Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II PHILIPPINE DEVELOPMENTS Ootlinb Of Topics : Improvements in the means of transportation— Concessions by the Insular Government for railroad systems — Character of the country to be opened up by the new railroads — Changes that will be wrought by the railways — Harbor improvement, dredging, docks, piers, breakwaters, light-houses, etc. — I'ost- offices and postal savings banks — Efforts for the improvement of the public health —Opportunities for Americans in all parts of the Philippines — American enterprise beneficial to native industries — Examples of profitable American activities — Foreign banks — Peace works of the American army — Good work done by the newspapers—Salubrity of the climate — Bibliography. THE Philippine Islands seem to-day on the threshold of a wonderful new industrial era.1 The construction of a thousand miles of up- to-date railroads; the improvement of harbors and the building of piers that offer the only direct transshipping facilities for ocean-going vessels in the Far East; the entrance of enterprising Americans into almost every line of industry and into every part of the islands; the stimulating initiative of the Philippine Government, and the expenditure of many millions ascash wages in return for useful industrial employment, — these and other factors would seem to promise as bright a future for the Philippines as may be expected for any land in all the Orient. In short, the American era is preparing the land for a state of bustling activity which would have been impossible with the poor roads, inadequate transportation facilities, and crude or primitive methods of agriculture prevalent under the former regime. 1 "New era" is a term apt to be overused in describing the progress of hitherto undeveloped regions, yet present ...