[The Philippines: Past and Present (vol. 1 of 2) by Dean C. Worcester]@TWC D-Link book
The Philippines: Past and Present (vol. 1 of 2)

CHAPTER XVII
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Every Filipino sent to Baguio gained in weight, with the single exception of a messenger who had to run his legs off! Other bureaus subsequently followed the example of the Bureau of Lands, with similar results.
During the 1909 season, the railroad having reached Camp One, five large Stanley steam automobiles were operated by the government in transporting passengers from this place to Baguio, and more than two thousand persons were thus moved over the road.
Meanwhile, the unexpectedly heavy expense involved in completing the road had been made the subject of severe criticism by the public press of Manila.

Most of the critics were entirely honest, having no idea of the character of the country opened up, or of the importance of making it readily accessible.
Just at the time when the commission should have crowded its programme through to conclusion, it faltered.

The only government construction work performed at the summer capital that year, in addition to what has been mentioned, was the erection of a small office building and of a barrack building for labourers, the enlarging of five government cottages, the addition of out-buildings, and the enlarging of a building which served as a combination sanatorium and hotel.
This policy of inaction was a mistaken one.

It made the Benguet Road seem like the city avenue which ran into a street, the street into a lane, the lane into a cow path, the cow path into a squirrel track and the squirrel track up a tree, for while one could get to Baguio, there was very little there after one arrived.

The accommodations at the sanatorium were strictly limited, and there was some apparent justification for the charge freely made that the Philippine Commission had voted to spend very large sums of money to open up a health resort from which only its members and its staff derived benefit.
The government had at the outset been obliged to construct its buildings on a piece of private land purchased from Mr.Otto Scheerer, as prior to the passage of the Public Land Act and its approval by the President and Congress, building on public land was impossible.


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