The provision might be inserted that a man doing ten days' paid public work would be exempt from the poll tax.

Then there would be no difficulty in getting sufficient labor for all work carried on under insular appropriations.

The lumber for the new provincial building, for which an appropriation of 5,000 pesos is available, is nearly on the ground and sawed out-by the whipsaw method. The building will be built throughout with the finest wood of the first group. The insular architect has been asked for plans and specifications, and work will be commenced at the beginning of the dry season, when we hope to have all the building materials on the ground.

It is hoped that the 14,000 pounds of galvanized roofing now lying at Aparri, consigned to the province for the locust board, can be made available for roofing the new provincial office building and the stables and property warehouse.

MUNICIPAL POLICE.

The municipal police of the force have been placed under the direction of the senior inspector of constabulary. The forces at Dupax and Bagabag have been abolished by the provincial board under the authority given by section 2 of Act 781, as it seemed impossible to enforce any discipline on account of the disposition of the municipal authorities to make servants of the police and interfere generally with the proper discharge of their duties.

Squads of five and three men, respectively, of the constabulary are stationed at these two towns for the present. It may be decided later on to restore the police of these two towns.

In the remaining municipalities of Bambang, Bayombong, Solano, and Quiangan the police are in a very satisfactory state of drill and discipline. In Quiangan and Bayombong they drill regularly and mount guard with the regular constabulary, and in Solano an excellently drilled company of 21 men compares well with the constabulary in drill and discipline. In Bambang also the force is under an ex-noncommissioned officer of constabulary, and is well disciplined. The people of the province are anxious to be honored with a visit from some one or more members of the Commission, and I hope they can be gratified in this wish in the not distant future.

The journey to the capital of the province takes about three days on horseback from Bautista, on the Manila and Dagupan Railway.

It is over the new trail and through a most interesting country.
Very respectfully submitted.

LOUIS G. KNIGHT,

Provincial Governor of Nueva Vizcaya.

The CIVIL GOVERNOR OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.

REPORT OF THE GOVERNOR OF THE PROVINCE OF PAMPANGA.

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, PROVINCE OF PAMPANGA,
Bacolor, July 15, 1904.

SIR: I have the honor to submit to you the report of conditions in this province during the period embraced between January, 1903, and June 30, 1904, inclusive, except where otherwise stated, in accordance with the provisions of Act No. 1044.

GENERAL STATE OF THE PROVINCE.

According to the last census (1903) the province of Pampanga has 226,180 inhabitants, distributed in 17 municipalities made up of 23 pueblos or 389 barrios, without counting the several settlements of Negritos called in the Pampangan dialect balugas, which are situate in the mountains of the districts of Floridablanca, Mabalacat, and Porac, and number about 1,000. The residents of the pueblos and barrios are made up of 225,609 Filipinos, 87 Americans, 464 Chinese, and 20 of other nationalities. The majority of the inhabitants of the settlements referred to still believe in the many and varied superstitions com-mon to peoples lacking culture and enlightenment, and are tainted with great religious fanaticism which has taken deep root among them.

WAR 1904-VOL 11-37

PEACE AND TRANQUILLITY OF THE PROVINCE.

Peace and tranquillity have reigned throughout the province during the time embraced by this report with two exceptions, when there were slight disturbances lasting but a short while in two of the pueblos where the events leading up to them took place, which were as follows:

The first was in the pueblo of Guagua, April 14, 1903. The passenger steamer from Manila which arrived at Guagua between 11 and 12 a. m. that day, brought 13 men, all residents of the district of Tondo, Manila. These men went straight from the wharf to the municipal building, and being armed with daggers overpowered the only guard on duty at that time in the lower floor of that house, seized the arms of the municipal police and escaped in the direction of the pueblo of Porac. When the municipal police became aware of the fact they immediately started in pursuit of the bandits, followed by the people of the barrios, and before sunset of the same day recovered all of the arms and captured 11 of the gang, including the leader, after a fight in which 2 of them were killed, 1 wounded, and 2 escaped. These men, together with their leader named Arturo Baldello, who made himself styled brigadier-general, were tried and sentenced by the court of first instance of this province, which sentence was subsequently affirmed by the supreme court. They are now serving different terms of imprisonment for the crime of treason at Bilibid, Manila.

