The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-03-10
AGUINALDo, THE FARMER.
Former Rebel Leader Is An Example of
Changed Conditions,

Aguinaldo, erstwhile rebel leader, en-.
| gagged in farming and in the manufacture
OF special brand of hemp braid for
hats, is the enticing picture of Philip
pine industrial conditions drawn by j. c.
/ Mnerman, formerly division school super
intendent of Cebu, p l., now rural
school specialist in the United States
bureau of education. Aguinaldo's peace
full pursuit is typical of the change that
has taken place in the Philippines during
the past few years.
| Mr. Muerman describes entertainngly
the remarkable educational advance in
the islands since the day the first Ameri-
can teachers disembarked from the u.
s. Transport Thomas dozen years
ago. Unhampered by academic tradition,
and face to face with problems of edu-
cation that Were as big as civilization
itself, these educators and those who fol-
lowed them have gradually developed
system of Filipino schools under the
Filipino teachers that is rapidly trans
forming the social and industrial life of
the islands.
Compulsory industrial training, fitted
for the needs of everyday Filipino life, is
the most distinctive feature of the island
schools. The Americans have carefully
studied the possibilities of the valuable
raw materials abundantly at hand in
the islands, and are able to show the FIJI
ipinos how to make the most of them.
Every Filipino school boy is required to
do certain amount of work with native
woods and fibres; everyone must learn TO
till the soil by actually doing it in the
school garden and in plat of his own
and every Filipino school girl is taught
certain essentials of sewing and other
home making arts. All the children in |
the schools are obliged to pass through |
this period of elementary training in the |
everyday tasks of life
Most significant in the scheme of in |
dustrial education is the recent estab- |
lishment of the Philippine school of I
industries. Two hundred wom-
en- from different parts of the islands
were brought together at Manila, shown
how to adapt their native skill in en-
Droidery and lace making to the demands
If foreign markets, and then sent back
% their homes to form centers OF indus
rial progress in their own communities.
The government has established sales
agency to dispose of the commodities
.hus produced. and so far the demand
las greatly exceeded the supply. One
Filipino woman who was trained in the
lew school has 500 women working UNI
Ter her and is receiving from firms in
he United States orders for thousands
# embroidered shirt waists and hand
Tchiefs. The beautiful pima cloth made
rom pineapple, is one product to which
peeial attention is paid Before the
americans came this cloth sold for from
0 to 80 cents yard; the demand for
is now such that it brings from 81 so
o 50 a yard.
THE hardest thing American teachers
4 the Philippines have to contend with
avs Mr.. Muerman. sis the American
pirit of hustle and hustle. The Amer
an is in too much haste. He wants to |
et everything done at once He tries
} overturn in few weeks the traditions
centuries. And vet, coming into a |,
,untry where the ideal tends to be that
Manana-never do to-day what you
IN by any possibility put off till TO-
has really made astonish-
q Roadway in Transforming the Phil q
ppines into country of to-day, where /
.>igs move with something like Amer s
an hurry. The old folks shake their
ads and sigh for the good old times, .
IT the young people, boys and girls n
ike, are glad to take advantage Of the :.
ore efficient methods. They play Amer :
an games and accept the educational Q
portunities offered them with equal b
and il is through them that u
e new Filipino civilization is making
way irresistibly.
"Agninaldo with his hemp weaving and
rieulture may be a less heroic figure
an the willy general who for so long
ided the American armies. Just as IN
an streets and city high schools some pl
" makes less noise in the concert Of Is
. powers than the roar of guns in vi
-hils hay; but when the real history ri
humanity j. written, IL can scarcely VI
We untold the story Of the unselfsh pr
orts Of America % carry the light Of vi
loation to the Philippines" SCI