Part 12 (1/2)

By 1912 they had more than trebled. There was also a currency problem.

Coins from everywhere--Mexico, China, America, India--were in common circulation, with almost daily fluctuations in value. The Islands now have their own money on a gold basis. Then, close on the heels of the insurrection, came a famine. Locusts swept over the land and destroyed what little grain the war had left. The natives in some parts of the archipelago ate the locusts, however, and liked them, making the work of the officials more difficult. Grain s.h.i.+pped from America decayed in the storehouses before it could be distributed, and, as if that were not enough, carabaos died by the thousand from rinderpest.

But the most difficult of all was the problem of the friar lands.

Thousands of acres of valuable land had been acquired during Spanish rule by the different orders of monks, and held by them with great profit. One of the chief causes of Aguinaldo's rebellion was the exactions of these wealthy churchmen, which galled a patient people into final revolt, and during the ascendancy of the insurgent government resulted in the confiscation of Church property and the flight of the friars. These men took refuge in Manila, and pet.i.tioned the new government for a settlement of their claims. Their legal rights were not to be disputed, but to return them to their property and protect them there would have brought on us the increased enmity of a people whose friends.h.i.+p we were trying to win. The friends of the friars were no friends of the people. It was decided to have the Philippine Government buy these lands from the Church, which was accordingly arranged. Even this was not a popular solution, but seems to have been the best that could be done under the circ.u.mstances. One-third of these lands are still vacant.

Road building was one of the most baffling of the problems. The people had no appreciation of the necessity for good roads, and would not pay for them nor help keep them in repair when they were built. For years the Commission toiled at the seemingly hopeless task, and it was not until Governor Forbes went out there from Boston that anything definite was accomplished. His native city should be very proud of his brilliantly successful administration, the proofs of which met us at every turn during our stay in the archipelago, and convinced us of the fatal mistake it is to allow such a position as Governor of the Philippines to become the prize of politicians. To the native mind his name became inseparably connected with roads. _Caminero_ means a road man, and Cameron Forbes is of course known to the Filipino as ”Caminero Forbays.” He had been a commissioner five years when made governor general, which office he held for four more. When Mr. Wilson became president, Governor Forbes was advised not to tender his resignation, for it was believed the new administration would wish to keep the Islands clear of the spoil system.

Suddenly out of a clear sky, the Governor General received this cablegram from the Insular Bureau:

”Harrison confirmed August 21st. The President desires him to sail September 10th. Will it be convenient to have your resignation accepted September 1st. Harrison to accept and take the oath of office September 2nd. The President desires to meet your convenience. Should Harrison take linen, silver, gla.s.s, china and automobiles? What else would you suggest? Wife and children will accompany him. Please engage for him servants you leave.”

[Ill.u.s.tration: BENGUET ROAD]

Worst of all, it was given out to the papers before the Governor received it, so that certain anti-American sheets in Manila had the pleasure of flaunting the news on their front pages for him to read.

Surely some more considerate and courteous method of retiring a fine administrator might have been devised than this abrupt and rude dismissal, and it would seem that petty household matters might have been kept separate.

Secretary Worcester, also a native of New England, who is the greatest living authority on the Islands, and whose achievements with the wild, non-Christian tribes had been marvelous--to say nothing of his other excellent work--had also of course to resign. Forbes, by the way, is not a Republican, but neither is he a Democrat, and Independents are not politically useful.

The work of the administration immediately preceding that of Governor Harrison is worth at least a partial summary. Besides building roads, establis.h.i.+ng a good health resort at Baguio, systematizing the work of the government, reducing the number of bureaus, cutting down expenses and eliminating duplication of work, and numerous other public services, Governor Forbes succeeded in accomplis.h.i.+ng the following:

The reorganization of the merchant marine.

The construction of aids to navigation--buoys, lighthouses and beacons, wharves and harbours.

The removal of restrictions from s.h.i.+pping.

The establishment of a policy for the exclusive use of permanent materials in construction, practically all the construction in the Islands being done of reinforced concrete and selected woods.

The pa.s.sage of a law providing for proper development of irrigation, laying aside an annual sum for that purpose.

The establishment of a cadastral law for registering law t.i.tles. ”Under this system it was possible to get land t.i.tles settled, one of the most difficult and important problems confronting any government and one bearing directly on the welfare of the people in various ways.

”A general system was adopted of loaning to provinces and munic.i.p.alities to encourage them in the construction of public works, particularly those of a revenue-bearing nature; most especially markets, which improved the sanitary condition of the food supply and proved both popular with the people and profitable for the munic.i.p.alities; these markets usually paid for themselves in five years from the increased revenues.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIRST PHILIPPINE a.s.sEMBLY.]

”The Governor's influence was used throughout to make the instruction in the schools practical in its nature; children were taught to make things that would prove to be salable and which would give them a living. The dignity of labour was emphasized. Encouragement was given to foster the construction of railroads.

”The establishment of a postal savings bank encouraged the children to invest. Prizes were given for that child or school which showed the best record.” (Governor Forbes took an especial interest in the latter.)

The first general election was held in the Islands on the third of July, 1907, to choose delegates for the a.s.sembly. Before that the Philippine Commission had been the sole legislative body. The delegates were chosen from the thirty-five Christian provinces. At that time only a minute percentage of the population, even among the Filipinos, was qualified to meet the simple conditions which would enable them to vote, and to-day the percentage is far from large. The electorate consists mainly of two cla.s.ses, the il.u.s.trados, or educated natives and mestizos,[16] and the _taos_, or peasants. The latter are not only ignorant but indifferent, with no vision beyond what their eyes can see, and no interest in who governs them, so long as crops are good and taxes low. One of the tasks of our representatives is to educate and awaken these people to responsible citizens.h.i.+p. It is a task still far from accomplishment.

It must be admitted that the work of the a.s.sembly to-day, after eight years of fair trial, does not encourage Filipinization of the service.

It is fortunate--at times--that the two legislative bodies have equal power not only to initiate legislation but to block the pa.s.sage of each other's bills. In this way the Commission has been able to hold up some of the freak legislation sent up to it by the lower body. The Manila _Times_ has published a list of the laws which were wanted by the Filipino a.s.semblymen recently. They spent the valuable time of the entire first session talking them over and the Commission refused to concur. One was to increase their own salaries, of course. Another was to erect monuments to all the il.u.s.trados who had cried ”_Bajo los Americanos_” most loudly. Others wanted to fly the Philippine flag above the American on all masts, to make a legal holiday of the birthday of Rizal's grandmother, and to free all prisoners, no matter what their crimes.

[Ill.u.s.tration: OSMEnA, THE SPEAKER OF THE FIRST a.s.sEMBLY.]

As may be imagined, a body of men which can pa.s.s such bills is quite capable of blocking the sane legislation which comes to them for approval, and unfortunately they have the power to do this. The way in which the slavery question was handled ill.u.s.trates their methods.