REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND POLICE.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND POLICE,

Manila, P. I., November 7, 1904. SIRS: I have the honor to make the following report of the operations of the various bureaus of the department of commerce and police during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1904, and for the months of July and August, 1904:

BUREAU OF PHILIPPINES CONSTABULARY.

The Philippines Constabulary were increased from 275 officers and 6,774 enlisted men at the beginning of the fiscal year to 288 officers and 6,950 enlisted men at the close. The necessity and importance of this force are conclusively shown by the record of their performance during the year and by the fact that the American troops in the islands, numbering at the beginning of the fiscal year 18,000 men and occupying 79 posts, have been reduced to 12,000 men occupying 39 posts. Of the 50 companies of scouts, numbering 5,000 men, 31 companies were detailed to service under the chief of the Philippines Constabulary during the fiscal year and actively engaged in assisting in the maintenance of order. The present arrangement, however, is unsatisfactory in one respect. The scouts are under-officered, and as the law provides that they can only serve under the chief or assistant chiefs of the constabulary it is impossible to use the bulk of the officers of the Philippines Constabulary to supply the deficiency in the number of scout officers, thus creating a dearth of men who can command the scouts. This makes it impossible to divide the scouts up into small detachments, such as the peculiar needs of the service require. It is estimated that the efficiency of these troops could be increased 100 per cent if they were given the additional officers which the law has made provision for them to have. The value of native troops has passed wholly beyond the experimental stage and is demonstrated beyond question. The chief of the constabulary reports:

The service of the native troops has conclusively shown the wisdom of their creation. In the first place, they are efficient and relatively economical. In the second place, their organization, with the training and education they receive, materially aids in the development of the country. The experimental stage has passed.

The constabulary are to be congratulated upon having so far reduced the ladrones that it is now safe to travel practically throughout the archipelago. During the year the officials of all the departments of the government, including nearly 1,000 teachers, officers of the forestry bureau, mining bureau, bureau of agriculture, ethnological survey, provincial officers, supervisors and foremen in charge

WAR 1904-VOL 13-1

1

of construction of roads, have traveled from end to end of the islands, penetrating regions hitherto unexplored and seeing people who have never before seen white men, and almost without exception have not been molested. Members of the Commission and other officials go freely everywhere unarmed and without guards. The activity of the constabulary has resulted in practically wiping out the curse of ladronism, which has done so much to render any real development of the islands impossible. They have hunted these scattered bands down, killed or captured the members, until now there are only a few of the old leaders left, and these skulk in the mountains with the weight of public opinion against them, many of the natives who used to help them now endeavoring to effect their capture and giving information of their whereabouts to the authorities, so that they hardly dare to sleep two nights in the same place. In the course of this work parties of constabulary have covered over 158,000 miles, as against 222,000 in the previous year. They have captured 706 firearms in 1904, as against 948, and it is believed that these captures have reduced the number of arms illegally held in the archipelago to such a point that there are at present outstanding not more than were captured in the last year. During the year they killed and wounded 570 outlaws, as against 1,185 in the previous year, and captured 1,364, as against 2,722. Their losses were 53 men and 2 officers killed this year, as against 78 men and 5 officers in the previous year. The loyalty of the men is demonstrated by the fact that there were but 52 desertions, as against 84 in the previous year, and considering that 23 of these were concerned in one mutiny, which was instigated by the return of the insurgent leader Ricarte, now serving a long term in Bilibid Prison, it can be seen that the percentage of desertions is so small that for all practical purposes it can be considered negligible. For the purposes of administration the archipelago is divided into five constabulary districts. The first district, covering the provinces nearest Manila, is inhabited mostly by the Tagálogs, who have been the cause of most of the disturbances. This district has been under the very able command of Colonel Scott, whose enforced departure" to the States on sick leave is very much regretted by the department." The whole district is in a condition of unprecedented tranquillity and, except for a handful of scattered outlaws, too hardly pressed by the constabulary to be able to gather any bands or to commit depredations, there are no disturbing elements to the peace of the community.

