New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-12

high. Care Is taken to cut before fruit Is pro-
duced. az fruiting weakens the fibre. The fbre
Ia found In the pulpy body Of the plant and
when freed from the pulp is generally five to
ten feet long. Lands once set TO hemp continue
to produce annually for many years without re-
planting
The profits OF the Industry would be greatly
Increased II some method Of separating the pulp
from the fibre could be devised more expeditions
than the present method Of hand scraping
WHY THE PEOPLE ARE POOR
After many conferences with owners of largo
estates In the Philippine Islands, 1t is not difa-
cult to understand My the masses Of the people
In the country are so poor
FIBt-The Spanish Government imposed
heavy personal tax. which had to be paid
promptly. and placed light tax upon Land.
where any imposed This was favorable to
the holding Of large estates.
Second The larger portion Of the lands
held in great estates and managed under sys-
TEN which included some OF the worst features
OF the most iniquitous landlordism known. Take,
for example. the religious orders. which hold
many large estates in these islands They have
been accustomed to lease their lands for cash
to prominent Filipinos in tracts Of one thousand
TO six thousand acres. according to the ability
Of the family to manage it. This lease became
sort Of vested right in the family. and passed
from father to son in regular Inheritance
From examination Of documents belonging
to the Dominican order one Of the wealthiest In
the Philippines. | should say that these primary
tenants received their lands upon liberal terms.
The order realized only about and one-half
per cent on the value II their properties These
primary tenants then had the right to suDlet TO
the actual tIllers Of the soil any terms they
could secure.
Their general plan Of renting follows:
They furnished the sub-tcnant seed. and exact
ed half Of tho product ~ the land In case the
sub-tenant was obliged TO have d little expense
money before the harvest season. his chief would
advance him a small amount possibly - or 30
cents at a time. and for each advance the sub
tenant must give his landlord dhe primary ten
anti one hundred pounds Of rough rice at har-
vest out Of his share.
If the sub-tenant had any rice left his land
lord reserved the right to take it at ~ cents for
each hundred pounds Of rough rice This was In
silver. and consequently the sub-tenant received
for his share II the crop only one-fourth Of a
cent per pound gold or i0lA cents per sack OF
l62 pounds He received so much only for
such portion u his share the exorbtant ratd
OF advance failed to absorb.
The sugar lands were worked upon a similar
plan. The primary tenants furnished the land
and manufactured the sugar. and the sub-tene
ants were by contract to receive one-haIf at TN
factory
In practice the sub tenant received only two
ffths Of he sugar and none OF the open kettls
molasses. and obliged to turn to bis
landlord this amount in payment Of advances,
or at a nominal price far below the real value
He was thus kept impoverished and In debt u
his landlord. and he could not leave the estata
80 long as he was owing his landlord.
S. A KNAPP.