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The people of Balabac are a mixture of Malay and Moro. They claim to be Moros and are more peacefully inclined than the Moros of Paragua. They cultivate rice and are fairly industrious. Balabac has recently been organized into an independent barrio with Dato Apong as lieutenant of the barrio. Apong and his people have been desirous for some time of having a municipality organized at Balabac, but there are too few people and too little intelligence on the island to organize and support a municipal government.

Smuggling between Borneo and southern Paragua has decreased greatly since Balabac has been opened as a port of entry and the customs cutter has been patroling Balabac Straits.

I believe it unnecessary to continue Puerto Princessa as a port of entry. All ships coming to Puerto Princessa from foreign ports must first pass Balabac, and the territory to be supplied lies nearer to Balabae. With Balabac as the only port of entry, small coastwise vessels could distribute from that point. The schools of the province are prosperous. More American teachers are needed. At present more than 50 of the young people of the province can carry on an intelligent conversation in English. The smaller towns and villages of Paragua are exceedingly desirous for English schools. Petitions have been received from several barrios for English-speaking teachers, but it is difficult to induce the native teacher to leave home and teach at some other place.

The municipalities cover immense areas and the councils of such towns as are able have been instructed to bring one or two of the brightest children who are willing to become teachers from each barrio to the schools that have American teachers, with the understanding that on the completion of two years in school these students will teach for at least two years in their home barrio. The municipality pays their living expenses while attending school if their parents are unable to do so. With this plan I believe English-speaking teachers can eventually be given to all the barrios.

Since visiting the different parts of Paragua during the past year I have become very enthusiastic over the future prospects of the island of Paragua from an agricultural standpoint. The soil of the immense level tracts along the coast is very fertile, and but little of it has ever been under cultivation. The high, heavily-wooded mountains extending through the interior of the island form a natural reservoir that stores up the water during the rainy season and gradually gives it out to the lowlands during the dry season. Light rains and heavy dews extend throughout almost the entire year, and the rainfall is sufficient to insure good crops if the land is properly cultivated.

Coffee, cacao, cocoanuts, sugar cane, abacá, rice, etc., all produce well on this land.

If sufficient inducements, such as making the public-land act apply to the province of Paragua, increasing the amount of land that can be secured for the opening of haciendas, etc., and allowing the bringing into the Philippines of Chinese and Japanese farmers to assist in the development of the agricultural lands, can be given to induce capital to come into and develop the natural resources of Paragua, I am confident that Paragua will become one of the wealthiest of the Philippine provinces,

I inclose herewith a number of photographs illustrative of the people, customs, etc.. of the province. Respectfully submitted.

EDW. Y. MILLER,

First Lieutenant Twenty-Ninth U. S. Infantry,
Governor Province of Paragua.

The CIVIL GOVERNOR OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.

REPORT OF THE GOVERNOR OF THE PROVINCE OF RIZAL.

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, PROVINCE OF RIZAL.
Pasig, July 1, 1904.

SIR: In compliance with the provisions of Act 1044 of the Philippine Commission, I have the honor to submit the following report:

CONDITIONS IN THE PROVINCE OF RIZAL DURING THE YEAR 1903.

The province of Rizal is situate in the central part of the island of Luzon and is bounded on the north by the province of Bulacan, on the south by the Laguna

de Bay and the province of Cavite, on the east by the district of La Infanta end the province of La Laguna, and on the west by the city and bay of Maniia. It has an area of approximately 168,957 hectares.

The western part of Rizal is level land, the balance of the province being mountainous, forests abounding, many of which have not been touched up to the present time. The province is watered by many rivers, those deserving special mention being the Pasig, flowing from the Laguna de Bay into the Bay of Manila, the Mariquina River, which rises in the mountains of Montalvan and joins the river Pasig at the place called Malapad-na-bató, in the municipal district of Pasig, and which furnishes the water supply for Manila by a system of piping and a pumping station situate in the barrio of Santolan, pueblo of Pasig. There is also a large stream which separates the pueblos of Navotas and Malabon, on the banks of which shipyards have been established for the construction and repair of large and small vessels.

Among the principal mountains of the province, Bantay, in the pueblo of Montalvan; Tayabasan, Lumutan, and Pico-Susong-Dalaga, in Bosoboso; Imauang, and Dupahig, in Tnáy, and Susong-Dalaga, in the island of Talím, deserve special mention.

The following islands are adjacent to the province of Rizal: Talim, famous for its quarries which furnished the stone for the construction of streets of Manila and suburbs; Malahi, also named Malaqui or Malayo, where the United States military prison is located, and four small islands in front of the pueblos of Binangonan, Cardona, Morong, and Quisao, as well as the islands named Olahipan and Bonga, near Malahi, though these latter islands are uninhabited.

Between the island of Talim and Point Tapas, situate to the south of Binangonan, there is a strait named Quinabutasan. Thermal springs containing sulphur exist in the barrios of San José at Bosoboso and in Mainit, Cardona. There is also a spring of alkaline water at Pasig and a ferruginous spring at Mariquina.

The province of Rizal has 32 municipalities, classified as second, third, and fourth class, in accordance with the following table:

From the above table it is seen that the present population of the province of Rizal consists of 72,668 males, 74,225 females, natives, and 608 males and 50 females, foreigners, making a total of 147,551.

