small part of the proceeds of their robberies. These suspicions are founded on the fact that many men of good standing and reputation in the pueblos have often been known to defend cattle thieves from the action of the police and give bonds for their release when captured. With regard to this point, I am thinking of transmitting to the honorable Philippine Commission, through your good offices, a report suggesting the measures which I believe should be adopted to put a stop to this evil.

HEALTH.

The province of Cagayan is surrounded by a triple mountain chain of exuberant vegetation and has a milder climate than the other provinces; however, malaria is a very common disease here, though it very easily yields to treatment. Among the poor people its consequences are most serious, either because of their inability to pay for proper medical assistance or on account of the bad sanitary condition in which they live and the insufficiency of their food.

The smallpox broke out afresh about the month of May in the pueblo of Aparri, but thanks to the energetic methods adopted it was at once localized and stamped out.

Bronchitis, diarrhea and enteritis, consumption, and chronic rheumatism are common diseases here, though they no not cause many deaths. There is no doubt that one of the great factors favoring the development of these diseases and their fatal consequences is to be found in the manner of living among the natives of this province, particularly the poor and working classes.

ADMINISTRATIVE CONDITIONS.

In dealing with this topic I must inform you that all of the municipalities of the province are provided with so-called municipal police, which in many pueblos are insufficient, especially in Aparri and Tuguegarao, considering the population of these towns and the extent of territory they cover.

With regard to its organization the municipal police leaves much to be desired. For this reason the provincial board passed a resolution at a session held June 22, 1904, to petition the honorable Philippine Commission by telegraph for the appointment of an officer of constabulary temporarily to take charge of the instruction and organization of the police in all of the municipalities. But as regards their administration and mobilization I believe that they should be under the control of the municipal presidents, as otherwise the latter would find themselves without a force to maintain order in the pueblos in certain cases, and it would be a restriction of their authority to have to be subordinate to any deputy of the chief of constabulary. And, moreover, these deputies are to be fouud in only a few of the pueblos of the province.

It is impossible for the municipal police as at present organized to comply as they ought to with their duties, as the majority of them are ignorant, uneducated men, without a knowledge of the duties expected of them; consequently, it becomes absolutely necessary that they should be reorganized and trained. I must call your attention, honorable sir, to the necessity of increasing the number of police, at least for the present, in the pueblos of Tuguegarao and Aparri, but according to information received from the municipal presidents of these towns it is impossible for them to maintain a larger number of police with municipal funds, for which reason it would be advisable that these pueblos be assisted for a while with provincial funds in order that the number of police absolutely necessary for the security of order and property may be employed.

It is also very necessary to increase the number of police in the pueblos of Tuao and Mauanan, in the district of Itaves, as these pueblos are always in danger of the depredations of the Calingas. These people are very fanatical and believe that it is necessary to sacrifice a Christian in order that the crops may grow well. They believe that the same thing is necessary at harvest time.

Owing to this fact three men fell victims to this strange belief of the Calingas last month, and as the latter always take advantage of the obscurity of the night it was impossible to learn who the authors of these crimes were.

PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.

Besides the municipal school there are at this provincial capital a normal school, a provincial school, and a school of arts and trades. Municipal schools are also established in nearly all of its barrios.

Besides these centers of learning there are others, such as the Colegio de San Jacinto, managed and administered by the Dominican friars, where primary and secondary instruction for the degree of B. A. is given; degrees of mercantile expert and agricultural expert are also given by this college. Lastly, there is another college established here known as

the "Asociación Católica," under the management of the parish priest, assisted by the Asociación de Damas Católicas, which is exclusively for girls. A careful and complete course of teaching is given in this school, which includes in its curriculum the study of English.

As will be seen, the province has a number of educational institutions where fathers of families can send their children, which accounts for the enthusiasm of the young people of Cagayan for education and the fact that these different schools I have just enumerated are filled with students eager to learn.

It is a great satisfaction for me to be able to state that within three years, owing to the efforts of the American teachers, the schools throughout the province will be under the direction of native teachers. This is explained by the enthusiasm and progress made by the young people of Cagayan in the study of the English language, they having demonstrated an aptitude and facility for learning it rather uncommon.

