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UNITED STATES DEPENDENCIES.

In 1898 the United States became responsible for certain territories beyond the bounds of the Commonwealth—Hawaii, Cuba, Porto Rico, the Philippines, Guam, and to these were added in 1900 the island of Tutuila and other small Samoan islands. The account of Cuba, which has now the standing of an independent republic, will be found in its alphabetical place.

HAWAII.

Constitution and Government.

THE Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands, discovered by the Spaniards under Gaetano in 1549, and examined by Captain Cook in 1778, formed during the greater part of the nineteenth century an independent kingdom whose integrity was recognised by Great Britain, France, the United States, and other governments. In 1893, however, the reigning Queen, Liliuokalani, was deposed and a provisional government formed; in 1894 a Republic was proclaimed with a Legislature of two Houses and a President; and in accordance with a resolution of Congress of July 7, 1898, the Islands were on August 12, 1898, formally annexed to the United States. On June 14, 1900, the Islands were constituted as the Territory of Hawaii. By the Act of April 30, 1900, all persons who on August 12, 1898, were citizens of the Republic of Hawaii, were declared to be citizens of the United States and of the Territory of Hawaii. Among the qualifications for the territorial franchise are residence for a year, registration in the district, and ability to read and write the English or Hawaiian language. For military purposes the Islands have been attached to the department of California.

Area and Population.

The total area of the islands is 6,449 square miles (including the water area). The principal islands of the group are Hawaii, 4,210; Maui, 760; Oahu, 600; Kauai, 590; Molokai, Lanai, Niihau, Kahoolawe. According to the census taken on June 1, 1900, the total population of the islands numbered 154,001 (106,369 males and 47,632 females), an increase of 44,981, or 412 per cent. since 1896. The average number of persons to the square mile in 1900 was 23.9. The population of each island in 1900 was: Oahu, 58,504; Hawaii, 46,843; Kauai and Nihau, 20,734; Maui, 25,416; Molokai and Lanai, 2,504. The Capital, Honolulu, in the Island of Oahu has 39,305 inhabitants.

The number of Hawaiians in the islands is 29,787; in 1896 it was 31,019. The part-Hawaiians now number 7,848; in 1896 there were 8,485. The decrease in the number of Hawaiians in the four years 1896-1900 was, therefore 1,232, and of part-Hawaiians 637. In 1890 there were 17,002 Chinese ; in 1900, 25,767; in 1890, 12,360 Japanese; in 1900, 61,111. In 1896 the whole white population was 22,428; in 1900 it was 28,533.

In 1902-03 there were 12,050 Japanese immigrants. In the same year 1,040 Chinese with return permits arrived.

Nearly all the natives are Christians. There is a Church of England bishop at Honolulu ; also a Roman Catholic bishop, and ministers of various denominations. In 1896 there were 23,773 Protestants, 26,363 Roman Catholics, 4,886 Mormons, 44, 306 Buddhists, &c., and 10,192 not described. Of the population over 10 years of age, 33.1 per cent. are illiterate. Schools are established all over the islands, the sum allotted for public

instruction in 1901 being 377,554 dollars. Elementary education has been free since 1888. The language in general use in schools is English, only about 2 per cent. of the children being taught in Hawaiian. In 1901, the public schools had 380 teachers and 13,189 enrolled pupils, the average attendance being 10,737; the private schools had 17,518 enrolled pupils. Of the public school pupils in 1900, 6,015 were Hawaiian or part Hawaiian, 2,625 Portuguese, 1,946 Asiatics, 421 American, 136 British, and 171 German. In Hawaii there are, besides, a normal and training school, and a reformatory industrial school for boys.

Commerce, Shipping, and Communications.

The islands are to a great extent mountainous and volcanic, but the soil is highly fertile and productive. Sugar and rice are the staple industries, while coffee, hides, bananas, and wool are also exported. În 1903 there were 56 sugar plantations, employing 42,300 workers, of whom 30,640 were Japanese, 3,880 Chinese, 2,670 Portuguese, the remainder being Hawaiians and Porto Ricans. The year's output of sugar amounted to 387,000 tons. All contracts made since August 12, 1898, by which persons are held for service for a definite term, were declared by the Act of April 30, 1900, null and void and terminated; and the Act of February 26, 1885, "to prohibit the importation and immigration of foreigners under contract or agreement to perform labour in the United States," is made applicable to the territory of Hawaii. The islands being a territory of the United States, there are no complete statistics of imports and exports. For the year ended June 30, 1904, the imports from foreign countries amounted to 3,797,641 dollars, and the exports to foreign countries to 39,016 dollars. The shipments of merchandise from the United States to Hawaii amounted to 11,602,080 dollars, and those from Hawaii to the United States to 25,133,533 dollars, of which 24,360,097 dollars was for sugar.

A considerable addition to the wharfage accommodation of the port of Honolulu is now in course of construction.

