The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-28

industries there are chances for the
young American with limited capital.
a larger scale the big money cor
porations of America will be depended
upon to build railroads, to supply
trolley lines, telephones, telegraphs
and similar improvements. In fact
there are so many medieval Spanish
ideas that will have to be replaced by
progressive American schemes that one
cannot state them offhand.
You see. too many people make the
mistake Of regarding Cuba in the light
of an UNEMPLOYED country like the Klon-
dixie Now, you or l could go to the
Klondike and enter into active compe-
tition with the other fellow with some
chance ot success, because the same
conditions would govern us all. The
! conditions. IN fact. would be but little
different from those surrounding us in
Seattle. and we would all speak the
same language.
THE condition in the Philippines is
precisely the same as it is in Cuba.
There is one large city, Manila, only
one-Quarter the inhabitants of which
are merchants. The Chinese control
| the trade and they will go on control
ing IL They know the habits of the
people and what they want. They make
big profits because they live in a pc
nuriOus manner. which no respectable
an instant. No, / do not think much
of Cuba or the Philippines as new av-
enues for American capital
WHAT THE PHILIPPINES OFFER.
Mr.. Ralph w. Grout. editor of the
Exporters and Importers Journal, who
is an authority on the subject of Amer
lean trade with the Philippines, said,
When questioned as to the adviSa bility
investing n IN 10 20
We'll. let US look first at our exports
to the Philippines. There are S.0000 900
inhabitants in the Philippines, of whom
only 1000 are Europeans This latter
number includes the Spanish officers
and their families, the government Off
Gals and the English, French, German
and American merchants. These rep
resent the market for goods on lines
similar 20 those which he manufac-
turer has at home-a market not much
larger than some small county seat in
one OF our western states
The natives, on tn other hand are
almost aboriginal in their habits. They
live on rice, which they grow, and fish,
which they catch. Their clothes are
scanty and consist of cheap print cot
tons and silks. The houses are of bam-
boo. built by the natives themselves,
and the furnishings are of the most
primitive type. The many people who
have looked forward TO building up an
enormous eX1ort business with these
islands can see from this how futile
would be their efforts.
NOT ADAPTED TO AMERICANS.
II have been asked frequently about
the business Of planting in the Phil
lpDines. say emphatically, No, the
business could not be carried on by
Americans. IN the first place, there
is 20 worse climate in the world, and
no american could work out of doors
there. The products are sugar, hemp,
tobacco, indigo and copra The farms
are for tie most part owned by Ma
lays and run by Malay help. These
men are Injured to the heat and the
long hours Of work, and no American
could stand the competition.
THE only other chance left for an
American is in the commission bust
ness. Now. this is carried of by Eng
fish. Spanish and German houses.
These firms deal with the Malay own
ers through the medium of Chinese
merchants In fact, the business can
be said to be in the hands of the Chin
csc. They have their main offices in
Manila, with agents in all the small
places in the interior to do the barter
ing.
Now, taking all these things into ac-
count. you ask me what are the
chances Cor a young man with small
capital in the Philippines 1t is abso-
lutely out of the question for him to
compete as a farmer. The commission
houses are large firms, with immense
resources in finances, ships, offices and
agents IN. many of the large cities Of
the world. The business is one that
demands life traEajng: it is much