Filipinos were at this time placed in control of the health work,
the population would steadily and rapidly decrease.

The present attitude of the Filipino press toward sanitary work is
both interesting and important. I quote the following editorial from
the March 27, 1913, issue of _El Ideal_, a paper generally believed
to be controlled by Speaker Osmena:--

"Some persons, who, because of being ignorant of many things, do not
sympathize with the Filipino people, who are in the habit of frequently
throwing up to them the violent opposition of our masses to strict
sanitary measures in cases of epidemics, and the lively protests which
are provoked here on some occasions by other provisions tending to
end some public calamity, thinking they see in this disposition of
mind an indication of our incapacity to govern ourselves....

"To be more expressive, we shall say that the sanitary agents and
veterinarians of the government, swollen with power and overly zealous
of their prestige, quickly become, when an occasion like those cited
by us presents itself, cunning czars, whose sphere of influence is in
direct ratio to the peaceful character and ignorance of the people
intrusted to their care, and whose excesses and abuses recognize
no limits but the natural ones established by the greater or lesser
honour of those public servants, their greater or lesser cynicism,
and their greater or lesser degree of temerity.

"This, and nothing else, is the logical and natural explanation of
the hostility of our people toward those measures of good government
which are sincerely esteemed for what they are worth, but for which
they have veritable terror because of the nameless abuses to which
they give rise.

"These comments are of palpitating current interest at this moment,
when reports are made almost daily to the press and the proper
authorities of misbehaviour and excesses befitting soulless people
who live without the law committed by persons who should be examples
of prudence, honesty and good manners, for it is in this concept that
the people are compelled to furnish them their daily bread."

It is deeply to be regretted that the public press of the islands
has not yet become sufficiently enlightened to join in the great
sanitary campaign which has already relieved an enormous amount of
human suffering and has greatly increased the expectancy of life of
the people of the Philippines.

The Philippine Assembly has repeatedly pa