(10) That the work of the coast and geodetic survey, light-house service, and quarantine service be borne by the United States Government, and that a topographical survey of the islands be made by the United States Government.

REPORT OF THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF THE PHILIPPINE

ISLANDS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1905 AND

OTHER STATED PERIODS.

WAR 1905-VOL 10- -6

81

REPORT OF THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1905 AND OTHER STATED PERIODS.

MANILA, P. I., November 1, 1905.

GENTLEMEN: I have the honor to lay before the Commission the following report of the various provincial governments and the several bureaus and offices which report directly to me. Unless otherwise stated, this report is intended to cover the fiscal year 1905.

PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS.

It is not deemed necessary here to give an abstract of the reports of the provincial governors. With the exceptions of the reports of the governors of those provinces hereinafter referred to which have been the scene of more or less disorder during the year, they give an interesting account of the internal affairs of their provinces. It may be said that while here and there there have been the usual vicissitudes of weather and crops, on the whole there have been slow but unmistakable evidences of general improvement. More land has been cultivated than during the preceding year and prospects for bountiful crops in most provinces are unusually bright, with the exception of the Visayan Islands, which suffered from a protracted drought extended into what is ordinarily the rainy season, and which resulted in very considerable damage to all food crops, with much consequent distress to the people. The drought was especially severe in the island of Cebu, and its consequences were correspondingly severe for the inhabitants. This island, in proportion to size, is the most densely populated in the archipelago. Its soil is not as rich nor its resources as great as those of many of the other islands of equal or less size. As a consequence, as can be readily understood, considerable suffering is necessarily entailed by even a partial failure of crops. In order to minimize the suffering as much as possible, the insular government loaned considerable sums of money to the province and inaugurated public works for the purpose of meeting the pressing necessities of the people. By this means starvation in many instances was prevented, and the bountiful rains which fell in June and July enabled corn and other quick-growing crops to be planted by the people, and thus they have been relieved of all danger of famine. In the other Visayan Islands, while the injury to the hemp and cocoanuts because of the drought was very considerable, still no real suffering has