established outside of Zamboanga Province, except in the towns of Dapitan and Surigao. At Balingasag both primary and secondary schools are, it is said, proposed. In addition, Catholic schools are especially likely to be established at Davao, Caraga, Butuan (however, see reference elsewhere to Butuan in this respect), Tagoloan, Iligan, Santa Ana, and a number of places in Surigao Province. It is not so probable that any will be established at Oroquieta, Lagaran, Jiminez, Misamis, Mabajao, and Cagayan (see heading Cagayan in notes).

In August, in Zamboanga Province, there was an average attendance of not more than 450, whereas about a year ago the average attendance in these schools was about 950.

The priests are very open with their opposition. They tell the people that they can not expect salvation either for themselves or for their children if the latter go to the public schools; that the public schools are schools of the "demonio."

The idea is quite prevalent in Zamboanga Province (no doubt it is an inspiration of the church) that children should be particularly well-grounded in catechism before they can afford to study English; that there is some mysterious contamination to be feared at the public schools; that the teachers of English, somehow, are without the knowledge of the native teachers, teaching what they are pleased to call "masonería," meaning, I suppose, freemasonry. They attach a lurid and superstitious connotation to "masonería." They believe that it would never do to let a child learn to read English, even a little, before it learned to read Spanish. Hence, they intend to keep their children for a year or two in the Catholic schools. It must be remembered that these children do not speak Spanish in their homes, but a hybrid patois called "Chabacano." Chabacano is a mixture of Spanish, Tagalog, Visayan, and Moro. The principal being perhaps Spar i h. This speech is, however, unintelligible to the Spaniard.

In general, in the division, the attendance has fallen off except where increased by the police. This increase was noticeable the middle of August in the schools of Surigao town, Cagayan, and Oroquieta.

The school law. The presidente is a little king. Whatever the law is, custom has made him so. For example, if you ask a presidente to have the town council elect three members of the school board, he rises before his councilmen, after reading the law to them he mentions three men whom he thinks would be suitable, the secretary takes down the names and hands you the list of the elected; elected, however, without a vote.

You ask the presidente to make some slight repairs on the schoolhouse, he promises to do it but never does. In such a case, if after a lapse of, say, sixty days with repairs still unmade, the division superintendent had the right to authorize slight repairs and present the bill to the town treasurer, it would no doubt hasten action on the part of the presidente. In organized provinces there is no doubt a way of proceeding against presidentes for nonperformance of duties. However, often this is neither advisable nor feasible. In a large part of this division the funds are still, of course, in the hands of the military. These gentlemen usually employ them in exactly the way they see fit. A liberal amount of money, however, at least comparatively, was devoted by Colonel Pettit to school purposes. (See notes about Cotabato, Isabela, etc.)

Naturally, especially in our work, we run counter to annoying native prejudices, which must be dealt with gently if success is to be the outcome.

The military.—Then there are other prejudices quite as bad, viz., military prejudices, or at least they seem more malignant and harder to grapple with when encountered in the military officer. This bias, where the mildest sort of suasion would work, has remained uncombated. By this I mean ironclad ideas as to teaching. You may possibly not find out the absolute imperialism of these ideas in a few hours' conversation, but if you have to leave an officer in charge of your schools for a month, you will find it out on the next visit. Unfortunately, ours is the only profession where everyone who pretends to the slightest general or technical educational ability is an avowed expert. So much for the method. Again, as to the material means of accomplishing the work (except water transportation) I will merely quote a remark of Judge Ickis, recently arrived in Zamboanga. He said of the military opposition to civil officers: "I don't think that opposition exists elsewhere in the Philippines as I have found it here."

It is almost needless to say that I have often restrained from pressing a point in one direction in order to gain or retain benefits derived from another direction.

It is to be noted that practically all the teachers have been until now enlisted men, making me in that respect quite dependent on the military officers. However, it is also to be observed that a civil division superintendent has been able to dc many things that a military division superintendent could not have possibly accom

plished. The military superintendent is so controlled by his superiors that he is powerless, even imagining him to have some ideas of his own and to know something of the art of education.

Extent of territory.-With the fourth district a considerable number of schools has been added to the division. It has already been stated that the Cuyos and Calamianes islands are nearer to Manila than to Zamboanga, boats plying regularly.

