performed his duties with most creditable tact, skill, and good judgment. In view of their past faithful services and of what is to be expected of them in the future, I recommend that the salaries of the secretary and fiscal be increased to $1,800 per annum, each.

I have the honor to remain, very respectfully,

The honorable the CIVIL GOVERNOR,

JAMES ROSS,

Governor, Ambos Camarines.

Manila, P. I.

REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNOR OF THE PROVINCE OF ANTIQUE.

OFFICE OF THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNOR,

PROVINCE OF ANTIQUE,

San José de Buena Vista, P. I., January 14, 1903.

SIR: In compliance with section 7, Act No. 83 of the United States Philippine Commission, and in accordance with the provisions of section 8 thereof, I have the honor to present the following report upon the conditions of the province of Antique for the year ended December 31, 1902.

POPULATION.

The total population of the province is 121,376 souls, according to the census recently taken in each of the municipalities. It is distributed as follows:

According to the previous census the population was about 114,000 inhabitants; therefore there has been an increase of 7,376 during the year 1902. It is true that cholera-which appeared here September 27-and malaria both exist as yet in some of the pueblos of the province, and these caused many deaths, but this decrease has been offset by the births during the year 1901 and 1902, which, together with the great number of people who escaped enumeration in the year 1901, have caused this increase of 7,376 inhabitants.

To the number 121,376, which is the present population of the province, there must be added certain members of the Ati or Negritos tribes, who live in savagery, scattered along the banks of the rivers of some of the pueblos of the province. The number of these will not at present reach more than 200, including men, women, and children, a great number of them having emigrated to the island of Negros during the last decade. They live in quasi-independence, without political connection with the Christian population, and govern themselves after their own fashion, ruled over by the captain or the elder of the tribe, which is composed of various families, usually descended from a common source.

The Buquidnons, or Mundos, also form a separate, semisavage population within the province of Antique, and these are located in the inaccessible regions of the mountains, without any political relations with the Christian population. They are

of the same race (Visayans) as the Christians, and the larger part of them lives in one of the mountains of the pueblo of Valderrama, known as the Monte de Verdin, separated from the pueblo by a distance of four or five days' travel through dense forests. Their population is estimated at 300-men, women, and children.

PUBLIC HEALTH.

During the year 1902 there have occurred in all the provinces about 4,523 births and 5,551 deaths, the latter caused largely by cholera and malaria, which were prevalent in the latter half of the year, according to the following statistics:

During the period of the cholera epidemic, which, while unfortunately still existing at the present time in certain of the pueblos, shows a tendency to disappear, it has been found that the municipal presidents of health were unable to cooperate with Doctor Montiola, provincial president of the board of health, because the great majority were incapable of appreciating the importance of their duties and were ignorant of the use of medicines in combatting the disease. Therefore, it resulted that nearly all sanitary measures that were taken in the pueblos were especially instigated by the provincial board of health. It may be stated that the efforts of Doctor Montiola and certain municipal presidentes, not the municipal health authorities, were the cause of bringing about success in the campaign against the cholera, as shown by the relatively small mortality during the epidemic. It is therefore recognized as a necessity to displace the present presidents of municipal boards of health and replace them with duly admitted physicians, and to intrust each of them with the sanitary care of five or more municipalities.

Antique undoubtedly is one of the provinces of the Philippines which is favored with the most excellent climatological conditions. The mean temperature is 32° C., the highest during the hot season reaching 37.7° C. The pueblos, which for the most part are situated along the seacoast, form a long and narrow strip, extending from north to south a distance of more than 90 miles. The interior pueblos are Simbalom, Engaña, and San Remigio, and in these, owing to the humidity of the soil, the health conditions are less favorable than are those of the other pueblos. Valderrama, though also an interior town, occupying the central portion of the province and separated from Bugason by a distance of 8 miles, like the coast pueblos, is of quite healthful conditions, owing to its considerable elevation above the sea level.

RIVERS.

