54 THE BUREAU OF SCIENCE 



In my annual report for 1913 I pointed out that the work 

 of maintaining a constantly growing Bureau which is in effect 

 a department of information has seriously handicapped us in 

 carrying on new lines of investigation as well as completing 

 those which have already been begun. We are in the greatest 

 need of more scientific employees and equipment to handle the 

 additional work which has devolved upon us. During each of 

 the three years in which I have been in charge of the Bureau 

 of Science there has been an increase in the amount of work 

 and a decrease in the number of authorized civil service positions 

 in the Bureau. It follows that the research of the Bureau most 

 necessary for the industrial, economic, and sanitary development 

 of the Philippine Islands must suffer unless its routine work is 

 reduced or funds available are increased. In spite of the large 

 amount of routine work, the researches of the Bureau have been 

 extensive and have included such problems as the investigation 

 of plague, cholera, bacillary dysentery, tuberculosis, leprosy, 

 balantidiasis, malaria, beriberi, and other diseases of man ; pro- 

 blems of immunity and tropical sanitation ; the eradication of 

 household and other insect pests ; and the investigation of sugar, 

 the nipa palm, palm brandy, starch, coconuts and coconut pro- 

 ducts, other vegetable oils, the perfume industry, essential oils, 

 terpenes, papaya gum, tanning materials, Philippine dyes, paper 

 pulp, soils, Portland cement, sand-lime products, lime, fire clay, 

 vitrified and other clay products, abrasives, alum, artesian 

 water, asbestos, clay products, cement raw materials, coal, pro- 

 ducer-gas plant, corundum, gems and precious stones, guano 

 and phosphates, gypsum, limestone, manganese, mica and talc, 

 mineral pitch, mineral waters, ocher, petroleum and gas, salt, 

 sand and gravel, stone, sulphur, gold, silver, lead, copper, iron 

 and iron ore, chromic iron, antimony, hats and hat making, 

 medicinal plants, fungi, coffee, cacao, tobacco, silk, honey, fish 

 ponds, food and game fishes, pearl fisheries, button shells, win- 

 dow shell, trepang (beche de mer) , shark fin, tortoise shell, 

 sponges, edible seaweed and isinglass, fish culture, preserving 

 fishery products, game birds, etc. The Philippine Islands need 

 this class of research, and the legislature should give this work 

 its support in order to protect and build up the public health 

 and in order that capitalists may be shown where to invest. 

 Such a large volume of work as has been accomplished during 

 the past year could not have been accomplished by so few men 

 during official hours. Men will not remain indefinitely under 

 these conditions. It is unfair to reduce the staff so much 

 that it is necessary to put in much overtime to complete the 