Unfortunately the other pueblos of the province are not as well provided at present with educational facilities as Tuguegarao. A great deal of neglect of education has been noted in them. Some of the pueblos have not yet seen a teacher since the organization of civil government. For this reason on the occasion of my visits of inspection I have earnestly requested the presidents and councilors of all the municipalities to give all of their attention to this important matter, and they have all promised me, in their own names and in representation of the people of the barrios, that they were disposed to lend me their assistance, the people of each one of the barrios or of several adjacent barrios promising to construct schoolhouses providing that they were furnished school-teachers.

For this reason I repeat my recommendation to you contained in my telegram, so that you may interest the honorable secretary of public instruction in order that at least each one of the pueblos of the province may be provided with a teacher. By so doing, the advancement of education will be assured and at the same time we will have satisfied the aspirations of the young people of this province and lifted the majority of the boys and girls living in the barrios from the lamentable state of ignorance in which they at present

are.

HIGHWAYS OF COMMUNICATION.

At the present time the only highway of communication which can be used in the province is the Rio Grande de Cagayan. But this river offers the great objection that from the beginning of March until September it is unnavigable even for the smallest steamers and other light-draft vessels. During these six months of the dry season between the pueblos of Alcalá to Tuguegarao there are three or four places where navigation is impossible on account of the shallowness of the stream. This obstacle could be easily overcome by dredging. The entire river could be made navigable throughout the year if this were to be done, and the business of the province thereby greatly benefited.

In order to pay for the cost of this work every vessel might be taxed a small amount, and thus this very important improvement could be carried out without expense to the province.

Land transportation or travel is almost impossible, even during the dry season, on account of the bad condition of the roads. During the rainy season freighting is entirely impossible, while travelers find the roads extremely difficult and dangerous. In order to place them in good condition the province would have to expend an enormous amount of money, which it will be unable to do for a long time to come. The only work now being done by the province in this connection is the construction of some bridges in order that travelers may avoid the danger from alligators in fording streams. The province has already built 32 bridges and has 5 others under construction. According to information furnished by the provincial treasurer, about 120,000 have been expended up to date in the construction and repair of bridges.

AGRICULTURE.

Nearly all of the inhabitants of this province are engaged in agriculture. Tobacco, corn, rice, and in one or two pueblos cocoanuts, are the only products gathered in the province.

Thirteen pueblos derive their principal source of wealth from the cultivation of tobacco; they also raise corn. The balance of the pueblos cultivate rice.

Tobacco (nicotiana tabacum) belongs to the family of the solanaceae, genus nicotiana, and gives one crop a year. Since the year 1901 to date the production has been very small, due to various causes: (1) The lack of draft animals, which were decimated by the rinderpest and other diseases; (2) to the freshets and floods which inundate the lowlands used for tobacco cultivation, which causes a delay in planting and does not give sufficient time for the proper development of the growth of the plant; (3) to the discouragement of the

WAR 1904-VOL 11-28

planters in view of the fact that the government of the sovereign country has failed to extend its protection to this product, and to the low price for it in the Manila market.

It is absolutely necessary that the government take some interest in the inhabitants of this province, formerly so wealthy, and to-day threatened with famine. Never before in their history have they been in such sore straits or experienced the want that they are now feeling. As above indicated, in the majority of the pueblos tobacco only is grown, and the proceeds of the sale of this product are not sufficient to cover all of their necessities. In order to do away with the poverty felt by these unhappy pueblos I can see but two means. The first, that the Government extend its protection to tobacco by lowering export duties and opening up new markets. At the present time the pueblos have only the Manila market and are obliged to sell in this province to two or three houses that have the control and therefore fix a price which is extremely low, but which they know the planters will be obliged to accept unless they wish to die of hunger. Second, to endeavor to make them cultivate other crops besides tobacco which will bring them in more profit. This latter method, however, requires a great deal of time and the condition of the inhabitants of this province will not brook such delay.

The seven other pueblos of the province are engaged in the cultivation of rice, and I have been informed by the municipal presidents of the pueblos of Claveria and Sanchez Mira that they will gather sufficient of this article to provide for the necessities of the entire province, but the difficulty of communication between these pueblos and the others of the province make it impossible to distribute this article.

