The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-05-18


| found In the provinces
The Philippine general hospital At
| Manila was opened on September i.
| 1910 II has capacity Of 376 beds,
and is so planned that II may be in
creased to a .ooo-bed hospital. II n
| believed to be the best and most
! modern hospital in the Orient
! I'm addition to the government IN
I situations, there are five other fair
sized and several smaller hospitals in
! Manila. some of which the govern
( ment assists in ~, aintaining.
| SCHOOLS EVERYWHERE NOW
"a system OF public instruction has
been established, which is along prac-
teal lines, and reaches nearly every
nook and corner of the archipelago.
( It has attracted the attention OF CO.
J lonial governments in the far east, ana
several commissions visit the islands
each year for the purpose of studying
the system. InsuIar, provincial mu-
nicipal and barrio schooIhouses have
| been erected, and the opportunity for
intellectual Improvement and educA-
ton brought within the reach of rich
and poor alike. There are now in
the islands 4 7nc public schools. which
have an annual enroIlme nt of SIS, 9aS
pupils. In 1897 there were only 2. 81
schools in the islands There were
laos teachers employed in the pub
lie schools during the past year. There
was expended for educational pur-
poses last year s4,z57,11129.
During the last session Of the
Philippine legislature over Sis. 0o0.-
coo was appropriated for the extern
sion OF universal free education to
all the children OF the islands
Great progress has been made in
the spread OF the English language
among the people of the islands. To-
dav more Filipinos speak and write
some En- glish than speak and write
any other language either native or
foreign. The English language today
is more generally understood through
out the archipelago than the Spanish
language. Notwithstanding Spain had
been in possession of the islands for
more than 300 years.
ENGLISH COMMON TONGUE
1T is also true that traveller in
the islands can, with a knowledge OF
the English language only. communi-
cate with people In all parts Of the
archipelago much morc readily than
/ can a native Filipino who speaks only
/ his native dialect and relatively few
/ Filipinos have ever been able to speak
native dialect other than their own.
| "A pure impartial and upright ju-
/ dietary has been created and an anti
Quated method of judicial procedure.
| which prolonged litigation and ruined
litigants with the laws delay, has
been replaced by one which secures
/ 20 ali who diligently seek fts aid q
fair hearing with out favor and Justice
| without price.
Persons accused Of crime have
been granted the advantage Of
n~tng Immediately informed OF the
charges against them, the privilege Of
a speedy trial and the right to b
| confronted with the witnesses against
| them at every stage of the proceed
ings.
Means have been pruvfd ed where
by the people may acquire the public
domain by lease. homestead or sale.
and procedure supplied to perfect
| their titles to portions OF the public
domain held by them without con-
.veyance from the state, and by no
niger right than that Of long posses
sion.
TAX BURDEN EQUAILZED.
The system of taxation which i'm
posed upon the poor and weak almost
The entire charges of governm emit has
been abolished, and for 1t there has
been substituted a revenue syst EN-
which is so distributed as TO make
every citizen carry his fair share OF
the burdens which every civilized
people must bear for the sake Of gov
eminent
Under similar conditions the
taxes are now the same for all who
reside in the Philippines, and the an
moving distinctions and discretions
formerly prevailing as to taxes and
contributions exacted from Spanish
and native citizens, from citizens OF
the half-hlood and from Chinese and
! European residents have been entire
! ~ removed and abolished
For a tiuctuaing and variable me
dunn of exchange which made trade
n gam bling game and imposed heavy
losses on the great mass of consum-
ers, made up largely of the poor and
the struggling. there has been substt-
tuted a stable currency and = settled
measure OF value.
THE policy has been estabrshed Of
constructing public buildings. Al well
as bridges and walls OF durable ma
teriai preferably reinforced concrete
in order that the work may endure
The harbor OF Manila was an open
roadstead. in bay thirty miles wide,
There Is now quiet harbor be-
hind fine breakwater, with \ basin
dredged thirty-one feet deep. with
piers where large ocean steamers can
run alongside, making It one OF the
finest har bors in the Orient
MANILA HARBOR IMPROVED.
The harhor works cost more than
| So 900. 600 Freight is handled on
these piers with modern devices in
stead OF slow. primitive methods
which formerly existed Inside the
piers is electrical railway connection
which Is intended to ship freight from
the pier all over the city of Manila
whence 1t Is taken by rail or by good
roads to the provinces.
Improvements have been made 1T
| the ports of Iloilo and Cobu to the
extent OF $500, 900.
The city of Manila has been beau
tilted and so improved in its sanitary
condition that the mortuary and
health statistics now very favorably
compare with many Of our American
cities The city has been provided
with a plentiful supply of pure water,
free from all danger of contamina-
ton. at cost of $2.500oo0. and a
modern sewerage system ha. been
constructed for removing the filth and
foulness Of large city at cost of
81, 900. 900
ron American occupation Of the
Philippine Islands there existed one
railroad. that from Manila to Dagu-
pan, approximately 100 miles in