rinderpest, affecting domestic and work animals; thick clouds of locusts and grasshoppers, which have consumed 80 per cent of the small crops that have been planted; continuous drought; and, to cap it all, a cyclone, with its accompanying inundations, completed the desperation of the landowners and poor farmers. So true is this that some of the pueblos, such as O'Donnell and Murcia, have gathered scarcely any rice, even for present consumption, according to information which I have received.

The present condition, therefore, of agriculture and cattle raising in this province is so unfavorable and depressed that if relief is not afforded promptly, either by private and united effort or by Government aid, these resources will probably not be revived at all. It causes sadness for one to visit the pueblos and look upon the fields, formerly so flourishing and productive, but now filled with briers and fallen again in an uncultivated state, or covered with beds of sand from the inundations, the locusts, or the drought. Fortunate, indeed, it is that the forests, with the small utilization of their products, are able to afford in a measure efficient aid in the support of these people.

PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.

Public instruction in this province is advancing perceptibly, thanks to the zeal and activity of the superintendent of this branch. Of the 17 pueblos, which constitute this province, the 7 most important, which have good and permanent schools, are provided with American teachers, men and women; 7 others, with Filipino teachers, most of them from the normal institute of this capital. Two pueblos, Moriones and Santa Ignacia, have no teachers, both on account of the lack of suitable buildings and because they are small pueblos and unable to support teachers with reasonable salaries. Only one town of importance, Victoria, which has a handsome schoolhouse, has no American teacher, for lack of the person. The pueblos of most importance also have Filipino teachers in some of their barrios, the instruction being similar to that provided in the central municipality.

According to data furnished by the superintendent of public instruction of this province, there have attended the public schools of all the municipalities in the province during the year covered by this report, 2,930 boys and 1,252 girls, including the provincial school of this capital recently established. Besides the leading residents of the town, a large number of municipal and provincial officials and employees attend the night classes of the last-mentioned school.

At the initiative of this provincial board there has been established in this capital a secondary or high school, the pupils of which, after terminating the course of study prescribed, will be prepared to enter any college or higher institution of academic or professional study. This high school is supported from the provincial treasury, and the provincial board has authorized the construction of a larger building, according to plans of the provincial supervisor, and much material has already been prepared and collected.

PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS.

In addition to the building above referred to, there have already been completed, or are in course of construction, at the expense of the province, additions to the provincial government house, in which each office, as well as the court of first instance, will have its own department or special office rooms, with the necessary equipment and space for its purposes.

The principal wagon roads of the province have been repaired and drains and bridges built of strong materials between Capas and Concepción, between Tarlac and Victoria, and between Gerona and Pura. Certain municipalities have themselves undertaken and completed many improvements of a local character, such as the construction of school and municipal buildings at Concepción and Paniqui, and street lighting at the former; the schoolhouses at Victoria, Gerona, Capas, and Murcia; the municipal building at Gerona and street lighting at Mocada, as well as the repair of highways, streets, and the neighboring roads in all the municipalities.

ECONOMIC CONDITIONS.

In the light of all these facts it may be deduced, therefore, that this province enjoys complete peace, uninterrupted until the present by either political or social disorders. But so far as the economic, industrial, and agricultural resources are concerned, we are now in the midst of such depression and prostration that great energy and easy, effectual measures for meeting this crisis have become absolutely necessary. There were formerly three great sources of wealth in this province: Cattle raising, forestry, and agriculture. The herds, flourishing and numerous, composed of carabaos and cattle, were pastured in multitudes upon the fields and plains, and were the principal resource of the people, for they served to cover their small needs. Animals of

this kind were even brought in from Pampanga to this province on account of the abundance of the natural pasturage of the hills and valleys. To-day this source of wealth has disappeared completely on account of the rinderpest, which, beginning in 1888, has raged annually until the present time, when not even a sufficient number of animals for working the fields remains. Forestry, most abundant in this province, was also a perennial source of income to these people before the regulations were issued which provide for the utilization of forest products; but at present, owing to these regulations and the appropriation of the timber by the large estates of private individuals, this resource has been reduced to a minimum, and in order to make use of these products various formalities have to be complied with. Agriculture, which was formerly the least depended upon, has recently become the principal and almost sole resource of the people. But calamities, such as wars, rinderpest, cholera, thievery, overflows of rivers and inundations, locusts, etc., threaten also to destroy this interest, the sole remaining one (burdened, too, with duties and taxes), unless Providence and the government intervene.

SUGGESTED LEGISLATION.