In the second district, comprising practically all of the south of Luzon, reports show everything more quiet than at any time in its history. The body of the outlaw Roldan and four of his companions were recently brought in by his own men for the reward offered by the government, thus removing the only disturbing ele

ment.

In the third district, comprising the Visayan Islands, the Pulajanes, who are religious fanatics, have recently become involved in an outbreak which extended through parts of Cebú, Leyte, and Samar. Bands of these people, armed with a few guns and many bolos, have kept in hiding in the mountains and have descended on the coast towns in different directions, burning a few houses and murdering a few people, mostly natives, and indiscriminately men, women, and children. The whole movement seems purposeless and is un

doubtedly due to ignorance and superstition on the part of the men engaged in it. Several Americans, including one constabulary officer, have been killed, and a few enlisted men of the constabulary and scouts killed and wounded in addition during the months of July, August, and September, 1904. Additional companies of both constabulary and scouts have moved into the infected region and are pressing the Pulajanes very hard. The inhabitants of the coast towns seem to be loyal and inclined to help the troops in defending their towns against attacks. It is hoped in a short time to quell these disturbances, as there are already signs that the Pulajanes are tiring of it, and many captures have been made.

In the fourth district, comprising the provinces of northern Luzon, everything is reported quiet, except occasional disputes and small fights among the wild tribes. These difficulties have always existed. In the fifth district, comprising the Moro provinces in Mindanao, the Americans have undertaken the advance of civilization among peoples who have never before been brought under modern rule. Indications are that the great island of Mindanao, with its immense potential wealth, will soon be as safe and available for development as any in the group.

The Commission, in its appropriation for the fiscal year 1905, has provided, for economical reasons, for a reduction of the constabulary force to 6,000 men, these reductions to take place gradually during the course of the year. This and the Pulajanes difficulties in the Visayan Islands have caused the civil governor to ask for seven additional companies of scouts, which have been assigned by the general commanding the Philippines Division to service under the chief of the constabulary, many of them being employed in Samar.

It frequently happens that where a Filipino is advanced to a position of authority that, until he becomes accustomed to the responsibilities of his office, he abuses his privileges. The enlisted natives need constant and rigorous supervision by competent officers to prevent their using their newly acquired authority to oppress the people they are supposed to serve.

There are occasional complaints in regard to abuses by the American officers, and these are given immediate and careful attention. Wherever any abuse is found to have been committed severe discipline is meted out to the offenders, but in most cases it is noticeable that the complaints come from the more lawless regions, and when investigated are likely to show that they emanated from people who are compelled to observe laws they wish to break and whose personal records are not above suspicion.

In general it can be said that the constabulary are a good, efficient organization, well officered, well manned, well drilled, and accomplishing in full measure the purpose for which they were organized.

INFORMATION DIVISION.

Under the operation of this division there have been 1,400 arrests of outlaws and other criminals. Eighty-one firearms have been captured. The natives have given ready, intelligent, and very valuable advice as detectives and secret-service agents, although there is great risk attached to this service, as shown by the fact that 6 out of a total rostrum of 118 of these officers were killed during the year.

TELEGRAPH DIVISION.

The telegraph division is now operated jointly by the insular and the United States Government. The tendency has been for the United States Government to turn over to the constabulary the duty of caring for this service. This fact will account in part for the large increase of miles of telegraph from 505 to 2,037 operated by the telegraph division of the constabulary during the year. The miles of telephone also increased from 1,871 to 2,213; the cable from 85 to 163 miles; telegraph offices have increased from 23 to 60, and the telephones in use from 155 to 350 outside of the city of Manila. Seven hundred and seventy-seven miles of new construction were completed, iron poles being largely used. The short life of wooden poles in this climate makes these almost a necessity. The United States Signal Corps operates, in addition, 1,351 miles of telegraph, 1,460 miles of cable, and 398 miles of telephone in the archipelago.

