Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-01-05
BIG CHANCES
Capital Moving Toward tho Philip
pines Soil Suitable For the Produc-
ton Of the Valuable Sumatra Leaf.
Dutch and English Growers on the
Ground.

Washington, January 4.-Recent
consular reports contain some valua-
ble and suggestive facts concerning our
hew dependencies A report from Con-
sui General Wildman, at Hong Kong,
says:
The representative of the Dutch and
English tobacco growers of Sumatra
has arrived in this city, en- route to
Manila. He goes to test the soil there,
which he has already analysed in small
quantities and has found suitable for
the growth of the Sumatra tobacco
leaf II the soil Of northern Luzon is
found suitable, there will be no diff
Guilty in obtaining plenty of land at
very moderate figure. The one uncer-
tain element in the whole proposition
is labor. Under the existing laws in
Manila, Chinese coolies are not admit
ted except under the same regulations
as exist in the United States. Mr..
Pinckney (the representative referred
to- informs me that native labor has
been found both in Sumatra and in
Borneo to be absolutely yalueless. The
Javanese, thrifty and docile race,
cannot be trained to give the attention
and patience to the growth of the leaf
that is absolutely essential. A China
man Is allotted a certain number of
trees to guard and cultivate, and he is
paid only for the perfect trees at har-
vest time. If he goes to sleep on duty,
the caterpillars may render his years
work useless in a single night. After
the crop is harvested the thin, deli
cate leaves have to be handled many
times with the greatest care, such as
no other race in the world than the
Chinese would give.
The soil of Luzon is volcanic, and
after many trials it has been proved
that the Sumatra leaf will grow in no
other soil. In Sumatra the ground will
yield one crop every eight years, but
my informant believes that the tobacco
lands of Northern Luzon, which lie at
the base of an extensive water shed,
will yield crop a year, with proper
manuring. If, on investigation, this
condition of affairs should prove true,
1t means the introduction of an indus
try into Luzon that will bring millions
Of revenue, and at the same time very
materially reduce the price Of the SUI
matra leaf Under the Spanish regime,
MIR. Pinckney tells me, it was utterly
impossible to attempt to establish this
industry. although for years 1t has been
believed among the planters Of Suma-
ara that Luzon was the only other part
of the world in which they could expect
a rival. or course. nothing will be
done further than to test the soils I'M
an the Chinese exclusion laws are re-
moved from the islands Broadly
speaking. there Is not an industry in
the islands that will not he ruined II
Chinese labor Is not permitted The
same state OF affairs exists in the
Straits settlements. where no depend
ence whatever is placed upon native
labor.
Mr.. E. /. Harris. consular agent at
Eibenstock, reports.
The close of the yearly tobacco auc-
tons in Amsterdam gives a very clear
idea of the enormous sums which Hol-
land derives from the culture of to-
bacco in Sumatra. The island yielded
2O1,S00 bales of tobacco, each bale
weighing about 200 pounds. The whole
when disposed of amounted to $14,5lS,-
600, one-third of which, or about $4,-
100000, represents net gain. With
out doubt there are years when 70 to
80 per cent dividends are declared in
the larger Sumatra plantations if Hol-
land in Java.
Hollands success in cultivating TO-
bacco is subject full of suggestions
for the American plantation owner.
In Cuba and the Philippines we will
now have the identical climate to deal
with which Holland has in Sumatra
and Java, and Germany in her African
provinces and New Guinea