Therefore the following measures are suggested as necessary to the interests of this province:

1. The establishment of an agricultural bank, to save the owners of rural property from the clutches of usury.

2. The providing of work animals at prices accessible to the farmer and upon easy terms of payment.

3. Permission for landowners to utilize forest products for agricultural purposes, or the concession and confirmation to the pueblos of their respective "community leagues."

4. Canalization and dredging of the large rivers, which in their overflows destroy the crops and cover the extensive, cultivated fields with sand.

5. The revision and equitable valuation of the lands subject to taxation, concerning the assessment of which the owners complain greatly since the larger part of these rural lands are at present very unproductive. And further, that the payment of taxes be allowed in local currency, which is also the opinion of the attorney-general upon this particular.

Another suggestion which I take the liberty of offering for your consideration is one which I have already made in connection with the administration of justice in the court of first instance in this province. Notwithstanding the extreme diligence and activity which it is to be supposed is exercised by the official presiding over these matters, unfortunate delays are always occurring, and these redound to the injury of litigants in civil cases, and of the poor prisoners in criminal cases. There have been cases in which, after confinement in prison for months awaiting trial, the prisoner has been sentenced to three months' imprisonment.

It is not my intention to blame anyone, nor still less to question the integrity, the great zeal and activity of the honorable judge at present presiding in this province, for he has sufficiently demonstrated and continues to demonstrate these qualities, by determining numerous cases and processes at every session; but these sessions are not continuous, but alternate with those held in other provinces which go to make up this district, with an interval of several months between, consequently the cases accumulate to such an extent that it is virtually an impossibility to dispose of all of them in one session. In my humble opinion, three provinces are too many for one judge alone, considered from the standpoint of efficient administration of justice. As for the economy of the measure, in provinces like this in which the judge has not his fixed residence, the province is obliged to pay his expenses of travel and stay, as long as the sessions last. Both of these problems would be solved and the public and the provincial treasury benefited should the following suggestion be adopted: A district judge, such as the one in this district which comprises three provinces, receives $4,500 gold per annum; by giving each province a judge with a salary of $1,500, which is the same as the salary received by the provincial governors, we would find that the administration of justice in each of them would be carried out with greater promptitude, and the expenses of travel and lodging would be avoided. These amount, in time, to a respectable sum.

Let it not be said that there is a lack of suitable persons from whom to select, for this would be unjust to the respectable class of lawyers in the exercise of their profession; nor that the salary would be too small, because each one would have his work in one province only; nor that they would soon find themselves with their arms crossed for lack of business to which to attend. The effect would be rather that the public would be well served, judicial matters promptly dispatched, and useless expense to the provincial treasury saved.

PUBLIC HEALTH.

Now free from the terrors of cholera, with its accompanying quarantines and sanitary precautions—and though it has not been considered particularly violent here, it has, nevertheless, caused the death of 1,552 victims-this province has been restored to its natural state of healthfulness, attacked only by malaria, now common in the places where evaporation from vegetable detritus in the large and dense forests inundated during the rainy season, and aided by the strong prevailing north winds, causes a great deal of these fevers at the present time.

Vaccination has been practiced in all the pueblos of the province, as a result of the interest of the president of the provincial board of health and the activity of the municipal presidents of boards of health.

Respectfully,

The CIVIL GOVERNOR, Manila, P. I.

ALFONSO RAMOS,

Provincial Governor.

REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNOR OF TAYABAS.

PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF TAYABAS,

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, Lucena, Tayabas, P. I., January 15, 1903.

SIR: Complying with the requirements of section 7, act No. 83, have the honor to submit the following report upon the province of Tayabas for the year ending December 31, 1902:

Upon assuming the office of provincial governor on March 3, 1902, I found this province seriously handicapped by having the reputation of being "pacified," which it never really was until Malvar's forces had all been captured or surrendered. While not questioning the sincerity of views to the contrary, in my opinion, a state of insurrection existed and always had existed throughout the province since the first American occupation, insurrecto activity being more or less marked at different times and in different localities, and being especially serious in and about the towns of Tiaon, Candelaria, Dolores, Sariaya, and Mauban, and to a less extent in the vicinity of the towns of Pagbilao, Tayabas, Lucban. Sampaloc, Lucena, Guinayangan, and others.

On the above date there existed a thorough military reconcentration of the towns of Tiaon, Candelaria, Dolores, and Sariaya, and a less complete one in the towns of Tayabas and Lucban. The towns of Candelaria and Tiaon had up to this time been practically under a dual government, recognizing both the United States Government and the insurrecto government under Malvar, a disproportionate share of the taxes, however, going to the latter.

Gen. J. Franklin Bell carried on such an energetic campaign in the section referred to that the insurgents were all either captured or compelled to surrender, among the leaders being Marquez, Mayo, Masangcay, Cabuñag, Cadiz, and others. After March 3, 1902, there were captured by, or surrendered to, the military in this province, 202 guns and 47 revolvers, and a very large number of prisoners.