MEDICAL DIVISION.

The constabulary supports 7 hospitals and 2 wards, aggregating 200 beds. Thirteen hundred and thirty-two cases were treated, with a mortality of only 26. The superintendent of the division states that the native soldier is quick to learn the duties required by the Hospital Corps, and that only one instance has ever been brought to his attention where a native has not exceeded reasonable expectations.

ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT.

All the firearms in the islands not in the hands of the military and the constabulary are registered in the ordnance department. Those in the hands of individuals are covered by licenses issued by the constabulary or by the provincial governments, under bond, to be forfeited to the government in case the arms are lost. The total number of permits outstanding, of all kinds, is now 4,749.

For additional information and details in regard to the operations of this bureau attention is called to the annual report for the fiscal year, submitted by Brig. Gen. Henry T. Allen, and supplemental report covering the period from July 1 to September 22; also reports to him of the officers commanding the five constabulary districts and of the chief supply officer.

BUREAU OF COAST GUARD AND TRANSPORTATION.

This bureau is now operating 17 steamers, 6 seagoing launches, 1 river steamer, 6 river and harbor launches, and 1 sailing sloop. The coast-guard cutters, as the steamers are called, are kept continually in use, and perform excellent service in providing transportation for government officials, carrying supplies, expediting and rendering possible the movement of the various government agents to the less accessible parts of the archipelago. There are now 11 routes upon which regular trips are made, 5 of which have headquarters at Manila. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1904, the various steamers and launches of the coast-guard service traveled over 350,000 miles, visited over 4,000 ports, carried over 15,000 passengers, and over 5,000 tons of freight,

including 5,000,000 pesos in cash. Attention is called to the report of the cruiser Tablas, used to prevent smuggling into the Moro Islands. On one occasion the sailors from the coast guard landed to help the constabulary against the ladrones in Samar.

There has been some complaint made by the owners of the merchant steamers that the large use of government ships takes so much of the business as to make it impossible for them to operate at a profit. With a view to considering this point, the civil governor has appointed committee to consider all questions of island and interisland transportation, and determine, among other important questions, whether it would be advisable to take off the boats belonging to the insular government from the main avenues of commerce and turn the government business over to the commercial lines. This committee is now at work on the problem. It has been the effort of the government to prevent the use of the coast-guard vessels from interfering with the business of the commercial lines in carrying any passengers and freight other than those incident to the government service.

LIGHT-HOUSES.

At the beginning of the fiscal year 61 lights were in operation, including 15 flashing lights, 5 fixed lights, and 41 minor lights. At the end of the fiscal year 15 new lights had been put in operation, bringing the total up to 76, including 19 flashing lights, 3 fixed lights, and 54 minor lights. The Spanish Government had made plans for a very comprehensive system of lights, and many of them were in course of construction at the time of American occupation. The insurgents, apparently not alive to the importance of aids to navigation, rather ruthlessly despoiled the light-houses of their machinery, and the equipment of the light-houses has been gathered sometimes from great distances and at considerable expense, until the system is now in a fair way to become adequate. Many of the partly constructed Spanish light-houses are now nearing completion under American supervision, and the Commission has appropriated money for several much-needed new light-houses, to be ready as soon as the construction can be completed. Lack of funds has prevented the Government from undertaking some much-needed new construction which will render navigation much more certain.

ENGINEER ISLAND.

Engineer Island, situated on the south side of the mouth of the Pasig River, was set aside for the use of the bureau of coast guard and transportation by act of the Commission, in June, 1903. The act authorized the construction of shops, a marine railway, and other facilities for handling the business of the bureau. This work is now nearing completion. The building for the machine shops is about completed, and the machinery will soon be in place. The marine railway, contract for which was let in February, 1904, is in process of construction and will undoubtedly be ready in December of this year, the time called for in the contract.

For additional information and details attention is called to the attached report for the fiscal year, submitted by Commander J. M.