432 JACKSON. 



the year 1906 the death rate, including those who died after returning to 

 America, was not higher than in the most salubrious communities in the 

 United States. He further states that "in no country in the world has 

 the Government done more for the protection of its employees." Grant- 

 ing the correctness of these statements we may dismiss the white man 

 from our consideration and turn our attention to conditions among 

 Filipinos in the provinces. Inasmuch as 95 per cent of the Filipino 

 people live outside of the city of Manila we may fairly take conditions 

 outside of that city as an index of our success or failure in hygienic 

 education at the end of nine years of American occupation. 



Let us consider these conditions briefly. It would be unfair to 

 inquire whether the improved conditions just recited for Manila obtain 

 likewise in provincial towns. It is fair, however, to inquire in what 

 respect sanitary conditions in provincial towns are better than they were 

 at the time that American civil government was instituted in these 

 Islands. I have lived in native houses in provincial towns for the past 

 year, closely surrounded by Filipino neighbors and by day and night I 

 have observed their customs and habits. Under the circumstances, in- 

 deed, it would be impossible to avoid an intimate knowledge of their 

 manner of life. In 1901 and 1902 I had a similar opportunity and I 

 therefore feel that I. am qualified to make comparisons. The habits, 

 customs, and manners of the people are sufficiently well known to most 

 of the members of the Association and I have reason to believe that the 

 conditions I have observed are neither better nor worse than those in the 

 average provincial town. Putting aside matters which are purely aesthetic 

 and fully recognizing the great progress made by the government in its 

 efforts to provide for the people the things which make for peace and 

 contentment, I am of the opinion that our efforts at sanitary education, 

 if they have not failed completely, have been far from successful. 



Accepting the testimony of my eyes I am forced to believe that in 

 provincial towns conditions are practically as they were seven years ago, 

 as regards such personal habits as defecation, urination, expectoration, 

 and eating with the fingers. In less individual matters, affecting the 

 community rather than the family, such as the condition of the market 

 places, the contamination of foods by insects and animals and the disposal 

 of garbage and other wastes, the improvement is inappreciable. There 

 is sufficient improvement for remark in the single matter of relative 

 tidiness of streets and dooryards. Even in this particirlar, which is 

 cosmetic rather than vital from a sanitary viewpoint, one can point to 

 little more than the disappearance of carabao wallows. It is true that in 

 every town of any size there are people of comparative wealth and relative 

 intelligence and education. Some of them have been educated in schools 

 of our establishing. These people exhibit cleanliness of person and 

 clothing, eat at tables with spoons and' forks and give evidence of a 



