TWELFTH ANNUAL REPORT IQl 



who has been an employee of this Bureau for more than two 

 years, resigned in January on account of ill health, and her posi- 

 tion has been very satisfactorily filled by Mrs. M. Davis. Mr. 

 G. M. de Ubago, who was assistant and acting property clerk, 

 resigned, effective June 15, 1913. Mr. Ubago has been a mem- 

 ber of the Bureau since its organization and by reason of his 

 length of service and more than ordinary ability was a very 

 valuable and efficient clerk. Our Filipina stenographer and 

 typist who, a year ago, showed promise of becoming a very com- 

 petent clerk has continued to progress and is now in charge of 

 the correspondence and accounting connected with The Phil- 

 ippine Journal of Science. Much economy can be practiced if 

 really competent Filipino clerks can be secured to do work which 

 it formerly was thought absolutely necessary to have done by 

 Americans. 



Filing. — This work has not progressed very rapidly nor as 

 satisfactorily as seemed possible. It was expected that it would 

 take three or four months, but already a year has elapsed and 

 the work is not yet completed. However, our records are more 

 accessible than they were twelve months ago. Filing is one of 

 the most difficult and important parts of any office work, and 

 much of our former difficulty in keeping our records readily 

 accessible has been due to the underestimated importance of the 

 work and in leaving it to the less competent clerks. There are 

 at present two very hard-working Filipino clerks engaged with 

 the records, and, with the work well started, by steady applica- 

 tion they will be able to keep up with the current work and 

 bring the indexing of the older records to completion. 



The two bicycles purchased two years ago have given excellent 

 service and have unquestionably saved much more than their 

 cost in car fare and carromata hire, besides giving us a system 

 of quick messenger service otherwise unobtainable. They have 

 had hard wear and will soon need to be replaced. 



The new filing cabinets for the index cards to the files received 

 a few months ago are satisfactory, and are now in use. 



The purchase and installation of a watchman's time clock with 

 keys distributed about the buildings and premises insures the 

 watchman visiting all parts of the buildings and grounds a 

 number of times each night and adds to his efficiency. 



Our telephone service seems much improved since it has been 

 taken over by the Executive Bureau. Trained and competent 

 operators are furnished at a very reasonable salary. The service 

 of late has been somewhat annoying owing principally to de- 