Upon the termination of this campaign the military posts in the province were gradually abandoned, all the troops in General Bell's brigade being withdrawn, and the only garrisons in the province at the present time are two companies of the Twenty-sixth Infantry at Atimonan, and Lieutenant Wray's company of Native Scouts at Lopez, both on the Pacific coast. However, a new post for four troops of cavalry is now undergoing construction at Lucena, the capital.

In order to punish them for their deception, and upon my recommendation, the Civil Commission annexed, as barrios, the town of Dolores to Tiaon, and Candelaria to Sariaya.

The termination of military operations in Tayabas Province did not, however, bring in all the native forces that had been permanently in the field, and there have since been either captured by, or surrendered to, the constabulary or police, about 150 guns, 35 revolvers, and over 500 prisoners, among the more important not elsewhere mentioned being, Encarnacion at Guinayangan, Florido and Verdadero at Lopez, Encallada at Mauban, Jalbuena at Pagbilao, and Silvala at Macalelon. A band under an able leader named Destajo for a long time infested the neighborhood of Mauban, levying contributions, but not committing any serious crimes.

Owing to the efficient and energetic work of Constabulary Insp. Mariano Castillo, a former colonel of the insurgent army, a large number of Destajo's men were captured, and he himself with the remnant of his band were induced to surrender,

In July, 1902, there was discovered an extensive organization which, for nearly a year, had existed in the neck of country between Atimonan and Gumaca on the Pacific coast, and Laguimanoc, Unisan, and Pitogo on the southern coast, under the leadership of a certain Ruperto Rios. This man Rios, originally bellowsman to the blacksmith at Atimonan, had been a major of bolomen under Lieut. Col. Emilio Zurbano of the insurrecto forces of this province, and had surrendered with him in July, 1901, at the town of Tayabas, immediately afterwards violating his oath of allegiance and taking to the mountains, as he feared punishment for the various crimes he had committed. In the beginning, representing himself to be an inspired prophet, he worked upon the superstition of the poor barrio people to such an extent that he succeeded in organizing, by the time stated, what he called "exterior municipal governments," with a very elaborate equipment of officials.

Inspired by his successes, he promoted his followers and himself in rapid succession, until finally he had with him one captain-general, one lieutenant-general, 25 majors-general, and 50 brigadiers-general, without counting the numerous colonels and officers of lower grades; had elevated himself to the rank of generalissimo; declared himself viceroy and son of God, and stated that he proposed to enter Atimonan on the 8th of August to be crowned king of the Philippines. Before that date, however, I had personally visited Atimonan and effected the arrest of about 80 of his high-ranking officials, and the coronation was postponed indefinitely.

As a "son of God," he received confessions and granted absolutions considerably below market price, and which he claimed were much more efficacious than those dispensed by an ordinary padre.

On one occasion he built a fire under a tree, and, by means of a rope, descended through the smoke announcing that he had just arrived from heaven. He is also understood to have done a thriving "anting-anting" (charm) business, which, however, did not prevent many of his followers permanently retiring from business, owing to being perforated by constabulary bullets.

For some time he carried with him a box, on the cover of which was painted the word "Independence," and which was guarded by three picked virgins. He stated to the ignorant barrio people that the Filipinos had for a long time been struggling for independence which he now had in his possession, and that as soon as he was convinced that his followers deserved it, he would remove the lid from the box, "Independence" would jump out, they could catch her and be ever afterwards happy.

Another idea which these people had of independence was that, once acquired, it would mean a go-as-you-please life; no taxes, no jails, and that each man could help himself to whatever he desired-his neighbor's pony, carabao, or other property.

Rios frequently concealed himself at night and would appear in the morning announcing to his followers that he had spent the evening in conversation with the Emperors of Russia and Germany and the President of France, and that these potentates would soon send over large fleets which would distribute 10,000 arms with necessary ammunition on the shores of Tayabas Province.

This organization of Rios was really an offshoot of the Colorum sect which had a "New Jerusalem" on Mount San Cristobal, near the dividing line of the provinces of Tayabas, Batangas, and La Laguna.

Deciding that the only way to combat such an organization was through the more intelligent natives themselves, I notified the presidentes and councilors of all the towns that I would hold them responsible for bands existing within their respective jurisdictions. If brigandage was known to exist within the limits of a town for a week, I should assume it was because they were aided by some of the people of that town; that it was my recommendation that immediate measures be taken to prevent the spread of ladronism in their towns, and that they should promptly clean out the affected barrios by ordering them within limits of observation and control. The town councils, where necessary, all passed acts ordering the infected barrios into such locations where they could be watched by the constabulary and municipal police.