The behavior of the people of Guagua and of their municipal president, Señor Martin Gonzalez, was the subject of well-merited praise on the part of the highest civil authorities of these islands and of the provincial governor of Pampanga. A certain resident of the barrio of San Pedro, named Juan de Leon, died a few days after this event from wounds received while fighting on the side of the people against the bandits. He left his wife, Basilia Ramirez, and 3 children of tender age in extreme poverty, his labor having been their only means of support. The insular government, desiring to reward the services of this man, at the request of my predecessor, Mr. C. Jóven, awarded a pension to the widow of 10 per month to be paid to her until the sum of 250 has been delivered. The second took place in the pueblo of Mabalacat. Between 7 and 8 p. m., August 11, 1903, some 30 or 40 men approximately, taking advantage of the absence of the constabulary inspector in command of the post at that pueblo who was absent in connection with his official duties with the majority of his command, made an attack upon the constabulary barracks at a time when there was but one enlisted man on duty as sentry. These men were armed with bolos and after seizing all the arms and ammunition that they could find shot the sentry dead because of his resistance of them, and marched out in good order, passing in front of the municipal building and going toward the neighboring pueblo of Bamban, province of Tarlac.

Immediately after this, my predecessor, Governor Jóven, made an investigation of the case personally at the pueblo of Mabalacat. As a result of the investigation it was found that there had been neglect both on the part of the municipal president and the municipal police, and in consequence thereof the president was suspended from office and the whole matter was referred to the honorable, the civil governor.

The constabulary left no stone unturned in their endeavors to discover the authors or persons implicated in this seizure, and up to the present time have succeeded in arresting about 20 men who are now awaiting trial by the court of first instance of this province which has jurisdiction over the matter.

Another matter no less important and worthy of mention in this report. although it did not result in disturbing public order in the least, is what took place in the pueblo of Mexico during the first days of April, 1993. During the said month and at the said pueblo there took place the arrests made by the senior inspector of constabulary of this province of the persons of several residents of Mexico, charged with being the authors or implicated in a conspiracy against the constituted authorities in these islands. Several persons so arrested, after having been tried by the court of first instance of this province upon the said charge were acquitted, while others were convicted to imprisonment and the payment of a fine. Among the latter there was one who it is believed was the leader of the movement, named Benito Vergara, and another named Crispin Ogtong, also a leader. The sentence awarded by the court of first instance to these two men was affirmed by the supreme court and amounted to six years imprisonment and a fine of $5,000 for Vergara, and four years imprisonment and a fine of $2,000 for Ogtong.

The prime mover and organizer of this conspiracy in the pueblo of Mexico

is a certain man named José Ruiz, a Spaniard, married to a woman of the name of Leonor de Leon é Hison, a resident of Mexico. The said Ruiz was able to escape from the pueblo a few days before the constabulary made their arrests and fled to Hongkong where it is well known he continues to conspire with others against the constituted government in the islands.

During the months of March, April, and May, 1903, the work of taking the first census of the Philippines was carried on in an orderly manner and subsequently put through to completion without a hitch.

As a result of the consolidation of the municipalities recently ordered by the Philippine Commission in Act No. 943, the 23 municipalities of this province were reduced to 17. With one exception-the fusion of the municipalities of Minalin and Santo Tomás, where the inhabitants do not appear to be agreeable to the consolidation-all of the rest of the pueblos appear to be satisfied. There are at present in the provincial jail 55 male and 1 female prisoners. Eleven of them are serving sentences under two years each, while 45 others are either awaiting trial or definitive sentence. The various causes leading up to their prosecution were as follows: Housebreaking, 1; brigandage, 28; civil causes. 2; desertion, 1; perjury, 2; homicide, 4; theft, 2; violation of Act No. 709, 2; violation of section 8 of Act 619, 1; assault accompanied by physical injury, 1; robbery, 4; robbery en cuadrilla, 5; attempted rape, 2; rape, 1; total, 56.

FINANCIAL CONDITION OF THE PROVINCE.

The financial condition of the province, as may be seen from the accounts of the provincial treasury for the fiscal year from July 1, 1903, to June 30, 1904, is fairly good; there is a cash balance on hand of 164,325.43 and $7,623.61 local currency.

The fact that the time for the collection of the land tax for the present year was extended until November 1, 1904 (Act No. 1170), accounts for there having been collected only 40 per cent of the total amount, P 77,144.70, which it was hoped would be collected from this source.

