140 The National Geographic Magazine 



to have joined in competition to see who 

 could most help the work. But though 

 eager to help, the Filipinos had to be 

 trained for the work, and this required 

 more tact and time. Then no accu- 

 rate maps were to be had, so that, every- 

 thing considered, the census was a most 

 difficult undertaking, and its completion 

 within the allotted two years reflects 

 great credit on the Directors. 



The principal object of the census, as 

 stated in the act of Congress, was to se- 

 cure statistics of population and a gen- 

 eral knowledge of social conditions as a 

 basis for the establishment of a Philip- 

 pine Legislature, which the law directs 

 shall convene two years after the publi- 

 cation of the reports of the census. This 

 Legislature is to consist of two houses — 

 the Philippine Commission and the Phil- 

 ippine Assembly. 



CENSUS WAS TAKEN BY FILIPINOS 



The provincial governors were ap- 

 pointed supervisors of the census, and 

 under their direction the enumeration 

 was taken. They had assembled in 

 Manila several months before the task 

 was begun and were there instructed as 

 to their duties. 



In the execution of the field work and 

 the preliminary examination of the 

 schedules 7,627 persons were engaged, 

 and of this number 1 18 were Americans, 

 1 Japanese, 6 Chinese, and 7,502 Fili- 

 pinos ; so that it may be said, in all sin- 

 cerity, that it was a Filipino census of 

 the Philippine Islands. Of the 7,502 

 natives employed 40 were women, who 

 fully sustained the opinion of Arch- 

 bishop Nozaleda that "the Filipino 

 women are better than the men in every 

 way." 



This was the first attempt on the part 

 of any tropical people in modern times 

 to make an enumeration of themselves. 



The margin of error in the number of 

 civilized Filipinos, Chinese, and other 

 foreigners probably does not exceed a 

 fraction of 1 per cent. It was feared 



that quite a large number would try to 

 avoid the enumeration ; but except in 

 a few instances there is no evidence of 

 such an intention. On the contrary, 

 several remote and obscure barrios or 

 sitios which were not found in the orig- 

 inal lists prepared by the supervisors, 

 and which had been overlooked, appar- 

 ently, sent runners to notify the census 

 officials that they had not been enumer- 

 ated. On account of the absence of well- 

 defined boundaries between municipal- 

 ities and barrios, some apprehension was 

 felt as to a duplicate enumeration, but 

 this was obviated by posting a printed 

 notice of the enumeration on every 

 house, boat, or other place occupied as 

 a dwelling, which was not removed until 

 the census was at an end. 



INDUSTRIES AWAITING DEVELOP- 

 MENT 



Among the changes to be made will 

 be, probably, the introduction of the 

 American mule and the substitution of 

 American cattle for the Indian humped 

 cattle. That cattle-raising may become 

 a profitable industry there is no ques- 

 tion, as there are large areas of grazing 

 land suitable for cattle ranches, and 

 horses, mules, and cattle thrive in the 

 climate of the Philippines. 



Statistics show that the great agricult- 

 ural wealth of the country is in the cul- 

 tivation of sugar, hemp, tobacco, and 

 coffee. Tobacco of fine quality is raised 

 in the provinces of Cagayan and Isabela, 

 and when carefully handled and thor- 

 oughly cured makes excellent cigars and 

 cigarettes. The poverty of the average 

 tobacco-grower, however, compels him 

 to dispose of his crop before it is ready 

 for use, and this, together with the crude 

 methods observed in handling it, has 

 given to Manila cigars a bad reputation 

 among tobacco connoisseurs. When the 

 tobacco-growers are able to hold their 

 crops long enough and to resort to care- 

 ful and scientific methods in its cultiva- 

 tion and preparation, the best Manila 



