EXHIBIT B.

REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF THE BUREAU OF ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS FOR THE PERIOD FROM SEPTEMBER 1, 1902, TO AUGUST 31, 1903.

Hon. JAMES F. SMITH,

MANILA, P. I., September 1, 1903.

Secretary of Public Instruction, Manila, P. I.

SIR: In compliance with instructions conveyed in your letter dated August 21, 1903, I have the honor to submit the following report on the work of this bureau, covering the period from September 1, 1902, to August 31, 1903:

OFFICE PERSONNEL, SKILLED AND UNSKILLED LABORERS.

The personnel of the bureau has been increased to meet growing needs and is now as follows:

Chief of bureau; 1 master builder; 1 superintendent of construction, class 6; 1 clerk and engineer, class 6; 1 disbursing officer, class 6; 1 draftsman, class 7; 2 draftsmen, class 8; 3 clerks, class 8; 1 engineer, class 9; 1 storekeeper, class 9; 2 stenographers, class 9; 2 draftsmen, class F; 2 draftsmen, class H; 1 clerk, class I; 1 janitor; 1 messenger.

The position of master builder is the most important of the additions, and was specially authorized by act 533, enacted November 24, 1902. Next in importance to the acquisition of a master builder is the authority granted to disburse its own funds through an officer or clerk employed by the bureau and duly bonded in accordance with law. This authority was granted on October 1, 1902, since which time the handling of labor employed directly in the various buildings throughout the city has been vastly facilitated. The disbursing officer is bonded in the sum of $15,000 United States currency.

There have been some transfers and resignations during the year, the most important being the resignation of the superintendent of construction, who left to assume charge of the construction of the Philippine exhibition buildings at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition at St. Louis.

The storekeeper, who has charge of all property and material in the storeroom, was placed under bond on March 1, 1903, in the sum of $5,000 United States currency.

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The amount of work handled directly by the bureau has constantly increased, and at this date we have in our employ 2 Chinese, 12 Japanese, and 343 Filipinos, besides 6 English-speaking foremen. employed one year ago 4 English-speaking foremen and an average of 150 skilled and unskilled laborers, of which probably 97 per cent of the skilled laborers were Chinamen.

With reference to the office personnel, attention is invited to the desirability of permitting the salaries of draftsmen or clerks who devote all of their time to one particular building to be charged to the appropriation therefor if necessary. This rule now holds good to the extent of skilled and unskilled labor and foremen, but is not permitted to go beyond these limits. The disadvantage of the present arrangement is that the office force is limited to the salaries and wages items of the appropriation bill, and often work is retarded at the office end for the lack of the temporary services of a few additional men.

The system suggested is in vogue in the office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury and is suggested with a view to increase the efficiency of the office, when important work must be done promptly and where otherwise the regular office force provided by the salaries and wages items must necessarily have more time.

NEW OFFICE.

On July 11, 1903, the office was moved to its permanent location, 158 Calle Anloague. This building is 50 feet wide and 175 feet long, and was formerly our storeroom. The addition of a commodious second story, designed especially for our needs, greatly facilitates the business of the office, not only on account of increased space and convenience, but also on account of proximity to the storeroom below. A plan of the storeroom and offices is appended hereto. It is only since we moved to the new building that we have been able to do any blueprinting on account of the wholly inadequate facilities at the ayuntamiento for this sort of work, and for over a year and a half, through the courtesy of Mr. G. R. Putnam, in charge of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, all prints for this bureau have been made at his office in the Intendencia Building. As this is an extremely important part of office work, attention is invited to the above longcontinued aid extended by Mr. Putnam to this bureau.

BUILDINGS AT BAGUIO, BENGUET.

Since the last report the sanitarium has been completed and 5 cottages built, together with a stable for 40 horses and the usual outbuildings. This has been, however, only a rough beginning of the development of the town. Since the Commission held its recent summer sessions at Baguio appropriations have been made for surveys and directions given for the preparation of plans and specifications for substantial government buildings, which are described under a later heading.

There has been the usual amount of difficulty in obtaining labor, transportation, and commissaries. Before the completion of the sanitarium, January 1, 1903, we were able to arrange with the native sawyers for all sawed lumber at prices better than formerly, and this is now all done by contract at a price per foot. Work on the five cottages was started at the beginning of January, 1903, and they were ready for occupancy on April 7, 1903. Lumber for this work was sawed by hand, and a great many difficulties in constructing the sanitarium were still in evidence on cottage work. The cottages, however, advanced more rapidly on account of the dry weather prevailing and the fact that the men were becoming accustomed to this kind of work. The majority of the so-called

carpenters had never worked in wood before. The building of roads, walks, bridges, and drains was carried on during the construction of the houses.

The storehouse for the bureau of architecture has been constructed of timber with a grass roof, so that we may store in safety building material and tools.

CUSTOM-HOUSE.

The new building for the bureau of customs described in the last annual report, has been completed and is now occupied. There is a considerable amount of work necessary on the old custom-house premises, and the same is now in progress.

The old building is being entirely remodeled in its interior arrangement. The main corridor to the new building is now extended straight through the middle of the old building, leaving all the desirable space next the windows on either side for offices.

The storage space underneath the old building is being raised, paved, and drained.

The old building will be redecorated inside and out to conform with the new building. The architectural features of the entire structure will be enhanced and the utility of the space greatly increased.

BOARD OF HEALTH.

Probably the most important work undertaken for the board of health during the year has been the cholera, plague, and smallpox hospitals in the San Lazaro inclosure. The arrangement is on the pavilion plan. The buildings are substantially constructed of first group native timber set in masonry walls. They will be provided with a complete drainage system, electric lights, modern plumbing, and such other conveniences as will render them up-to-date buildings for the purpose intended.

An essential feature necessary to the success of the hospital is a large amount of filling in around the buildings and grading.

The construction of a morgue building within the San Lazaro Hospital inclosure was another important piece of work done for the board of health. This is a 1-story structure with concrete floors and fitted with two long "laying-out" tables, and two autopsy tables with Italian marble tops, and wrought-iron-pipe frame and standards. Capacity of the tables is 50 bodies.

Immediately after the destruction of the stables and wagon sheds of the conservancy division of the board of health in the Trozo fire, the bureau rebuilt the shed within a week and drew plans and specifications for rebuilding the corral with slightly increased accommodations, to the end that it might also be rebuilt at an early date. The matter of the stables and sheds for the bureau of the insular purchasing agent, however, was presented at this time to the Commission, and, at the suggestion of the chief of this bureau, plans for a consolidated corral for both these divisions were presented and adopted.

In the old San Lazaro Hospital there has been a great deal of renovation, and the building is now in vastly better shape than it was one year ago. In brief, the additions and renovations consist of the following items: Two new tanks on heavy timber tower with a total capacity of 14,000 gallons, connected to water supply of the hospital;