Our second act appropriated $5000 Mexican for the purpose of making
a survey to ascertain the most advantageous route for a railroad into
the mountains of Benguet, where we wished to establish a much-needed
health resort for the people of the archipelago.
Seven days later we passed an act for the establishment and
maintenance of an efficient and honest civil service in the Philippine
Islands. This measure was of basic importance. We had stipulated before
leaving Washington that no political appointees should be forced upon
us under any circumstances. The members of the second commission, like
their predecessors of the first, were firm in the belief that national
politics should, if possible, be kept out of the administration of
Philippine affairs, and we endeavoured to insure this result.
Our tenth act appropriated $1500 Mexican to be paid to the widow
of Salvador Reyes, vice-president of Santa Cruz in Laguna Province,
assassinated because of his loyalty to the established government.
Our fifteenth act increased the monthly salaries of Filipino public
school teachers in Manila.
Our sixteenth and seventeenth acts reorganized the Forestry Bureau
and the Mining Bureau.
On October 15 we appropriated $1,000,000 United States currency,
for improving the port of Manila, where there was urgent need of
protection for shipping during the typhoon season.
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