Transportation. The chief dependence of the division superintendent is still the pay boat, which makes a trip every two months to all the garrisoned posts (with the exception of four or five detachments of from ten to twenty men) in the division. There is a tug at Jolo. There is a small launch at Zamboanga, used chiefly for making trips to the farm, and another at Cotabato. Quite recently one has been sent to Davao. The commanding officer of the first district has at his command in Cagayan a launch for carrying quartermaster's supplies as far as Dapitan and Surigao. It will be remembered that six months ago I wrote of the need of a very small launch, or, at least, a sailboat. I believe the inspector of customs for the province of Surigao has a small launch which the division superintendent may take advantage of, and Barton, the treasurer of the province of Cagayan, thinks he will get one. It would also, no doubt, be of great service to the division superintendent. All the boats mentioned are in the service of the Government, either military or civil.

The route of Compania Maritima boats is Manila to Zamboanga, thence Jolo and Cotabato; occasionally to Davao. Private boats run from Manila to Surigao, Butuan, Cagayan, Oroquieta, and Misamis; much more rarely to other points. During the hemp season boats run more frequently from Manila to certain places; for example, Cantilan, Bislig, Catell, and Baganga. At present there is a government boat at the service of the commander of the fourth district.

Amusements. (See note on Jolo.) Children in several places are beginning to play baseball, and it can be made of advantage to the schools. There is no place except Jolo where they have a school playground. Such a playground is desirable for various patent reasons, and to keep the children out of the road, or street, or mud, where they now play. The girls should also have a playground.

Holidays.-The Manila board of trade list of holidays was accepted with certain slight modifications. Of course each town must have its fiesta del pueblo. The list of holidays can be found in almanacs and guides. An effort was made to reduce to a minimum the fiestas. It is hard to get rid of the fiesta del pueblo with less loss than three days, as the people usually take the day before and the day after this fiesta. The tendency is to take those days at other fiestas, if so permitted.

Normal school at Manila.—Major Brown, of the fourth district, thinks he could get some young people to come to the normal school at Manila if free transportation was furnished, and asks for prospectus of the expense such candidates would incur in Manila. Candidates could be got also from Cagayan and Surigao provinces, where there are rich people, and people who send their children to school in Manila.

Soldier teachers.-The majority are poor, but some have done good work. As stated in my last report, I have spent considerable time in training them, but the efficacy of this is considerably lessened by the frequent changes of teachers, incident to the arrival of new regiments, volunteer and regular. Officers are not always fair with these men in the amount of work required, such as guard duty, etc. I know of cases where soldier teachers have been required by captains to do such duty, notwithstanding the fact that the order for their detail, issued by the colonel commanding the regiment and district, specifically stated that the soldiers were to be excused from all military duties.

Civil teachers.-Considerations as to character in civil teachers have been mentioned in notes attached with special reference to Mambajao. Hicks, the first teacher sent to Zamboanga, resigned before he reached Mambajao, his permanent assignment. A day or two before his resignation was telegraphed to the general superintendent he stopped work. He was undoubtedly sick and did well to go to the States.

The long vacation.—This matter has been discussed somewhat fully in correspondence. It should be arranged to fit one or two of the following seasons: The hot season, the rainy season, the harvest season, the planting season. The rainy season and the planting season often coincide. Taking the whole extent of territory, these seasons fall in nearly every month of the year. In some places one season is more important than another-that is, according to the kind of crops planted, the kind of labor employed, the nearness of the fields to the pueblos, the coinciding of the seasons, the degree and severity of the rainy and hot seasons. For example, in Zamboanga province the light, so-called rainy season is the planting season, and the children work very little in the rice fields in June and July. December 15 to February 15 or the 1st of March is the harvesting season, and children work considerably during that time. One side of a little peninsula or promontory often does

not have its seasons at the same time as the other side. At such places as Butuan, Cuyo, Culion, Puerto Princesa the people almost abandon the towns for the fields. In many other places they go out more or less thus to plant. In many other places, I have data as to the seasons which is perhaps not necessary to put down here. On account of the great extent of territory and the variety of factors mentioned, it is not possible to choose one long vacation that would please all or that would give equal weight to a number of important factors. It would undoubtedly be to the advantage of the attendance to have two periods of vacation arranged to include the "working seasons. Even this statement, however, is not true of all places. It might be best to let the school board at each place select the best time or times for vacation. Two vacations instead of one might be hard on the American teachers. It is not then possible to select any one common suitable time for the long vacation.