At the same time in each of the towns of the disturbed district, and in fact all over the province, I organized companies of volunteers, composed of the higher class of natives, and armed them with guns, kindly loaned by the constabulary, with whom they cooperated so successfully that this pernicious organization has been completely destroyed and a large majority of its members captured or killed.

The volunteers of Unisan, cooperating with the constabulary under the efficient command of Constabulary Inspector Julio Herrera, another former insurgent officer, succeeded in killing the so-called "lieutenant-general," Felipe Verastigui, and capturing all of his followers, as they were about to escape to the island of Marinduque.

Ladronism from time immemorial has existed in parts of this province, and some of the people have looked upon it as an occupation. We are doing everything in our

power to render this occupation unpopular, and have succeeded beyond our original expectations. It will be necessary, however, to watch unceasingly, as certain classes of the people on the slightest provocation or opportunity will adopt the easy life of the ladron.

The localities in which brigandage is liable to exist in this province is the one described, and on the western Batangas and Laguna border. In the latter place it is so easy for malefactors to slip from one province to another that this section has always offered special inducements to ladrones. While small migratory bands formerly passed to and from the province of Ambos Camarines on our eastern border, owing to its sparsely inhabited condition, they never located in that section. I have seen reports indicating that bands belonging in eastern Tayabas sometimes crossed over and committed depredations among our neighbors, but no such bands have existed since the capture of Encarnación, and he never left the province.

Owing to the unfortunate reputation of this province, which was usually sarcastically alluded to as the "pacified province," she has naturally been obliged to bear many unjust burdens, and nothing was deemed too improbable to emanate from Tayabas. In August, about 150 of the followers of Rios, mostly generals and colonels, with one low-down sergeant, and nearly all barefoot and conspicuously uniformed in shirt tails, entered Unisan, whipped the municipal officials, and walked off with the five police; every one of whom was shortly afterwards recaptured. This occurrence was published by some of the newspapers at the time, but having again been mentioned by somebody in December, it was immediately assumed to be a natural repetition of the deed, and again published and included in the bulletin. On a subsequent occasion because the senior inspector of another province bore the same name as the senior inspector of this province, and had reported that ladrones had been mutilating prisoners, it was immediately published as atrocities in Tayabas," or words to that effect.

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I not only do not believe the people here to be worse than in other provinces, but also do not believe that better people can be found in the Archipelago. In the beginning of my term of office our methods were more rigorous than the people had been accustomed to, and they considered us harsh, holding themselves very much aloof; but they now appreciate that harsh measures were then necessary, and give every indication of hearty and loyal support. To-day I consider the state of feeling in this province to be most kindly toward American sovereignty, and judge from conduct instead of from oral professions.

This province, with an area of about 10,000 square miles, making it equal to the States of Vermont or New Hampshire, is now one of the largest provinces in the Philippines. Since I assumed control this area has been practically tripled, and its population, now over 200,000, has been doubled. I feel justified in stating that the province as a whole will compare most favorably with any equal portion of any country as to either morality or number of crimes committed.

We Americans have been too impatient, have expected to accomplish too much at once, and have ignored the fact that we are struggling against the accumulated customs and superstitions of three centuries of tyranny. In this province I feel that an astonishing amount has already been accomplished, and that our future prospects are of the brightest. Although there have been, and probably will continue to be, occasional misunderstandings between some of them and myself, I consider the people of Tayabas Province, as a class, to be all right.

THE GARDENER BOARD OF INVESTIGATION.

From about the middle of April until the fore part of June there was in session at Lucena a board of officers, consisting of Brig. Gen. T. J. Wint, U. S. Army; Lieut. Col. J. W. Duncan, Thirteenth U. S. Infantry, and Capt. W. T. Johnston, Fifteenth U.S. Cavalry, to investigate the charges preferred by Maj. Cornelius Gardener, Thirteenth U. S. Infantry, my predecessor, in general terms against the officers who had conducted military operations in this province.

I do not consider it proper for me to comment on this subject further than to state that in the beginning the arrival of this board appeared to me to have a bad influence on the natives in this immediate section, and I was given to understand that it was their opinion that the board was sent here to receive complaints of whatever class, and that many of them understood that Major Gardener was to be punished for being friendly to them. This illusion was soon dispelled, and I did what was possible, by example and otherwise, to keep the erroneous impressions from spreading; for a time acting as counsel for Major Gardener and always furnishing the board and himself with whatever information was in my possession. A month after the departure of the board its existence was evidently forgotten, and now it is never alluded to.