(4) The half-pay leave amounts to two months for each year of service, but cannot be taken until after a period of six years’ resident service in the Colony, except in cases of serious indisposition supported by medical certificate, or of “urgent private affairs,” the nature of which must be stated to the governor.  In either case, the governor and council must be satisfied that the indulgence is indispensable.

Half pay in African and Asiatic colonies may accumulate for twelve years’ service—­i.e. twenty-four months’ half-pay leave.

(5) After the exhaustion of all vacation leave and half-pay leave, an advance of six months’ half-pay leave may be made on special grounds ("urgent private affairs” or illness supported by a medical certificate), the advance being charged against leave accruing subsequently.

(6) For the purpose of visiting home, an officer may be granted the vacation leave due him (which is never more than three months) on full pay, and his accumulated half-pay leave, to commence at the expiration of his vacation leave.

(7) Judicial and education officers do not receive the vacation leave described in paragraph 3 above, the vacation of courts and schools being considered equal to this, but they do receive the half-pay leave described in paragraph 4, and may, when visiting home on half-pay leave, receive full pay during any ordinary vacation of the court or school.

It will be noted that although officers in the British colonial service are allowed much longer periods of absence, the greater part of their absence is on half pay and the total money value of the leave allowable in the British colonial service and in the Philippine civil service is about the same.  As officers naturally prefer to be on full pay instead of half pay while on leave, the provision of the Philippine law is in their interest; it is also in the interest of the service, as the periods of the absence from duty are not so prolonged.

The Philippine Civil Service Law is now about to be put to its first really severe test as a result of the change in the national administration.  Heretofore those whose duty and privilege it has been to enforce it have been in the most full and hearty sympathy with its purposes.  President McKinley was from the outset definitely committed to the widest application of the merit system to appointments in the Philippines.  Mr. Roosevelt and Mr. Taft firmly supported that system, as has each succeeding governor-general up to, but not including, Mr. Harrison, who is as yet an unknown quantity.

It is interesting, however, to note that on the day following his arrival there was a demand for the instant resignation of Mr. Thomas Cary Welch, a faithful and efficient employee of the government, who had been for nearly ten years in the service, whose position was desired for, and immediately given to, Mr. Stephen Bonsal.  That gentleman had been appointed at Washington a member of the Municipal Board of Manila immediately after Mr. Harrison’s confirmation as governor-general.  It is not recorded that Mr. Bonsal rendered any valuable service to the city on the voyage, or during the twenty-four hours of his occupancy of his municipal post subsequent to his arrival!  Nor does it appear that he passed any examination before his early promotion.