The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-01-18
Portions Of an Expert Report
On Philippines.
GETTING AT FACTS OFFICIALLY
California Man Doing the Work.
Points Out Some Good
Chances-Profit in Sight.

Lieutenant \. P Hayne, California
Heavy Artillery, now on service at
Manila, has been detailed by General
f. 5. Otis, Acting Governor General of
the Philippines, TO caIlect information
for the Secretary of Agriculture re
garding the climate, agricultural pro-
ducts and possibilities, mineral re-
sources and other commercial aspects
of our new possessions in the far Pa
cifc
Lieutenant Hayne was born in Santa
Barbara some thirty odd years ago and
was graduated from the University Of
California in 1889 He then took spe-
cial course in agriculture and vfticul-
ture at the famous University of Mont
pelier, in France, and later spent two
years in travel under the direction Of
Professor Viala, the great French au-
thority on viticulture, visiting the
vineyards of France, Germany, Hun
gary, Italy, Spain and Algeria. On his
return to his native State, he was APP
pointed instructor in viticulture, and
later assistant professor of viticulture
and olive culture, at the University of
California, and has also been inspector
of the California agricultural stations
for the past four years.
When the war with Spain broke out,
Hayne volunteered and was given a
ond Lieutenant in the California Heavy
Artillery Volunteers, being assigned to
Battery A. For time he was station
ed at the Preside, and in September
he was sent on the Scandal in com
mand of twenty-five men to guard the
first shipment of treasure to pay the
soldiers at Manila
An excellent corps of assistants from
among the many college graduates and
professional men in the ranks of the
volunteers are with Lieutenant Hayne,
among them a post graduate of Berke-
ley, who is an accomplished botanist:
a Harvard graduate who Dis an expert
timberman; a chemist who has taken
universities, and others who are miner
alOgists, biologists, and so ON. A guard
of fifty cavalrymen has been detailed to
accompany the expedition, but, owing
to the unsettled condition of affairs,
it has not yet begun its journeyings.
Meanwhile Hayne, who is fluent
Spanish scholar, has been translating
manuscripts, interviewing merchants,
preparing maps, and generally acquir-
ing what information he can in Manila.
Writing under date of November 18th
he says:
A man with ten or twelve thousand
dollars could place it very proftably
here in timber grants, or hemp, cOcOs,
copra and like plantations. A hemp
plantation makes a sure annual return
of 80 to 40 per cent of the money in
vested. Land grants are to be had very
cheaply; some are valuable, many are
not. The mining interest [ consider
one of the most important. If reports
are anything like true, 1 believe that
this island is richer than the KlOndike.
There should be very rich placer mines
here. AS for the beauties of nature,
why, in California we do not know
what nature can do. Such forests
never were seen.
There are Representatives of several
American companies already seeking
investments here. Barry Baldwin is one
Of them, acting chiefly. 1 believe, in
the interest of Macondray & Co. Of San
Francisco.
This is the dry season, 1t has rain
ed at least two hours every day since
I arrived in the bay on October 3rd.
The average rainfall is 142 inches, and
this is sometimes exceeded. This IS
also the cold season" and at night it
has never been cooler than IS degrees
Fahrenheit 1t is now pouring rain and
has been for twenty-fOur hours. For
the first week or so the visitor per-
spires rivers day and night. At II ?.