New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-01


root OF the ultimate zero!
There are, however. some statistics
which appeal TO reason and which
spring from other sources than hyper
trophied imagination. We have seen
from such that the Philippines cost us
originally nothing TO acquire and are
costing US nothing 10 maintain. In
, fact, there ia E. balance of something
like Sf.50O.000 in the islands favor
which they have contributed TO our eX-
penses and which we have not repaid.
II will be pertinent and profitable TO
recall some OF the things which We
have done for the islands, without pc
cuniarv cost TO ourselves. Let US con-
slider the record from 1899, or in some
cases later dates, down 10 1913, so as
not 70 intrude upon the period marked
with the disturbances OF the war OF the
nations or upon the present Admins
tration. with its radical change OF pol
lev in and toward the Islands.
The imports of the islands have IN
creased from sl3,ll6,567 TO S56,32I ,o53'
or about $50 per cent. The exports
hav. increased from $l4,64o,i 1852 TO $685.
6sS.326, or 265 per cent. Thus the
total external trade has increased fror
So, 756.729 to Sl1O,0l0,S59, or 2sb per
cent. in fourteen years. Ihere are
those who wish that our own trace
might grow at like ratio. meantime
,be customs collections have increased
from s3.lO6.3S0 to sS,246,026, or 100
ner cent; less rapidly than the volume
of commerce, of course, because Oh the
froe trade between the islands ana the
United States. l.
No less noteworthy mas been tho de-
velonment of domestic intercourse. ne
coastwise tonnage OF the isIands mas
crown from 237.s52 20 l,32o,369 tons,
nv l5e per cent. That the commerce
carried has similarly increased may De
taken as granted. To facilitate TINS
irter.insllar trade the number OF miles
~ coas, surveyed has been increased
from only 80 in 1901 10 ll,I4s. no less
,ban 1870 per cent; and the NUMBER o.
lighthouses maintained mas peeh III
creased from 81 TO l46, or loo per cent
Nor have land commerce an. ana com
munication been neglected. Inc nllie,
age of railroads in operation mas peen
Increased from l22 in 1907 TO OIL, OF
400 per cent. Passengers or the street
railroads Of Manila have increased III
numbers from l0,527,9O2 IN l9oo 10
2017s.423. or 81 per cent. nc iiIlIe
aoc Of first class roads has grown from
ia IN 1907 20 |. 1903, or $50 per cent
To carry these across the rugged coun-
try tho number Of bridges and culverts
hos heen increased from 3,2sO tc o,ooV'
or 70 pcr cent. Postoffice receipts have
crown from Sll7,S4s to s3sO,Y'2, or
s5i ner cent; and telegraph receipts
from S11836O in 1907 TO s2o3,3Oo, or
l39 per cent. ,;l
All this naturally indicates consld-
.rable growth in business In tie ISL
snds. OF which an index is afforded IN
tho internal revenue system, which col
Iects a percentage tax OF business
From 1906 10 1913 the receipts from
Tho. tav increased from S666,9oo 70
S11taAT6. and the volume Of business
mon which il was levied grew IN me
same time from S200,09s,983 70 $3.50
$40 600. or between 81 and CS per cent,
a reasonably healthy growth IN seven
wears. Meantime, it may Be Observed
The total receipts of internal revenue
rose , from s4,434,96A to s9,o35,922. or
ioA ncr cent. The total resources OIL
tho commercial banks likewise IN
ceased from si5,35l $50 in 1906 TO
SCI .2fO,l77 in 1913. or lo4 per cent
The achievements of American ad-
ministration In the Philippines have
not. however, been confined TO cum
mercc and business. Even more re-
markable have been those directed toW-
ard the physical health and mental I'M
provement of the people. Sanitation
and education are too large topics TO be
treated in detail within the compass OF
this article. but few salient points
may be touched upon in passing
Sixteen years ago smallpox was per
cnnislly endemic and the yearly death
roll from il was conseryatlvely estl-
mated at 10000. Since 1903 more than
! : 900. 900 systematic vaccinations have
been performed, with the result that
the number OF deaths has steadily
dwindled. until in 1913 it was only 1923
in the entire archipelago, while in the
city Of Manila there had not been
single case i'm five years. Cholera was
another perennial scourge. its victims
sometimes numbering 100000 year,
which was not 10 be wondered at, see
ing that there were only two artesian
wells in the whole archipelago. that
the surface wells were half well and
half cesspool and that Manila itself
drew its water supply directly from
river which, upstream from the intake,
was at once the common washtub,
bahtub and sewer of several populous
towns. All that has been changed. The
Manila supply is now better than New
York's and infinitely better than New
York's would be if the Westchester
County lakes had their shores lined
with the hospitals. asylums and what
not which some people seem frantically
eager 10 place there, and the number of
artcsian wells has been increased to-
$50. or al 400 per ceat. In all. some
thing like s9,630.000 was spent on sani-
tation down TO 1913. In that year the
average death rate for the provinces
was only 2l53 TO the thousand inhab-
tants. while in the American population
OF Manila II was only s.42.
The official handbook on education in
the Philippines which was given out at
the Panama-Pacihc Exposition spoke Of
the growth IN enrolment in public
schools from practically nothing in
1898 10 more than 900 at the pres.
cnt time" That is somewhat vague, II
not perhaps exaggerated. Trustworthy
statistics show that In 1903 the enrol
ment WAS 10000. and that in 1924
il was about 10000. I'm the same pc
Rod the number of schools was dou-
blcd. from 1000 to 1000. no fewer than
! 900 now ones being opened IN 1913 by
Governor Forbes. The total number Of
GRADUATES from public schools. primary.
intermediate and secondary in the year
1907 '0S was 6,0l6. and in l9l3-1i /.
was 2O.96s; AN increase in \ years Of
2is per cent. The total expenditures
for education in the period Of Ameri-
can administration, down to 1918. were