-nt hon he
tically nothing to help it along. Not one
provincial assembly adopted the law In
the following year the double cedula
act was passed The cedua is head
tant and this act provided for double
tax for the benefit of roads and bridges
IN the provinces. An additional source
was made available by a series of agree
ments between the insular government and
the provinces whereby the latter agreed
to maintain practically all good roads
in return for a share in the available in
sular and bridge money. This CO.
operation between the inSular govern
ment and the provincial administra tors
proved satisfactory. The people at large
now are at least passive in their accept
ance of the plan and goodly percentage
of the Filipino officials are actually en-
thusiastic over il. The waste OF money
by the American commissioners in the
economically useless Benguet road helped
cool Filipino ardor.
The Spanish roads really had no stand
ards as we know modern highway con-
Struc ion.
Spanish Used Inferior and their
Materials on Bridges. bridge build.
ing was still more Inadequate They
were of adobe and stone arch construc-
ton and the bridges were of the same
material. These bridges were Of COM
paratively short span, had unduly steep
approaches and could not bear heavy
loads. Sometimes first-class hardwood
was used but usually inferior timber;;
were put in and only few of the longer
spans were of steel. The majority of
the gullies and rivers were without
bridges. The American bridges up to 1905
were no better as rule, being temporary
structureS and few seasons Of white