hat little hard stone exists lies
chiefly in inaccessible places--hence its extraction and transport
would be more costly than the supply of an equal quantity of broken
granite brought over in sailing-ships from the Chinese coast, where
it is procurable at little over the quarryman's labour. From the days
of the Romans the most successful colonizing nations have regarded
road-making as a work of primary importance and a civilizing factor.

Among the many existing projects, there is one for the construction
of railroads (1) from Manila (or some point on the existing railway)
northward through the rich tobacco-growing valleys of Isabela and
Cagayan, as far as the port of Aparri, at the mouth of the Cagayan
River--distance, 260 miles; (2) from Dagupan (Pangasinan) to Laoag
(Ilocos Norte), through 168 miles of comparatively well-populated
country; (3) from San Fabian (Pangasinan) to Baguio (Benguet), 55
miles; and three other lines in Luzon Island and one in each of the
islands of Negros, Panay, Cebu, Leyte, and Samar. A railway line from
Manila to Batangas, _via_ Calamba (a distance of about 70 miles), and
thence on to Albay Province, was under consideration for many years
prior to the American advent; but the poor financial result of the only
(120 miles) line in the Colony has not served to stimulate further
enterprise in this direction, except an endeavour of that same company
to recuperate by feeder branches, two of which are built, and another
(narrow gauge) is in course of construction from Manila to Antipolo,
_via_ Pasig and Mariquina (_vide_ Railways, p. 265).

Since February, 1905, a Congress Act, known as the "Cooper Bill,"
offers certain inducements to railway companies. It authorizes the
Insular Government to guarantee 4 per cent, annual interest on railway
undertakings, provided that the total of such contingent liability
shall not exceed $1,200,000--that is to say, 4 per cent, could be
guaranteed on a maximum capital of $30,000,000. The Insular Government
is further empowered under this Act to admit, at its discretion, the
entry of railway material free of duty. As yet, no railway construction
has been started by American capitalists. Projects _ad infinitum_ might
be suggested for the development of trade and traffic--for instance, a
ship-canal connecting the Laguna de Bay with the Pacific Ocean; another
from Laguimanoc to Atimonan (Tayabas); an artificial entry-port in
Negros Island, connected by railway wit