Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-05-12
THEIR FINE FUTURE.
THE PHILIPPINES LIE FALLOW TO
AMERICAN ENTERPRISE.

Great In Resources and N.tura! Advan-
tages-All That Is Now Needed Is Good
Government to Turn This Region Into
Source of Great Wealth.
The Philippine islands constitute one
of the greatest archipelagoes of the
world. They lie in the north tropic
zone and separate the south China sea
on the west and the Pacific ocean on
the east. On the south the Celebes sea,
800 miles across, separates this archi-
pelago from islands of the same name.
On the southwest two island chains, the
Sulu and the Palawan, stretching to
within a few miles Of the coast of Bor-
neo, inclose the large Sulu sea.
Next to the great seaport of Manila
are the ports of Iloilo and Zebu, on is
lands of the same name in the central
part of the archipelago. There are half
a dozen other islands in the central and
western part of the groups the areas of
which range from that of Rhode Island
to that of Connecticut. Among the in
habitants a dwarfed race of Negritos
now driven into the mountains and in
terror lands, seems to be the descendants
of the aborigines. The bulk of the pop
ulation is Malayan, of whom there are
numerous tribes. The dirtiest and most
pagan is known as the Igerrotes, and
yet they display very exemplary quail
tiles. They are one of the most impor-
tant mountain tribes of Luzon and are
among the population who virtually es-
cape omnivorous Spanish taxation. They
are good farmers, laying out terraced
fields on the mountains, constructing
irrigation canals and having consid-
cradle reputation as metallurgists.
Another element of the population
are the Chinese and their mestizos, or
descendants of mixed Semitic and ma
tive blood. There is scarcely commu-
nifty on these islands where the Chinese
are not found. Petty trade and bank
ing is almost entirely in their hands.
Europeans and their descendants are
not numerous here, although there is a
considerable breed of half castles, deriv-
ed from European fathers.
Before the days Of Spanish rule there
was considerable commercial intercourse
between the Philippines and China and
Japan, but this, which would naturally
have developed enormously if the Span
ish trade between Manila and America
had been left free, was interrupted and
at times almost completely stopped by
absurd restrictions devised to secure to
Spain monopoly of the American
trade. For long period only single
galleon, and that under government
supervision, was allowed to proceed
yearly from Manila to Acapulco, the
value of the cargo each way being re-
stricted within prescribed sum. Di-
rect trade with Europe via the Cape Of
Good Hope began in 1854, but as if
the exclusion from it of all except Span
ish ships was not sufficient in 1885 a
monopoly was bestowed on the Royal
Company Of the Philippines.
With the close of the eighteenth GEN.
fury certain amount Of liberty began
to be conceded to foreign vessels. The
first English commercial house was es-
tablished in Manila in 1909, and in
1884 the monopoly of the Royal compa-
ny expired. Manila remained the only
port for foreign trade till 1912, when
Zebu was also opened. Jamboanga
(Mindanao), Iloilo (Panay), Sual (Lu-
zon), Legazpi or Albany (Luzon) and
Tacloban (Leyte) are now in the same
category, but only Manila, Iloilo and
Cebu have proved Of real Importance,
as they are the only ports where foreign
bound vessels have hitherto loaded.
The exports from the United States
to the Philippines have been very in
significant, although our imports from
the islands have often reached large
proportions. The principal articles ex-
ported from this country to the Philip
pines are flour, petroleum, leather
goods, iron and steel, etc. Imports from
the Philippines are chiefly sugar and
hemp. The following table shows the
commercial intercourse of the United
States with the Philippines during the
period Of ten years, 1883 to 1897:
Imports from. Exports to.
1883. ................ $l0,26S21S $l65, 9O3
leS9................. 1883, liz 179,647
lo9O................. 1l,592,627 22,276
1871. 5,l67, 200 124572
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