To bring the rice down from these pueblos to Aparri and then take them up the Rio Grande it is necessary to employ carts and boats; from Sanchez Mira to Aparri it is impossible to transport this article all the way either by land or by water, as both methods of transportation have to be employed. At present, in order to place 100 cavanes of rice in Tuguegarao from Sanchez Mira it costs not less than Sanchez Mira and Claveria is sold at from P3.50 to Tuguegarao and other pueblos for less than P7 or 18 a

rice.

150, so that if a cavan of rice in 4 it is impossible to dispose of it in cavan, which is the price of Saigon

To facilitate transportation between Sanchez Mira and Aparri there is an easy and commodious means which could be utilized to the great advantage of the entire province and without costing it a great deal.

During the time of the Spanish Government work was started on a canal connecting the Linao River with that of Albulug. The pueblos of Sanchez Mira and Pamplona took part in this work, which cost the Spanish Government scarcely anything. The canal was almost finished when the revolution broke out, and as nobody has taken any interest in it since the canal is filled up and without water.

If it were to be reopened the shipment of rice to all the pueblos of the province would be very easy, and the price of this staple article would be materially cheapened.

I think that this is the most important work for the province to undertake and one which should be speedily completed. As I have stated, it would not cost the province a great deal if it carried it out, as from information obtained from the presidents of the pueblos of Sanchez Mira and Claveria, as well as that of Pamplona, all of the inhabitants of the said pueblos are disposed to give their labor free, as they are persuaded of the great benefits which would redound to them upon the completion of the work.

FINANCIAL CONDITION.

The financial condition of the province, as may be seen from the annexed table, is sufficiently satisfactory. After paying all general expenses, there is a surplus of P15,125.66 and $29,700.88 Mexican, an amount almost equivalent to the surplus for the year 1903. All of the land tax has not yet been collected, owing to the extension of time granted to September 30. It is my opinion that not all of the taxpayers will be able to pay this tax even during that month, because of the scarcity of money in the province. Cagayan has always been the best province in the payment of taxes, but at present the planters are so poor, owing to the causes above set forth, that many of them in order to pay the land tax have been obliged to mortgage their lands or sell their tobacco at a very low figure, the latter method being the one usually followed.

In view of the surplus which always exists in the funds of this province, it would be very advisable that two or three small dredges be provided to make the Rio Grande navigable during every season of the year. This would greatly favor the development of business in the province and would largely increase its wealth.

BATANES ISLANDS.

A municipality situated in Basco and another one in Calayan (Babuyanes Islands) were organized by Mr. Thomas R. Manus, an American, deputy of the provincial treasurer, who was commissioned for the purpose by the provincial board.

With regard to the administration of these islands, their condition is similar to that of other pueblos of the province, with the difference that in several of their towns there are schools presided over by Filipino teachers. I believe there is no one there capable of teaching English.

The financial condition of these municipalities could not be better, as they have sufficient funds on hand to make them self-supporting.

The principal business of these islands is that of stock raising and the cultivation of onions and garlic.

I have been unable as yet to inspect these municipalities, as it is impossible for steamers to reach them at this season of the year. However, I shall endeavor to visit them during March or April, the best season for navigating in these waters.

In order to complete this report, I have thought it advisable to append several tables dealing with the subjects indicated by their titles.

If this ill-constructed report and the recommendations therein contained are well received by you, honorable sir, the aspirations of the undersigned will have been fulfilled and the welfare of this province assured. Respectfully submitted.

The CIVIL GOVERNOR OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.

P. GUZMAN, Governor Province of Cagayan.

Courts. The expenses of the courts and their personnel are paid with insular funds. Jails-Expenses incurred in the maintenance of prisoners are paid out of provincial funds, consequently same re included in the table of the financial condition of the province.

NOTE. As the provincial treasury has not yet received the estimates of revenues and expenses of the municipalities of Basco and Calayan they do not appear in this table.

Education-There are only 24 schools in the entire province. counting those in the barrios, while others have none at all. throughout the different pueblos of the province.

Some pueblos have two or three schools There are 49 Filipino teachers distributed

Morality-There is only one jail in the entire province, situate in the provincial capital. At present there are 25 prisoners in the provincial jail.

a According to data furnished by the provincial board of health, the annual average of deaths for the province is 25 per thousand.