The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-11-11

FERTILE PHILIPPINES.
Report Of Brig. Gen. Whit
tier, Collector Of Gus
toms at Manila.
IMPORTANCE or CURRENCY
The Islands Prefer the Mexi-
can Dollar Trip Through
Luzan.

| A. Whittier, Brigadier General OF Volun-
teers, now Collector of Customs at Ma
| Mia, under date of September 10, last,
has submitted report of his observations
upon the condition of things in Manila
4 and the Philippine Islands, and sugges-
tions as to methods to be pursued pending
any permanent occupation of the country
4 which may be decided upon He says
/ 1.-THE most important questions are the
! currency revenue Gncluding the codula
/ or head taxi, opium and the admission OF
| Chinese These are very grave questions
/ and cannot be decided under a brief con-
sideration The currency question is even
/ more important than in the United
/ States 1t must be remembered that
Mexico was the business channel for
/ these islands for two hundred and fifty
years, that all efforts to remove this doll
/ lar and substitute another have failed
Notwithstanding law of the Spaniards
1 forbidding its entrance, in the same way
that in the East our trade dollar was a
! failure and was withdrawn In Hong
Kong the English dollar sells at dis
count upon the Mexican.
There is but one bank of issue here,
| the Banco de Filipino Owing to its adj
| yances to the Spanish Government of
some Sl,700,000 it is in a shaky condition.
Efforts in mild way to bolster it have,
| up to this time kept it alive. The two
| other banks, the Hong Kong and Shang-
| hal and the Chartered Bank of India,
| Australia, and China, are very strong:
The business people have accustomed
| themselves to the notes OF tne ilpllO
| Bank as a medium OF exchange, ana
| found them a great convenience III place
of the cumbersome method OF handing
f1.0lt 4 yrIr16 ia a n
| cial revolution to attempt to substitute IN
a moment any currency in the islands to
| replace the present one, save that nation
| al banks of the United States OF Amer
| lea chartered under some new form OF
| law, on the basis of the existing cur
reney would be useful and profitable.
Revenue and taxes-The coduia, or
head tax, which has given an income Of
| S. 00O, 900 a year, has been most un-
popular measure. 1t has varied from 81
per head to $3.50 Complaint mainly
people Of good judgment here think thar
a reduction to 81 would be satisfactory
and might be tried for year. The higher
classes dc not seem to find their rates
onerous. Advocates of the Single tax
might make a strong case in these is
lands. / think the main revenue OF the
British Government in India is derived
from the land tax. 1t is worthy OF con-
sideration here.
eOpium-The Spanish practice was to
sell the monopoly of the importation oI
this The last concessionaire was the
Captain of the Chinese who paid about
$3.50, 900 for the privilege for three years
The compiler 9f the new Feggnia{lonhs, y re-
re~enue, has placed the tax (par So.l at
two pesos for one hundred kilos, equalling
about two hundred and twenty pounds.
This has beer modified by the Governor
General here to six pesos per pound.
This change will lead to increased SNUG
Cling, at which the Chinese are NEST fhts
even with the use of the greatest vigil
ance and expense. The English in Hong
Kong derive great revenue from '1arm-
ing the privilege as was the praetlce
Manila. of course, is a very small
portion of the Philippine Islands. or even
Of Luzon. No one who has not gone be-
yond the limits of the town can have
any idea of the wealth. fertility and re-
sources of the country. 1t has hap
pened to me to be the only officer tsave
one companion) who has made any IN
yestigation of even the adjacent country.
On Saturday, September 8. l went over
the line of the Manila Railway, one
length, running northward from Mania
to Dagupan. The country three miles out
from Manila is occupied by the ~, lnsurg-
ents for the whole distance. The line
is in fair order. Telegraphic coramunl-
cations are destroyed in many places,
and will probably require a month for
| their restoration. The line has opened
and developed a country of most extraor-
binary fertility. Rice Is the principal
product; much sugar small amounl OF
| indigo on the northern part OF the line;
nossibilities of cotton, coffee and almost
anything The stations are at short m
tervals, in accordance with orders from
the Spanish Government, Whlcn supsi-
died the line.
4 have never seen a country of such
splendid productive power. For the first
hundred miles almost all of it is under
cultivation. From there to the terminus
is a different and prettier country, with
high cocoanut palm trees Of rare beauty,
but not yet SO much cultivated as that
to the south. With new extensions and
lines contemplated on the Island OF Luzon,
say, first, Manila to Batangas. south,
second, Dagupan to Loag, north; thiro,
miles tobacco district; added productive
power and wealth would be impaired TO
the island.
IA week later / went up the Pasig
river 10 the Laguna, extraordinary fer
tility of soil being again the marked
characteristic and possibility for the re-
ouirement of large estates IT we conlrol
the country, and if good titles can be as
ssThe islands to the south, of which
Panay Qioilo being the principal port and
the second of the islands,, Ceou, samar,
Mindanao and possibly the Sulu or Jolo
Archipelago should be investigated as
soon as our relations with the Spanish
permit | am exceedingly anxious TO
make this tourney under the auspices and
at the invitation of English merchants
thoroughly acquainted with the islands.
If one-half they say of the richness Of
these be true it would be a most valuable
ACQUISITION to the United States.
Il trust that / shall not be deemed IN
trusive in these remarks and suggestions
Being an army officer and at the same
time Collector of Customs at Manila, my
duty would seem to be to the Secretary
OF War and to the Treasury, and ! sub
NIT these remarks as directed to them
as well As 10 yourself desire no place
here, except upon the ship TO return 10
America but I am SO thoroughly inn
pressed with the wealth and beauty o1
the country and the most peculiar con-
ditions existing h-fe, that ! am most
anxious for the success of our Govern
ment In working out this experiment Win
the best fruition.
aThe inhabitants are unique; the ma
tiyes clean and clever; the Chinese more
active and persevering; all beats OF Dur
dem accustomed to little in the way OF
pay or food or shelter; we pay mouse
Servant who works most satisfactorily
ten dollars month, equalling $4.au of
our money; he furnishes ms own Ieoa.
The irruption of our army raised wages
temporarily to the great disturbance Of.
fhe merchants here but things are
about restored to their normal basis, and
should continue so unless some ili-con-
sidered change Of the prevailing currency
occurs.
Tho custom house receipts during our
incunbency. twenty-four working days.
amount 10 100000. With the increase Of
Industries contingent upon our occupancy
they should amount within TWO Years 10
$S coo GOO d year at least
Mining explorations and ventures
promise very we'll especially n coal and