Agriculture.-Lieutenant Stark, of the Philippine scouts, is now in charge of the goverment farm at San Ramon in Zamboanga province. As I said in my last report, to get the best advantage out of the work, such appointments should be permanent. A little money spent on the plant in the way of improved machinery would soon be its own compensation-for example, on the sawmill. San Ramon is now the site of the general prison for the department, and the prisoners are worked on the farm.

Puerto Princesa.-There is a government farm, not so large as the one at San Ramon, just back of Puerto Princesa. Owing to the recent date of occupation of the fourth district, little, if anything, has been done with this farm.

Municipal finances.-Now is a very hard time for many of the towns financially. In some cases the military made special efforts in order not to turn over any funds to the native civil officials. Indeed, in a number of cases, the military authorities are apparently seeking to embarass the civil officials, hoping for a return to military government. It is to be noted that up to the end of August there was no such thing as civil government in any real sense in the department of Mindanao and Jolo, inasmuch as the military authorities-post, district, and departmental-exercised an absolute veto power over the civil authorities high and low, even with reference to such small matters as are left by the municipal code to the town council. Order No. 25 is an example. (Of course, General Davis will very likely change all this, or at least Order 25.) Order 25 forbids the retail of beer or alcoholic beverages. It is enforced even in the civil province of Cagayan by a military guard. That is, although the provincial treasurer and town authorities issued licenses, a soldier stands guard to prevent their execution. In such places as Misamis, Oroquieta, etc., such licenses were the chief source of revenue. Another loss of revenue is the opium tax. The trade, it is said, is now carried on secretly. In certain cases, then, retrenchment will be necessary in our pay roll. The towns in Zamboanga Province, now organized in one municipality, had, until July, a revenue of nearly 20,000 pesos per year; about onefourth of this has been expended for schools. In the province of Dapitan, where there are several municipalities and a so-called civil governor, the towns have expended on the schools from one-sixth to one-eighth of the revenue. The teacher who receives the smallest pay in the division, namely, 2 pesos per month, is located in this province. Up to the 1st of September the town of Iligan was spending only one-seventeenth of the municipal revenues on schools. The matter can easily be arranged in the two last-mentioned places, since they are in the organized province of Cagayan, where they can now be forced to spend at least the minimum provided by law for school purposes.

I visited these places twice in August. They were not yet organized at the time of the first visit. At the time of the last visit Iligan had just been organized; Misamis was to be organized during the first week in September. Great consternation was caused in these north coast towns by Order 25. I have given the amount allowed by certain towns merely as example. The whole matter will have to be readjusted according to the present arrangement for sources of internal revenue. The maximum land tax in Zamboanga Province provided by the municipal code for such school purposes, if it were all collected, would amount to about 1,800 pesos. It is not available just now.

In the second military district no money has been turned over by the internal-revenue people as yet to the towns. As I have said in the notes attached, the division superintendents should see the provincial treasurers at Cagayan and Surigao, in which provinces very little as yet is being spent on the schools. In August there was a surplus of about 5,000 pesos in the town treasury of Cagayan. Some of this should be secured for school purposes.

Relations with the natives.-The need of politeness should be impressed upon the American teachers. Nothing is so easy and nothing yields so good a return, even if merely considered from a standpoint of policy. A little consideration of this sort wins the native heart. With him it is an inheritance. We should do well to imitate the Spaniards in teaching "urbanidad." The little Filipinos in the humblest homes

would otherwise never have learned politeness. I have made it a rule to lift my hat to natives, for they always lifted theirs to me. I have visited freely in the homes of all classes, and I think the teachers should become really acquainted with the natives if they are to help and elevate them.

The Moros.-My previous report as to Mohammedanism among the Mindanao Moros, namely, as to their being Mohammedans merely in name and pride, but not in fact, is quite correct. A friend of mine, a doctor stationed at Cotabato, speaks Arabic fluently. He finds that even their panditas, or priests, know nothing absolutely of Arabic, and only intone a few verses of the Koran without understanding the meaning. Things that are religiously observed by the Mohammedans are unknown to the Mindanao Moros. Indeed, they do not know in the slightest what Mohammedanism is. It will be observed that Mindanao contains four-fifths of the whole number of Moros. In truth, however, the Sulu Moros are very little less ignorant in this respect. (See notes on Jolo schools for a further discussion of the Moros.)

