Local government in the Philippine islands,

LOCAL OFFICIALS IN ACTION

241

of good results. Our provincial and municipal officials.
now more than ever, appear to understand the responsibilities they have assumed; and their administration has been
characterized, as a rule, by initiative and prompt action.
Rarely have they adopted ordinances and measures which
can not stand the test of propriety. Some of their acts were
beyond the sphere of their powers or were defective in form,
but these cases were few; and whenever that anomaly has
been found, the investigation showed that the error had
been committed with the wholesome intention of serving
the public interest and not of gratifying any selfish or personal end.
In 1913 there were 153 provincial officials, of whom
113 were Filipinos and 40 were Americans. In 1917 and
1918, all provincial governors, the chief executives of the
provinces, were Filipinos except the governors of the provinces of Cotabato, Lanao, and Sulu. Of the 46 provincial
treasurers who are chief financial officers of the provinces,
43 are Filipinos and three are Americans. In other offices which may be termed quasi-provincial offices, the
Filipinos have also gradually assumed control.
According to the Official Roster for 1925, of the 92
medical officers in the Philippine Health Service only one
is an American; of the 100 engineers in the Bureau ot
Public Works, 89 are Filipinos and 11 are Americans. There
are now 15 Filipinos and 47 American superintendents of
schools, while in 1914 the superintendents were all Americans. In fact, the position of division superintendent of
schools was extended to Filipinos only in 1915 to "try them
out". As in all other positions in which Filipino capacity was
tested, the result proved highly gratifying; so that in a short
period of time, 15 superintendencies were opened to them,
and in such positions noteworthy results are being obtained.