Six lines of steamers connect the islands with the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China, and Japan. There are about 128 miles of railway in the islands, and new lines are projected. There are telegraphs in the islands of Maui, Hawaii, between Hawaii and Oahu, and round the latter island; total length 250 miles; nearly every family in Honolulu has its telephone. Honolulu is lighted by electricity and has lines of tramways; also an electric car railroad. Since March 2, 1901, the Marconi system of wireless telegraphy has been in successful operation between the islands of Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, and Maui, and on May 23 following it was extended to the island of Hawaii.

British Consul for the Territory of Hawaii.—R. de B. Layard.
Vice-Consul at Honolulu.-F. W. Swanzy.

PORTO RICO.

Porto Rico, which, by the treaty of December 11, 1898, was ceded by Spain to the United States, has had a representative government since May 1, 1901, the franchise being restricted by a small property qualification and an easy educational test. The Governor and the executive council, consisting of 6 heads of departments and 5 natives, are appointed by the President of the United States, while the House of Delegates, consisting of 35 members, is elected by the people. The Council and the House of Delegates together constitute the Legislative Assembly. The island has an area of 3,606 square miles. The population in 1899 was 953,243 (472,261 males

and 480,982 females). The negroes numbered 59,390, and mulattoes 304,352. There were 589,426 whites and 75 Chinese. The coloured population was 38.2 per cent. of the whole. Chief town, San Juan, 32,048 inhabitants; Ponce, 27,952; Mayaguez, 15,187. In 1899 over 83 per cent. of the population could neither read nor write. In 1899 the school system was reorganised, a general board of education and local school-boards were formed, education was made compulsory, and authorities were required to provide suitable accommodation. In 1901 the population of school age (5-17) numbered 322,393; schools open, 733 (132 for boys, 71 for girls, and 530 mixed); teachers 768 (502 males and 266 females); enrolled pupils, 33,802 (21,237 boys and 12,565 girls); average attendance, 23,453. The sum annually devoted to instruction amounts to 500,000 dollars, exclusive of 235,000 dollars for school extension. Suitable school buildings have been or are being provided all over the island. There is a high school in operation at San Juan, and a large normal school at Rio Piedras. A system of agricultural schools gives practical instruction to over 1,000 pupils. Many of the

teachers at work are from the United States.

The chief product of the island is coffee, to which 170,000 acres are devoted, the yield in 1903 being 33,450,500 lbs. Under sugar are 62,000 acres, yielding 104,490 tons; under tobacco, 14,000 acres, yielding about 12,000,000 lbs. Bananas, pine-apples, oranges, and vegetables of all sorts are grown. Cotton cultivation is being tried. There is no mining enterprise, but gold, silver, iron, copper, bismuth, tin, mercury, platinum and nickel are found in the island. There are salt works in the island yielding about 10,000,000 lbs. annually. On July 25, 1901, Porto Rico became legally a customs district of the United States, free trade with the United States being established, and the coast navigation laws of the United States enforced. In 1903-04 the imports into the States from Porto Rico amounted to 11,576,912 dollars, comprising sugar, 8,688,951 dollars, and tobacco, 1,721,062 dollars. The exports from the States to Porto Rico amounted to 10,727,015 dollars, including 1,670,005 dollars for cottons. The trade of the island for the year 1903-04 with foreign countries amounted to 1,958,969 dollars for imports, and 4,436,478 dollars for exports. The trade was chiefly with France.

At Ponce in 1903, 623 vessels of 423,930 tons entered.

There are 430 miles of road in the island, and 140 miles of railway. The railway system connects towns on the coast of the western half of the Island, and is now almost complete. Extensions of existing lines are being undertaken, and a new line across the Island, with many branches, is projected. There are 470 miles of telegraph line. The telephone is in use and is being widely extended.

The Porto Rican peso has given place to the United States dollar.

The Porto Rican island of Vieques, 13 miles to the east, is about 21 miles long and 6 miles broad, and has about 6,000 inhabitants, who grow sugar and rear cattle. Like Porto Rico, the island of Vieques is fertile and healthy. British Consul.-W. B. Churchward.

PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.

These islands, ceded by Spain to the United States by the treaty signed by the Peace Commissioners, December 10, 1898, extend almost due north and south from Formosa to Borneo and the Moluccas, embracing an extent of 16° of latitude and 9° of longitude.

Governor.-Luke E. Wright, appointed 1904.
Vice-Governor.-Henry C. Ide.

The islands and islets are about 3,141 in number; the two largest are Luzon (43,075 square miles) and Mindañao (45,559 square miles), and the total area, including the Sulu Islands, is about 127,853 square miles. The results of the census taken in 1903 show a population of 7,635,426, of whom 6,987,686 are civilised and 647,740 are uncivilised.