IMPROVEMENTS AND PUBLIC WORKS.

During the period comprehended by this report, that is to say, up to June 30, 1904, 7.49 miles of roads were constructed, 12.53 miles repaired, and light repairs were made to 36 miles; the first cost P29,028.17 and the second, P9,769.88, making a total of P38,728.05.

These roads are: From Cabiao, Nueva Ecija, to Arayat; from Arayat to Mexico; from Mexico to San Fernando; from San Fernando to Bacolor; from Bacolor to Guagua; from Guagua to Lubao; from the railway station at Apalit to the pueblo; from Porac to Angeles; from Angeles to Magalang; from Floridablanca to Guagua; the Floridablanca highway to Porac and the river read along the Rio Grande between Apalit and the barrio of Pansinao of the pueblo of Candaba.

Eight bridges were also constructed in the province at a cost of P 3,895.70. These bridges are 2 between Guagua and Lubao; 2 between Mexico and Santa Ana; 1 between Angeles and Magalang; 2 between Magalang and Arayat; and 2 between Santa Ana and Arayat.

Forty-five bridges were also repaired, at a cost of 7,150.33.

The said bridges are: 2 between Angeles and Porac; 41 between Arayat and Cabiao, Nueva Ecija: 1 between Magalang and Arayat, and 1 at Bacolor.

The work on the river roads between Arayat, Candaba, San Luis, San Simon, as far as Apalit, are regarded as improvements of the Rio Grande.

Moreover, the sum of 1,188.26 was invested in the construction and repair of buildings.

Remarks. The amounts above mentioned as invested in improvements and public works include 3,998.85 piculs of rice from the Congressional relief fund, whose money value is equivalent to P24,885.21.

PROVINCIAL BOARD OF HEALTH.

On the 1st of July, 1903, of the 23 municipalities in the province, 17 had organized municipal boards of health, the presidents of which had diplomas, as follows: Licentiates, 3; assistant surgeous, 2: medical students, 2, and 10 without degrees, but who had had practice in medicine.

In January, 1904, the 23 municipalities were reduced to 17. Of these 16 have organized municipal boards of health, under the provisions of Act No. 308. The pueblo of Mabalacat, the only one not having a municipal board of health organized under the act referred to, has such a body of a provisional character. Whenever possible, the provincial board of health has replaced presidents of municipal boards of health who are not duly qualified in accordance with the provisions of Act 308 by competent persons, and in this manner at the end of June, 1904, the presidents of municipal boards of health had the following qualifications: Licentiates, 6; assistant surgeons, 2; medical students, 5, and 3 with practical experience only.

During the nine months between October, 1902, and June, 1903, 6,767 deaths occurred, with an average mortality of 33.89 per thousand. During the same period there were 7,137 births, an annual rate per thousand of 42.07.

During the last fiscal year, July 1, 1903, to July 1, 1904, 7,635 deaths, an annual rate per thousand of 33.75, occurred, being 983 less than for the same period during the former year and a rate per thousand less of 6.14.

During the said fiscal year there were 11,587 births, an annual rate per thousand of 51.22, being 1,685 births more than during the same period the year before and an increase of the rate per thousand of 9.15.

The smallpox epidemic was imported into this province. During the fiscal year there were 336 deaths, and during the nine months prior to that time 228 deaths from this disease. It is worthy of note that the majority of the deaths occurred in pueblos where there were no boards of health, such as Minalin and Santo Tomás, where it took on a true epidemic form. In the other pueblos there were only isolated cases.

This was due to the vaccination actively carried on by presidents of municipal boards of health and provincial vaccinators. During the fiscal year 46,885 persons were vaccinated, 22,832 giving positive and 24,053 negative results.

During the prior nine months 26,205 persons were vaccinated, with 18,050 positive and 8,155 negative results.

There were 434 deaths from Asiatic cholera during the last fiscal year, the last case having occurred January 26, 1904.

Among the sanitary improvements introduced in the province during the last fiscal year may be counted the hospital constructed by the province for the prisoners of the provincial jail, which is provided with a pharmacy.

At the suggestion of the provincial board of health the municipalities have made appropriations for medicines for the poor and for disinfecting apparatus to be used in case of infectious or contagious diseases, the province furnishing the necessary disinfectants.

The provincial board of health has enacted a general ordinance with regard to sanitation and hygiene for the entire province, which the municipal councils have adopted as a municipal ordinance, and it is hoped that good results will follow.

