Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/698

 G46 UNITED STATES : — PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

are 10,191, 14,901, and 959. The islands contain 3 towns— Charlotte Amalie, on the island of St. Thomas, with a population of 7,747 ; and Christiansted and Frederiksted, on the island of St. Croix, with populations of 4,574 and 3,144 respectively. Education is compulsory. In St. Thomas there are 8 public and 7 private and parochial schools, 1.884 pupils and 61 teachers ; and in St. John there are 4 public schools with an enrolment of 114 pupils and 9 teachers. In St. Croix there are 9 public schools and 7 private and parochial schools. Total enrolment, 2,108 with 68 teachers. Junior high schools have been established in all of the three towns, and night schools opened in Christiansted and Frederiksted. Manual training schools will be established in the near future.

Finance. — Revenues are derived from customs, income tax, ground and building tax, trade tax, &c. Estimated revenues for fiscal year ending June 30, 1921 : 1,409,868 francs. The annual deficit in the operation of the government is met by appropriations by the Congress of the United States. Danish currency is legal tender.

Production and Industry. — The farms on the islands extend to 69,892 acres. Of the 430 farms, 102 were worked by white farmers and 270 by negroes. There are 85 industrial establishments in the islands. St. Thomas is the leading port in the Virgin Islands with coaling and oil-fuelling stations. The Island of St. John is noted for its bay oil, and St. Thomas for the finished product of bay ram. St. Croix's chief industries are agricultural — mainly cane-raising and cattle. A stock farm and a tobacco-stripping factory have recently been established in St. Thomas.

Communication. — The Quebec Steamship Co. maintains a regular fortnightly passenger and freight service from New York to St. Thomas, St. Croix and lower islands. The Clyde Steamship Co. (Baporel Lino) operates a semi-monthly freight service from New York to St. Thomas. St. Croix and Leeward Islands. The New York and Porto Rico Steamship Co. and the Red " D " line operate regular service from New York to San Juan, Porto Rico, whence schooner service may be had to ports in the Virgin Islands. Each Municipality has a post office and a cable office and telephone systems. The Naval Station, St. Thomas, operates a powerful radio station.

PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.

These islands, ceded by Spain to the United States by the treaty of peace concluded between the United States and Spain on April 11, 1899, form the largest island group of the Malay Archipelago, and 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-General. — Major-General Wood, appointed February, 1921.

Government- — The government of the Philippine Islands is administered through thpee separate and co-ordinate departments, namely, the executive, the legislative, and the judicial.

The Governor-General is the chief executive of the Islands, and repre- «ents the sovereign power of the United States. He is appointed by the