The islands with large population are Luzon, with 3,798,507 inhabitants, of whom 223,506 are uncivilised; Panay, 743,646 (14,933 uncivilised); Cebu, 592,247 (all civilised); Mindanao, 499,634 (252,940 uncivilised); Negros, 460,776 (21,217 uncivilised), Leyte, 357,641 (all civilised); Bohol, 243,148 (all civilised); Samar, 222,690 (688 uncivilised). The capital of the Archipelago is Manila, constituted as a province, with 219,928 inhabitants. Other towns are: in Luzon, Bauan (39,094), Lipa (37,934), Laoag (34,454), Batangas (33,131), San Carlos (27,166), Tabaco (21,946); in Samar, Calbayog (15,895); in Panay, Janiuay (20,738), Miagao (20,656), Ilo-ilo (19,054); in Cebu, Argao (35,048), Cebu (31,079), Barili (31,617), Carcar (31,895), Sibonga (25,848); in Leyte, Baybay (22,990), Ormoc (16,126).

Vital statistics are as yet restricted to deaths among the inhabitants of Manila. The following table shows the population of the Capital in 1903 according to nationality, and the number of deaths and the death rate in the year ended June 30, 1904 :

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About 60 per cent. of the recorded deaths are those of infants under one year old. This high infant death-rate is set off by a high birth rate. Sanitary supervision in the Archipelago is entrusted to a general Board of Health under which are Provincial and Municipal Boards. Besides diseases which are usual in all countries, these Boards have to combat small-pox, which is endemic, plague and cholera which occasionally visit the islands, leprosy, which was introduced into the Archipelago in recent years by Japanese and is now being eradicated, tuberculosis and beri-beri, which are not uncommon among the natives.

In 1902 there were 30,094 immigrants into the islands; in 1903, 24,136. Of those arrived in 1903, 12,624 (including 8,321 Chinese) had been in the islands before. Of the rest, 9,028 were American, 466 Chinese, 941 Japanese, and 878 of other nationalities.

There are about 25,000 Americans and Europeans in the islands and about 100,000 Chinese. The native inhabitants are mostly of the Malayan race, but there are some tribes of Negritos.

The whole of the Archipelago is now under civil government, but in the portion inhabited by Moros, comprising parts of Mindanao and the Sulu Islands, most of the civil offices, including that of governor, are filled by military officers. The central government is composed of the Civil Governor, who is the chief executive, and seven Commissioners (four Americans and three Filipinos), who constitute the legislative body. There are four executive departments, Interior, Finance and Justice, Commerce and Police, and Public Instruction, of which the American Commissioners are secretaries. The islands are subdivided into 40 provinces, 1 subprovince, and 9 comandancias, each with a governor, secretary, treasurer, supervisor and prosecuting attorney. The provincial governor is elected by the people through the municipal councillors of the towns. The government of the towns is practically autonomous, the officials being elected by the qualified voters of the municipality and serving for two years. The officials consist of a president, vice-president, and councillors, the latter varying in number according to population. Local municipal government has been instituted in more than nine hundred towns. For the administration of justice there is a Supreme Court with 7 judges, 16 judicial districts, each with a court of first instance, a court of land registration with 2 judges, and a court of customs appeals with 2 judges. Public order is maintained through the municipal police and the Philippines Constabulary. The latter is a military Insular police, partly mounted, composed of natives under American and native officers, approximating a strength of 7,500 divided among the provinces, generally in proportion to the population. Archipelago is divided into five Constabulary districts, each commanded by an Assistant Chief of Constabulary. The Constabulary of each province is commanded by a Senior Inspector of the rank of Captain or Major, who is charged with the maintenance of peace and order, the ferreting out of criminals, the pursuit of outlaws, and the disintegration of marauding bands.

The

Education is under the direction of the Secretary of Public Instruction, under whom is a general superintendent. The Archipelago is divided into 35 educational divisions, each of which has a superintendent, while a superior school board and local boards have advisory functions. The teaching staff comprises 865 American teachers for all grades, 400 Filipino teachers on Insular pay, and about 4,000 Filipino teachers paid by the municipalities. English is taught in all the public schools of the islands, to the number of about 3,000. In March, 1904, there were 227,000 enrolled pupils. Night schools for adults have 25,000 pupils. The central government pays the American functionaries and teachers; the municipalities pay the Filipino teachers and uphold local school buildings. The annual cost of American teachers, &c., is about 1,220,000 dollars; of native teachers, about 500,000 dollars. A school for training teachers has been opened, and industrial and trade schools have been established. The St. Thomas

University at Manila has several faculties, including one of Medicine. The land question was complicated with that of the religious orders which held about 403,000 acres occupied by native tenantry, but the difficulty is now in course of solution. The American Government is purchasing the land in order to sell it to the occupants; the friars are fast leaving for Spain or Italy, and American priests are being appointed to the various parishes.

For the year 1902-03 the revenue amounted to 24,507,790 dollars, and the expenditure to 14,764,110. The customs revenue amounted to 9,177,380 dollars.

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