There are numerous rivers bursting from the high mountains and falling in beautiful cascades. After irrigating the fields along the way they mingle with the waters of the sea. The largest, deepest, and most rapid rivers are the Dalanas, between Tibiao and Barbaza; the Paliwan, between Bugason and Guisijan; the Cangaranan, which runs through Valderrama and Bugason; and the Simbalom, in the pueblos of San Remigio, Simbalom, and San Pedro.

During the season of heavy rains the rivers can not be forded, and all means of communication in the province are cut off. Frequently the rivers change their

courses, causing much damage to the fields along their banks. On account of the precipitous course and the frequent variation of the rivers, it is difficult, if not indeed impossible, for the province to construct bridges over the rivers, though they are considered necessary at all times, in order to provide means of communication and transportation.

RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSIES.

The Filipino people of this province, as the majority of the people of the islands, are Christians, their religion until now being founded upon the Roman Apostolic doctrines; but it is believed that owing to the unjust attitude of the Vatican toward the Filipino people, the influence of Rome will soon cease to predominate in the consciences of the greater part of the inhabitants of the province of Antique, as shown by the fact that the secular clergy of this place seems to be favorably disposed toward the doctrines of Father Aglipay. This is to be expected, since in the rules of the new church the native clergy has found the consummation of their aspirations. Without any doubt whatsoever, the leading, most intelligent citizens of this place sympathize with the attitude of the secular clergy. This loss of influence by the Pope is due to his uncompromising zeal in supporting the friars in these islands, while they are disliked on account of their history throughout the country as being the liberticides of the Philippines. The enlightened Filipinos of the province of Antique, loving their present political institutions, will compromise with any other form of Christian religion except the Roman, even at the risk of contradicting themselves, if the Roman Pontiff persists in retaining the Spanish friars in this place, for it is believed that as long as there remains a friar in the Philippines there will always be some one to stir up strife between the people and their constituted authorities; there will always be some one trying to sow discord, to place obstacles in the way of the friendly relations of Americans with Filipinos, and then to gloat over the misfortunes of the Filipino people and the embarrassments and difficulties of the American Government in their administration of these islands. For these two peoples, Filipino and American, have accomplished here the destruction, in the interests of humanity and justice, of the secular dominion of the powerful friary.

PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.

Due to the former system of instruction, essentially sectarian, under the direction of the very reverend and learned parish priests, the education of the people is exceedingly imperfect in the province of Antique. There are more than 25 per cent who can neither read nor write; 20 per cent who can not write, and less than 5 per cent are educated. There is now among the young a great enthusiasm for learning, and certain youths who have attended the schools where American teachers were employed can already understand and read English. The improvement in this language here, while slow, is quite noticeable. So true is this that I do not think it too much to say that within a period of fifteen years there will be more Filipinos in Antique who speak English than at present speak Spanish. It would be desirable for the municipalities to construct buildings for public schools in the barrios which are at some distance from the central municipality, in order that in this manner all the possible benefits of education might be disseminated. This could be accomplished by reducing the number of municipalities, so that, with a reduction in the number of officials there might accrue a surplus to construct and maintain public schools, which are so necessary for the progress of the people. This is all the more practicable since there is here a superabundance of weak municipal organizations which serve only as a burden to the machinery of administration.

AGRICULTURE.

The principal resource of this province is agriculture. The most important product is rice, which is produced in all the pueblos and is the principal food of the people. This commodity is produced in ordinary seasons in sufficient quantity for the consumption of the residents in the pueblos of Pandan, Sebaste, Culasi, Tibiao, Barbaza, Guisijan, Bugason, Dao, and Valderrama; in a quantity sufficient for but two-thirds of the year in the pueblos of Caritan, Patnongon, and Guintas, and scarcely enough for three months in Anini-y and Cagayancillo. But Sibalom, Engaña, San Pedro, San Remigio, and Antique, called the granary of Antique, are the pueblos which produce the greatest quantity of rice, and they are able to feed, in addition to the inhabitats of their own pueblos, the whole province. So it was that in former years rice was exported from this province to the provinces of Batangas and Iloilo. In the entire

province a million and a half "cavanes" of rice, on an average, are produced annually. But last year, 1902, owing to the scarcity of carabaos, on account of rinderpest, and to the drought, the harvest fell short in the pueblos to the northward, amounting to less than one-fourth of a crop, and in the plain of Sibalom and the neighboring fields one-third of the ordinary crop was gathered.

