ust become lower, to the advantage of all concerned
in import and export trade. The cost of these improvements up to
completion is estimated at about one million sterling.

The port of Siassi (Tapul group), which was opened in recent years by
the Spaniards, was discontinued (June 1, 1902) by the Americans, who
opened the new coastwise ports of Cape Melville, Puerta Princesa, and
Bongao (October 15, 1903) in order to assist the scheme for preventing
smuggling between these extreme southern islands and Borneo. Hitherto
there had been some excuse for this surreptitious trade, because
inter-island vessels, trading from the other entry-ports, seldom,
if ever, visited these out-of-the-way regions. In February, 1903,
appropriations of $350,000 and $150,000 were made for harbour works in
Cebu and Yloilo respectively, although in the latter port no increased
facility for the entry of vessels into the harbour was apparent up to
June, 1904. Zamboanga, the trade of which was almost nominal up to the
year 1898, is now an active shipping centre of growing importance,
where efforts are being made to foster direct trade with foreign
eastern ports. An imposing Custom-house is to be erected on the new
spacious jetty already built under American auspices. Arrangements
have also been made for the Hong-Kong-Australia Steamship Company to
make Zamboanga a port of call. Here, as in all the chief ports of the
Archipelago, greater advantages for trade have been afforded by the
administration, and one is struck with the appearance of activity and
briskness as compared with former times. These changes are largely
owing to the national character of the new rulers, for one can enter
any official department, in any branch of public service, from that
of the Gov.-General downwards, to procure information or clear up a
little question "while you wait," and, if necessary, interview the
chief of the department. The tedious, dilatory time and money-wasting
"come later on" procedure of times gone by no longer obtains.

What is still most needed to give a stimulus to agriculture and the
general material development of the Islands is the conversion of
hundreds of miles of existing highways and mud-tracks into good hard
roads, so as to facilitate communication between the planting-districts
and the ports. The corallaceous stone abounding in the Islands is
worthless for road-making, because it pulverizes in the course of one
wet season, and, unfortunately, w