Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-09-04
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the past eight years, challenges the attention,
study admiration and imitation of all lands. And
in connection with it should be studied the self
governing penal agricultural settlement on the
Island Of Palawan, which has already proved
notable success.
The army and. constabulary quarters mod
els of their kind. The building of the Young
Mems Christion association in Manila and the
one at Fort Mckinley, donated by Helen Gould,
are perfect in their equipment. There are clubs
aplenty. The stranger asks, What is this or that
fine structure? The answer may be, such
such a municipal building Yonder is for
medical research That Is the headquarters for
public works. There is the plant for the public
water supply, and there is the ice plant.
The Ayuntamento, the old Spanish capitol
building, is used for the Philippine assembly
and for the government offices. It's commodious
hall is the center Of interest as it is there that
the laws are made for the islands and their
finances regulated. Eighty Filipnos form the
assembly which may be described correspond
ing to our lower house. The commission" which
is at once senate and cabinet, consists Of four
men from the islands and Ave from the states
including the encouragement and the vicegov
ernor. Several of these men are heads of de-
partments. Ali bills passed in the assembly must
be ratified by the commission in order to be-
laws. The upper chamber has the power
OF veto. But this function is usually exercised
in the less drastic form of laying on the table
questionable measures-and leaving them there.
It goes without saying that as Americans have
charge of things there schools galore In
these, throughout the islands, 100000 pupils
gathered. Now all schools, including the parO
chial, the Jesuit and those of other religious or
ders, are under government supervision as re-
CARDS the standard Of scholarship The schools
all embracing, from the university to the
Kindergarten, including state, church. mission
boarding, charity industrial, trade and normal;
even schools for the blind and the deaf and
dumb and by no means least, for the training
of
Manila depends much for its interest and fas
cination upon the native nipa dwellings
every hand. They are scattered, keeping UP the
ever present note of contrast, among the modern
houses, or huddled, almost touching each other
on the poorest lands lined along miles Of road
in suburban barrios. Nipa is a coarse dwarf
palm of which the Filipino makes anything, from
a string basket to the house he lives in.
Like all matched construction the nipa cottage is
wonderfully picturesque. AS a rule it is raised
on posts eight ten feet above the often damp
or marshy ground and thus affords a shelter for
chickens, goats and even pigs and ponies When
these cottages are, is more and more the
case, clean in their surroundings, and have the
shade of cocoanut palms, broadleayed bananas
or plumy bamboos, with the blaze among them
of brilliant fire tree or the bloom OF a lovely
habiscus the effect is Of finished picture. This
Is heightened at dusk lights appear inside the