﻿164 The Philippine Journal of Science 1914 



The Spanish Government appropriately subsidized this school, and paid 

 the expenses of the material and furniture, and therefore the teaching was, 

 and still remains, entirely gratuitous. At the close of the Spanish dominion 

 in these Islands, the Government of the United States continued to give this 

 subsidy, and even made it somewhat larger, up to a little more than a year 

 ago. 



The average number of pupils when conditions are normal is: 



In the course for the degree of master 450-500 



In the school of practice 150-200 



Total 600-700 



The present number of pupils is: 



In the course of the degree of master 304 



In the school of practice 201 



Total 505 



The total number of masters up to the present is 1,606 



Annual average 53 



Total number of assistants 340 



Some of the above-mentioned pupils are boarders, and their number has 

 varied according to the capacities of the various buildings which the normal 

 school has successively occupied. In 1896, the boarders numbered 184; at 

 the present time there are 102. The unpeaceful state of the times in many 

 provinces of the Archipelago has been the reason that more pupils have not 

 entered. 



The school being without suitable quarters, the Company of the Jesuits 

 erected in Ermita the building now occupied by the normal school. For 

 this undertaking, it was necessary for the mission to burden itself with a 

 considerable debt which it hoped to extinguish in a few years by the help of 

 the 4,000 pesos' loan which the Spanish Government offered it, and the 

 economies it would be able to make. As it stands now, the structure has 

 cost more than 200,000 pesos and at the present could not be erected at three 

 times the cost. Therefore, we do not believe that we exceeded the bounds of 

 justice when we asked last year of the Government of General Otis an 

 increase of appropriation. Nevertheless our petition was rejected. 



The increase of the endowment has become more necessary on account of 

 the notable increase in price which articles of actual necessity have reached. 

 Without claiming, then, any right by the sacrifice mentioned or the merits 

 of our teaching, the writer limits himself to submitting to the consideration 

 and wisdom of the Commission the necessity in which the normal school 

 finds itself for an increase in endowment, in order that with more ease and 

 better results it may continue its work in the future. 



Besides this, in order that this institution may retain its reputed import- 

 ance and show a reason for existence, it is necessary that it should acquire 

 a special title for the granting of degrees to teachers. This has not been 

 done in the last two years. 



It is necessary in the same way to recompense the masters well and to 

 stimulate their zeal by all possible inducements, otherwise the last of 