Act 942, as amended by acts 984 and 1008 of the Philippine Commission, decrees the consolidation of the municipalities as a measure of economy and centralization. As a result of these consolidations, the 32 municipalities of the province were reduced to 16, in accordance with the following table, which shows the seat of municipal government in each of the new pueblos :

As has been seen, the idea of the government was to economize in time, money, and the number of employees, as prior to this time a great part of the municipal funds went to the pockets of a few presidentes, secretaries, and treasurers, and their subordinates, the municipal police, messengers, and clerks, aside from the money expended for rentals of buildings, stationery, and other supplies. By the consolidation this state of things was completely changed, so that now a great many expenditures formerly made which benefited a few people only and did a great deal of harm to the majority, and especially to the public administration, have been done away with.

A great deal has been gained by the fusion of the municipalities.

AGRICULTURE.

When I took charge of the government of this province I was profoundly convinced of the fact that in a country as fertile as this is, it should be the first and foremost purpose of the authorities whose duty it is to secure the welfare of their people to develop agriculture. With this purpose in view I sent letters to the municipal officers, advising them to support me to the fullest extent of their ability in my endeavors to improve agricultural conditions, which I found in a very depressed and neglected state, owing mostly to the lack of carabaos and the destruction wrought by the locusts.

The following table shows the land under cultivation in this province and the nature of the plantations:

A cavan of land is equivalent to the area planted to a cavan of seed-about 50 ares, or in the neighborhood of 14 acres.

25 pounds.

The fruit of this tree is used in the manufacture of lubricating oils.

NOTE--In all of the pueblos of the province there are vegetable gardens where mongos, string beans, cabbages, turnips, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, cantaloupes, watermelons, garlic, onions, endive, lettuce, and many other vegetables are grown. These supply the markets of Manila.

The locusts destroyed the plantations of rice four times, but such was the perseverance displayed by the long-suffering farmer that he replanted his crops each time they were destroyed.

The present crops of rice and sugar cane appear to be in very fine condition, and it is not too much to say that the harvests here will be abundant unless something unforseen should happen.

We also hope to have good crops of cocoanuts, hemp, cocoa, and coffee in a few years.

The cultivation of the ihlang-ihlang blossom continues to yield good profits, and it is hoped that in a few years this industry will yield very large returns. Agriculture was greatly benefited by the shipment of 190 head of carabaos to this province from China. Good results have been obtained from this lot. The Manila and Dagupan Railway Company is planning the opening of a new road between Manila and Antipolo, and a branch line to Pasig and Montalvan.

If this plan is put through to completion, it will greatly contribute to the development, not only of agriculture, but also of commerce and industry in this province.

While agriculture has undergone a change for the better in so far as the amount of productions is concerned there has been a falling off in industry. It may be stated that the industries of this province remain stationary. The manufacture of shoes at Mariquina will never prosper, on account of European competition. San Pedro Macati, Pateros, Taguiig, San Felipe Neri, and San Juan del Monte have remained stationary in so far as their manufacturing industries are concerned. It is true that at San Pedro Macati a glass factory has been established, but up to the present time it has not been opened. Malabon is the only industrial pueblo in the province which has prospered, to some extent on account of the daily demand for its fish from Manila consumers.

Quisao, Morong, Cardona, and Binangonan have improved as a result of their trade in lumber and cane for building purposes, especially Binangonan, that is benefited by the working of the Talím quarries.

Caloocan, Novaliches, San Juan, San Felipe, and a part of Malabon are satisfied with the returns brought them by the sale of ihlang-ihlang.

COMMERCE.

Strictly speaking, commerce does not exist on a large scale in this province, there being but a small trade in a few articles mostly sold within the province. Some shipments are made daily to Manila in lumber, cane, lime, brick, stone, and bamboo for building purposes. The following articles are also shipped: Sugar, corn, sweet potatoes, vegetables, bananas, ihlang-ihlang, betel nut, molasses, honey, eggs, fresh and salt fish, chickens, hogs, earthenware, baskets, wooden shoes, slippers, mats, native hats, and others.

All of these articles generally find a market in Manila, with the exception of sugar, which is occasionally exported abroad.

The trade of the province is conducted on a very small scale, because of the lack of capital. It may be that later on commerce will be conducted on a larger scale, taking into account the prosperous condition of agriculture in this province. For the present we must content ourselves with our small productions in rice and sugar.

POLITICAL SITUATION AND PUBLIC ORDER.

The prosecution of Gomez and Cabalsa resulted in a marked improvement of the political situation of the province; had it not been for this action on the part of the government the Nationalist party would have become so deeply rooted in Rizal that it would not have been easy to extirpate it, but thanks to the prompt intervention of the authorities a solution of this problem was reached which was favorable to the interests of the people and to those of the government.

It can be said that this province has never been in a state of as complete tranquility as it is at present. Fortunately robberies are no longer known in town or country; the theft of caraboas has been relegated to oblivion everywhere, and tranquility has been restored; the province was never so free from these evils even during Spanish rule. All of the inhabitants are engaged in cultivating their fields or following their usual pursuits.

During the last fiscal year public order, to so great an extent a reflection of the political situation, has not been disturbed in this province in spite of the