In the pueblos to the north, from Bugason to Culasi, sugar is raised, but war and later, in 1902, the lack of work animals put an end to work upon the plantations, and now scarcely any sugar is raised. However, since 1901 and especially in 1902 great quantities of hemp have been planted in the pueblos of Pandan, Sebaste, and Culasi, whose mountains present excellent conditions for the production of hemp of a superior grade. In San Remigio, Barbaza, and Dao small quantities of this fiber are also produced but of a poor quality.

Copra is produced in all the coast towns, especially in Pandan and Cagayancillo, and the best mango of the Philippines is grown in the pueblo of Tibiao.

Coffee and cocoa are raised also in all the pueblos, but in small quantities, which do not suffice for local consumption; this industry is capable of expansion, however. There are, further, produced corn, sweet potatoes, etc., to such an extent that even though relatively little rice has been gathered during the year 1902 there is a wellgrounded hope that we can successfully cope with famine during the current year, 1903, with the assistance.of the grain stored up in 1901.

In the whole province there are not 200 head of cattle, those left being the ones saved from the recent epidemic of rinderpest, thousands upon thousands having died in the pastures of Dao. It was possible to save one-third of the carabaos from the disease. At present there are innumerable horses dying from the surra.

COMMERCE, FORESTRY, AND "INDUSTRIA."

Commerce and trading show no signs of life, undoubtedly due to the very bad condition of the means of communication, and the resources of the forests are not utilized for lack of transportation facilities.

SUGGESTED LEGISLATION.

(a) Roads and bridges.-The roads and bridges are in a deplorable condition, despite the efforts made to improve them. Throughout the province one is unable to avail himself of the comfort of traveling in a coach, and even carts and wagons which might be used to freight merchandise can with difficulty traverse these roads. From the year 1897 until after 1900 the roads and bridges were completely abandoned, and by reason of such neglect they of course became destroyed, and nothing was preserved of them except the custom of calling them by the name of roads and bridges. Consequently, the best manner of traveling in the province at present is either on foot or horseback, at times it being necessary to go along the shore.

The provincial government has provided for the repair of the roads from San José de Buena Vista to Sibalom, from San José de Buena Vista to Antique and Guintas, and from Antique to Engaña, under the direction of the former supervisor, T. Hodgson, and they are now in much better condition, compared with former years. Similar work was also done upon the road from San José de Buena Vista to Sibalom in 1901. Also, though on a small scale, as the resources of the province permitted, like work has been done in Culasi, Tibiao, and other pueblos, and a force of about 50 men has been constantly employed upon the provincial wagon road.

About 15 bridges, both large and small, have been built throughout the province; and of these three were built at the expense of the military department, but under the supervision of the province. These are the bridges at Malandog and Boeboe, in the municipal jurisdiction of Antique, and at Calala, in the jurisdiction of Guintas. There is now in course of construction, also at the cost of the military department, another bridge over the river Bungol, in the municipality of Culasi, substituting the one proposed for the river Antique, in the municipality of Antique.

It is not expected that it will be possible to put into good condition all the roads and bridges of the province with the resources of the province itself in a period of less than ten years. This certainly is an evil, and besides affecting agriculture and other prime necessities of the province in a serious manner, would be the cause for the prolongation of the commercial depression, while upon the development of commerce the true success and prosperity of this people, essentially agricultural, justly depends. Wherefore it is urgent, with all the urgency of a great social and public necessity, that the roads and bridges here be put in good condition; and to accomplish this two methods are offered as the most practical: to apply to the central government for a loan, or to impose a special tax for roads and bridges.