All of these are boys, except three Moro girls included in the figures given for Bongao. Bongao has compulsory education for boys. With suitable buildings, etc., the number of Moros in school at Siassi could easily be doubled. I mean with some little encouragements and attractions such as are used at Jolo. Zamboanga: By showing him what has been done elsewhere, Mandi may be induced to send a dozen children, possibly, to the Zamboanga school. He says that a separate school is not necessary. He says that he is an American. (And he is an American officeholder in the forestry bureau.) Isabela: Something can probably be done here in time through Dato Pedro Cuevas. Dumdum, population about 1,500, situated about 20 miles from Jolo, may be added to the list of places in the Sulu Archipelago where schools should be established. For Mybung, and Buzbuz with its adjacent town, see notes.

Hill tribes.-Davao has been mentioned. There are a few Subanos back of Dapitan who might be reached. Villages have been mentioned up the river at Butuan. Up the river at Gusa are a number of villages whose inhabitants have been Christianized more or less. Some interior tribes could be reached at Baganga, but it would be purely missionary work. Southeast of Cagayan is the most promising field.

The following report on the schools of Benguet Province was made by Mr. Jesse George, the principal teacher of the province, after a very careful inspection of actual conditions:

I have just finished a tour of inspection of the entire province of Benguet, and have the honor to submit the following report:

GEOGRAPHICALLY CONSIDERED.

Benguet is a province of mountains, varying in height from a few hundred to 8,000 feet. The Agno River, draining the western portion into the Gulf of Lingayen, and the Amburayan River, cutting short through the mountain wall west to the China Sea, are the principal streams. A high and pretty well-defined mountain ridge traverses the province from north to south and separates the waters of the Agno from those of the Amburayan and other smaller streams that course westward into the China Sea. Abutting this main ridge on the west are numerous transverse ridges, walling the Amburayan and other smaller streams that flow westward.

The Agno River, with its numerous small tributaries, forms a basin, or rather a chain of small basins, connected by deep gorges running in a northerly and southerly direction through the eastern portion of the province; and in these basins, varying in extent from a few acres to a few hundred across, are situated the pueblos of Bokod, Daklan, Adaoay, Cabayan, Buguias, and Loo, in order from south to north, as above given, while west of the central mountain ridge, in order from north to south, are

the pueblos of Ampusungan, Palina, Kibungan, Balabac, Atok and Tublay, situated either in some of the numerous small basins along the mountain streams or on broken plateaus among the mountains. A trail, passable for foot and horse only, starting from Baguio and La Trinidad in the southern portion of the province, leads over the high ridge down into the valley of the Agno, and thence following that river up to Loo recrosses the ridge and comes down through the western chain of pueblos to La Trinidad and Baguio again, thus passing through all of the pueblos of the province in circuit but two. The two remaining pueblos, Galiano and Itogon, are in the southern part of the province, and are reached by trail from Baguio. The entire circuit of all of these pueblos can be made on horseback in good weather in about two weeks.

POPULATION OF THE PROVINCE.

As shown by data collected as carefully as possible from each pueblo visited, is 15,448, of which 14,630 are Igorottes and the balance, 818, are Ilocanos, white miners, and others, chiefly Ilocanos. The school population of the province is 2,173, as near as can be ascertained. Below is given a table of the population and school population, showing its distribution among the different pueblos and the number in each pueblo who can read and write:

Total population of province, 15,448.

It will be seen from the above table that the Ilocano population is practically all confined to the two pueblos of La Trinidad and Galiano, the population of the other pueblos, save for a few resident Ilocano traders, white miners, and the Ilocano secretaries, being wholly Igorrotes. It will also be seen that only a little over two and a half per cent of the whole population can read and write in any language, and that practically all who can read and write are Ilocanos. In the whole province I could find only ten Igorrotes who could read and write at all, and not one of these could be said to do so intelligently, their knowledge being confined to stumbling over very simple Ilocano and being able to write their names and form the letters of the Ilocano alphabet. Perhaps thirty other Igorrotes, mostly children, were found in the province, who claimed to have been able to read a little Ilocano at one time, but they seem to have wholly forgotten the attainment.

SCHOOLS UNDER THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT.

Careful investigation reveals that the Spanish Government had established and sustained schools for some years in five pueblos of the province, as follows: