past year is 24 miles, and the number of bridges 14. The supervisor states that there are about 100 miles of important roads in the province, and that they are in a deplorable condition, with few exceptions, on account of neglect by the natives. Ninety per cent of the bridges are reported to be in excellent condition. As to labor, he says that it is anything but discouraging. If it were placed under competent American foremen he is certain that more work would be accomplished for the amount expended than if American labor were employed. He recommends, as far as engineering work is concerned, the consolidation of Tarlac and Pampanga, for the reason that the two provinces together would be able to produce the proper road-building equipment which it is not possible for either province to own under present conditions.

Pangasinan.-Supervisor: This report shows that during the past year there has been expended for roads and bridges $2,916.09 United States currency and $11,973.94 local currency; for repairs to buildings $93.04 United States currency and $757.81 local currency. Ordinary labor is paid 50 cents Mexican per day. Timber and bridge material is very hard to get. Labor is very scarce. No mechanics can be found to work from plans. He suggested a central bridge shop in Manila under the bureau of engineering to make timber bridges and ship same knocked down.

Paragua.-No supervisor and no report.

Rizal. Supervisor: Amount expended on roads $500 local currency; on bridges $2,130.96 local currency; on buildings $946.44 local currency. Because of the depleted condition of the treasury the supervisor has been able to accomplish but little work during the past year, beyond mere patchwork on roads, bridges, and public buildings. The length of roads in the province is about 110 miles, of which about 30 are in fairly good condition, the balance in very bad condition through neglect. Complaints are received daily as to the condition of the roads, but on account of the lack of funds it has been impossible to accomplish anything. He states that the resources of the province are ample if the people would only pay their taxes. He calls attention to a defect in the cedula law by which his province loses considerable money, and states that on acconnt of the cedulas becoming delinquent on May 31 in Rizal, and not until June 30 in Manila, the result was that thousands of people of Rizal Province purchased cedulas in Manila, all of which money was lost to the province. He also calls attention to the fact that there is no provision in the municipal code by which the personal property of a nonresident property owner can be sold in another province for the purpose of enforcing the payment of taxes. Because of the proximity of this province to Manila, he thinks that the absence of this provision has rendered the collection of the land taxes in Rizal difficult and unsatisfactory.

Romblon.-Treasurer and acting supervisor: The treasurer reports no work upon the roads during the past year. The province has $651.60 local currency road fund.

Samar.-Treasurer: No work was done on the roads during the past year, but the province has $25,000 local currency road fund available for road work.

Sorsogon. Supervisor: Amount expended on roads was $7,580.09; on bridges, $4,714.28; on buildings, $2,945.50, all local currency.

Practically 5 miles of road rebuilt and repaired. The roads of this province are very important because of the large hemp business, and excellent results have been accomplished for the money expended. The usual statement is made as to the roads having been in excellent condition at one time, but through neglect they have fallen into a very bad state and need extensive repairs. The great demand for labor in the hemp fields has made it necessary to pay $1.50 local currency per day for ordinary labor, but this condition has changed slightly for the better, the rate of wages being in some parts of the province 75 cents local currency per day.

Surigao. Supervisor: Amount expended on roads was $264 local currency. This was spent in the repair of about 3 miles of road leading from the town of Surigao. The amount expended on buildings was $3,496.73 local currency. Aside from a few minor surveys, nothing was done in this province during the year.

Tarlac.-Supervisor: The expenditure on road work was $6,346.25 local currency, and 29 miles of road was repaired. Amount expended on bridges was $2,667.80 local currency. Report of the supervisor of this province covers a period of six months. The roads repaired are in fairly good condition for dry weather, but it is thought that the narrow-tired carabao carts will damage them considerably during the rainy season. Ordinary laborers are paid 50 cents local currency per day and are satisfactory. In fact, the supervisor speaks highly of the native labor. Additional to American foremen nothing but native labor is needed or desired. The transportation question is difficult and unsatisfactory on account of the scarcity of carabao. Twelve bridges. have been rebuilt or repaired, and for the funds available satisfactory results have been accomplished.

Tayabas.-Supervisor: Expenditure on roads has been $7,529.63 local currency, and for bridges $2,342.86. The length of road repaired wast 15 miles, and 21 bridges or culverts were built or repaired. The repairs of roads in this province will be heavy for years to come. As in other provinces, the roads are in bad condition through failure to make ordinary repairs. The supervisor calls attention to the increase in transportation over an improved road that immediately takes place, and to the necessity of building certain roads, for surveys of which the insular government now has parties in the field. As an instance showing the advantage of improved roads, he cites a case where formerly the hemp or copra was carried out by pack pony, 1 picul to a pony, whereas now a single carabao hauls 12 piculs. Native labor is paid 75 cents local currency per day and is satisfactory. Carpenters and masons are scarce and not to be had at $2 local currency per day.

Zambales.-Supervisor-treasurer: This report shows that the roads of the province are in fair condition. The only work now being done is the repair of one bridge 132 feet long, which will cost $1,500 local currency. The province has suffered severely from locusts and cattle disease, and the outlook is discouraging.

The supervisors practically unite in recommending a system of road maintenance similar to that adopted almost universally in the United States, to wit, that each able-bodied inhabitant shall furnish two or three days' labor annually upon the roads. If this labor is called out by the presidentes of the municipalities and worked under the direction of the supervisor, lasting good will result therefrom. They also

call attention to the unwillingness or indifference of the municipal officials in enforcing reasonable regulations for the maintenance of those roads that have already been repaired by the province.

Since the organization of this bureau the supervisors have been directed to fill out promptly monthly report blanks which have been devised and distributed. This system has not been followed sufficiently long to permit formulating complete statistical tabulations for the fiscal year. However, these reports show a great deal of faithful work on the part of the supervisors. They also show the various works which are being carried out in the province, the appropriation and expenditures, class and quantity of labor, materials, number of inspection trips, distance traveled, and time consumed. This system has made it possible for supervisors to render returns in a systematic and orderly manner.

The supervisors are almost a unit in the belief that native labor can be trained properly to furnish good, valuable services on the roads, the difficulty being to get satisfactory foremen to handle the same.

It is recommended that provisions be made in accordance with civilservice regulations for the appointment of overseers and foremen, both Americans and Filipinos, by noncompetitive examinations, based on recommendations of the provincial officers, who must have definite knowledge of the experience and reliability of the applicant. It is believed that such provisions would give a permanency to these positions and would insure the organization of efficient repair and main-. tenance gangs.

Needs for an increase in force.-The number of technical men available for civil-service positions is small. Requisitions made on the Civil Service Commission of the United States are filled with difficulty, and with the heavy demand for such men now existing in the States it frequently happens that the most efficient men can not be secured for insular service. Some effort has been made by this bureau to place a knowledge of present conditions before the recent graduates of the technical schools, and to secure if possible educated but inexperienced men who could be trained in the special duties required.

Among the different departments and bureaus there exists a tendency to duplicate certain works and investigations, and not to work in cooperation with each other. This is especially true of those subjects requiring surveys, mapping, correct determination of proper names, etc. It has been the tendency of the government to require a broad variety of investigations and reports from this bureau.

It is respectfully recommended that such technical work be consolidated under one bureau and that all duplication of work be avoided as fully as possible.

The present office force, both in clerical and in record work and in drafting, has been overworked throughout the entire year. Indications are that no small amount of construction work will be required in the near future, and that the scope of this bureau must be materially increased if it properly discharges the duties and obligations placed upon it. To meet these needs a considerable increase in the personnel of this bureau is needed. A discussion of this subject, together with a proposed act, was submitted to the Commission under date of August 21, 1903.

The following is a tabulation of expenditures from the date of the creation of the office of the consulting engineer to the Commission up to August 31, 1903:

Summary of expenditures for fiscal year 1903..