But the idea of a loan would not provide in this matter a practical solution, for the reason that later, when the time for the repayment of the loan should have arrived, this obligation would absorb all the funds necessary for the care of the roads and bridges, and naturally the greatest and most substantial work would have to be postponed until the debt should have been paid. In case the roads should be destroyed and the bridges lost, as they might be, in one day, it would be necessary to reconstruct them, contracting new debts. For this reason, between the two measures proposed, the tax for roads and bridges is more acceptable and more in conformity with the present early stage in the life of our provinces. True, such tax can not be imposed without rousing the opposition of many Filipinos, because it was the occasion, in the former régime of government, of great and punishable abuses. But fortunately those times have passed away and the employees of to-day are not those of yesterday. To-day the people have a voice in their own public administration, and the features which caused dislike for the road tax have been abolished. The tax for roads and bridges, Jike all taxes, is certainly a burden upon the taxpayer, because it serves to increase the load already heavy upon the shoulders of a people debilitated by a series of calamities which have recently befallen them. However, it is an evil that is necessary in order to avoid other evils far greater, which would occur as a result of a continuance of the present condition of distress due to the lack of easy means of communication. Therefore, all opposition to the imposition of this tax is wanting both in reason and foundation, particularly when it is remembered that this tax would be merely temporary or provisional in character, imposed for not more than two years, because it is to be used only for the purpose of hastening the building of the roads and bridges, since the provinces, owing to their recent organization and lack of resources, are unable to carry out these enterprises promptly and thoroughly. In order that the proposed tax may accomplish the purposes for which it is intended, and in order that its history, so odious to the minds of the people, shall be forgotten and no longer occasion opposition to this tax, it is recommended that authority be given the provincial boards in the respective provinces to impose a special tax for roads and bridges, fixing the rate and manner of collection, after securing the approval and consent of the municipal councils of all the municipalities of the province, which shall previously have been called together in assembly by the provincial board. Thus may the consent of the people to this class of taxation be assured through their immediate representatives.

(b) The fusion of municipalities.—It is an axiom of government that the success of the provincial officials depends, in the greatest number of cases, upon the efficient assistance of the municipal officials. We have had this assistance from the majority of our municipalities, from those which have sufficient resources to maintain a municipal existence, and from those wherein men of capacity and integrity were raised by popular suffrage to the official positions. In a general way we may state that as time advances our hopes grow stronger in the success of our municipal administration, which should naturally follow upon the daily experience acquired in the performance of municipal duties.

But of the 21 municipalities which compose this province, it may be stated as a certainty that seven of them at least are still far removed from capacity for affording this efficient assistance, because they can not secure good and intelligent men to fill their offices. These municipalities are Caritan, Cagayancillo, Engaña, Guintas, Guisijan, Lauaan, and Sebaste, and, in general, all those municipalities which contain less than 4,000 inhabitants. On account of their slender resources these municipalities are unable to offer a moderately adequate salary to their officials, and for this reason men of intelligence, if there are any, refuse to be elected to the municipal offices, or when appointed to them refuse to accept them, thus making it possible for men of little sense, and, in most cases, office seekers, to fill the municipal positions for the profit they can obtain therefrom. Such men are the causes of much inconvenience, and their stupidity nearly always results in the interruption of improvement in public administration.

During the last fiscal year the following were the total receipts in the municipalities named: Caritan, $368.39; Guintas, $348.73; Guisijan, $300.70, and Cagayancillo, $120.84 in United States currency, and in the same class are the municipalities of Sebaste, Lauaan, and Engaña. With only such resources as these, it is impossible to believe that these municipalities can support a proper municipal organization, with police for the maintenance of public order, with officials to execute and enforce the laws, and with funds to pay for their public improvements. The facts that public administration encounters in these municipalities such an obstacle to ordinary progress, and that people are living outside the pale of the law, unpunished because of the ignorance or negligence of the officials, suggest to us a remedy which is possibly the only saving measure, and this is the consolidation of these municipalities into WAR 1903-VOL 5-48