The rinderpest among carabaos has become endemic, apparently, in this province. During the year 590 head of carabaos died from this disease in spite of the preventive measures adopted by the pueblos, which did not include inoculation, as the means for carrying this out were not available. However, a request has been made to Manila for inoculators' supplies and has recently been granted, and it is to be hoped that this work will soon be commenced by competent employees of the insular board of health.

AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES.

The province of Pampanga is preeminently an agricultural one, its prosperity depending on the products of the soil. At the present time it is in a state of ruin and poverty. The level of prosperity and wealth which its inhabitants had reached from the products of its crops, especially that of sugar, has been sinking gradually lower and lower for the past twenty years.

The principal causes which have contributed to its present decadence are: (a) The depreciation in the price of sugar; (b) the lack of demand and of markets for the same; (c) the continual loss of crops from floods, diseases and death of draft cattle, the war, and the locusts; (4) the scarcity and dearness of money; (c) the custom or commercial usage for engrossing sugar produced in this province is to advance money to the producer upon the agreement that payment is to be made in sugar at market quotations, with the proviso always of a profit to the manufacturer which fluctuates between 20 and 30 per cent upon the capital advanced. Farmers of this province are led to secure advances at

such rates of interest by disappointments and losses of so serious a character that when two or three bad crops come in succession the accumulative interest is so great that their mortgaged plantations are lost to them; (f) in the nonexistence of mortgage and loan companies or banks, obliging farmers to get loans at usurious rates of interest. He is a lucky man who can get a loan even upon the best real estate security. When the money loaned is on growing crops of sugar or rice, the interest charged is lower, but never less than 20 per cent.

“Memorial addressed to the government soliciting its aid in favor of this year's crop of sugar cane of the province of Pampanga.

"FACTS.

"1. The sugar planters of Pampanga are absolutely without funds, owing to the poor crops from 1896 to date.

"2. Due to the protection extended to them by the government, about 10 per cent of last year's crop was saved, and the good prices during December and January encouraged many planters to extend their fields of cultivation, so that now there are fine prospects for the coming crop.

"3. The work of harvesting this crop will commence in the month of November 1904, but as the planters have not the money for the preliminary expenses they will naturally fall into the hands of the Chinese engrossers and other usurers who will get the prospective profits of the agriculturalist.

"4. The financial resources of Pampanga are principally in its sugar crop. The value of the sugar obtained each year enables the inhabitants of Pampanga to support the expenses of the municipal and provincial governments and to bear their share of the insular burdens. Moreover, with the proceeds of this crop they are able to meet their personal and domestic obligations. From this standpoint the present fine crop deserves the protection of the government as much as did the plantations last year.

"5. It might also be stated that the imminent danger of usury constitutes a public calamity because it affects all of the above-mentioned interests which are the interests of the public.

"1. Can this assistance be given from the loans legally authorized by the Philippine Commission?

"2. If not, what would be the best method to be followed by the government in extending this help?"

During the period of two months and a half beginning with September and extending to November, 1903, when the locust board was operating under the provisions of Act No. 817, 338 tons of locusts were exterminated, 472 piculs of rice from the Congressional relief fund having been used for this purpose; the money value of the said rice was equivalent to 2.721.99.

Of the carabaos sent to this province by the insular government 37 head have been sold to farmers; had it not been for the causes above set forth, due to the lack of money in this province, a great many more would have been sold.

The total number of piculs of rice furnished by the insular government to this province amounts to 4,994.78, of which 3,998.75 piculs were used on public works, 472.14 in the extermination of locusts, and 523.79 piculs were spoiled and could not be used.

INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE.

As above stated, the province being preeminently an agricultural one, it can be said that nothing which could be called an industry or commerce in the proper sense of the word exists here. With the exception of a dozen stills used in the distillation of "wines of the country," most of which are in the hands of Chinamen, a few blacksmith shops where machinery repairing is done on a small scale, a few wheelwrights, and some home industries, such as the making of burlap sacks, mats, pocket cases, cane hats, and fish nets, the manufacture of vinegar, the weaving of nipa, and a little pottery making, etc., no industries of any note are carried on.

PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.

The desire for education and the study of the English language has taken complete possession of the masses of the people. For a year past it has been noted that the attendance at the public schools has increased to more than