Mexican currency reduced to United States currency (mean rate of exchange assumed as $2.45):

$42,494.30 local currency equals..

Total expenditures ...

January 13, 1903, appropriation act No. 595.

June 30, 1903, expended during fiscal year 1903..

July 1, 1903, balance unexpended

July 27, 1903, appropriation act No. 807, fiscal year 1904
August 31, 1903, expended July-August, fiscal year 1904
September 1, fiscal year 1904, balance unexpended...

The following appendices are attached hereto:

17,344.61

29, 538.55

27,440.00
22, 255.48

5, 184.52
28,500.00
7, 183.07

21, 316.93

(A) Plans for the improvement of Cebu Harbor (3 sheets). (B) Plans for the improvement of Iloilo Harbor (1 sheet).

For the purpose of showing in detail the provincial work under prosecution by the supervisors and typical conditions existing in the provinces, the following annual reports have been selected and attached hereto:

(C) Annual report of the supervisor, province of Cebu, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1903.

(D) Annual report of the supervisor, province of Leyte, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1903.

(E) Annual report of the supervisor, province of Negros Occidental, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1903.

(F) Annual report of the supervisor, province of Sorsogon, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1903.

(G) Annual report of the chief engineer, Benguet road, for the fiscal year 1903.

Respectfully submitted.

J. W. BEARDSLEY,

Consulting Engineer to the Commission and Chief of Bureau.

C.

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SUPERVISOR OF CEBU.

CEBU, CEBU, P. I., July 25, 1903.

SIR: In accordance with your instructions I have the honor to submit the following report of this office for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1903:

It is proper to state that the former supervisor of Cebu was in charge until January 21, and that, in general, the line of work and policies inaugurated by him had been followed.

The table given below represents the money spent during the fiscal year by the province of Cebu on public works.

From July to September, inclusive, the work of ditching and regrading, with the spoil from the ditches, the road between Cebu and Carcar was completed. The original appropriation for this work was $20,000 Mexican, and of this $9,399.27 Mexican was expended in the present fiscal year.

From October to January, inclusive, the road between Cebu and Danao was ditched and the culverts were repaired. The original appropriation for this work was $15,000 Mexican, and the amount expended was $14,614.15.

From February to March 14 the road from Danao to Carmen was ditched, regraded, and extended to a point about 1 mile beyond Carmen. The original appropriation for this work was $5,000 Mexican and the amount expended was $5,217 Mexican. The shortage was covered by a supplementary appropriation.

From March 15 to June 30 inclusive, the road between Cebu and Mandaue was remetaled with about 6 inches of gravel and rolled with a 5,000-pound roller. The cost of this work was $6,665.47 and the appropriations were made in amounts of $1,000 Mexican each, as the revenues of the province were uncertain owing to the drouth.

A repair gang is maintained on the road between Cebu and Argao at a cost of about $2,100 Mexican for the past year. And another repair gang is in charge of the road from Cebu to Carmen at a cost of $1,346 Mexican.

There had been expended upon the government building in Cebu for repairs $501.45 Mexican and on the provincial jail $359.43 Mexican.

THE CEBU ROAD SYSTEM.

Cebu is equipped with a complete system, and while it is true that in some places the roads are mere bridle paths there are a great many miles of roadway that will compare favorably with good country roads in the United States. These roads almost without exception are well located and were once well bridged. There is a total of 164 miles of roadway and 274 miles of bridle trails on this island. The road ways were built on the Telford system, and must have been well built since I am informed that up to the American occupation they had not been repaired for over twelve years. At the present time, on the roads not repaired, the ditches are filled in and the metaling is worn, but if remetaled at once they will be as good as ever. It is possible to obtain gravel or coral rock within 1 or 13 miles of almost any part of the coastal roads, and with good draft animals the roads could be remetaled at a cost of about $1,200 Mexican per mile.