The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1899-03-11

tricts. AS it now is, the English own
nearly all that land which is accessible to
railway or steamer connection, and con-
sequently control nearly all the output
in sugar and hemp. The agents here
know all the country thoroughly and will
be able to obtain new districts before the
Americans appreciate the existing condi-
lions. The English own the only rail-
road and are largely interested in the best
line Of inter-island steamships, and the
owners Of the railway are outlining a.
number of new extensions to their line.
At this point, however. will arise the ne
cesstty for congressional franchises andI
the war will probably have to be fought}
out in the lobbies at Washington. 49, |!
MIR. Edward Andre, the Belgian consult
who conducted all the negotiations for
the surrender of Manila between Admiral
Dewey and Gov. Gen. Jaudenes, has is
sued the prospectus Of gigantic devel-:
opment company which he has organized
with number Of American capitalists.
He leaves for Washington early in jan
uary to obtain various concessions for
the company. Mr.. Andre has lived in the
Philippines for more than twenty years,
Is the only foreigner whom the Spanish
government has ever permitted to make
surveys, and knows the islands from per-
sonal experience from one end to the 9TH
er. He has become very wealthy and Is
now one of the most active and prOmi-
nent business men in the Philippines.
Mr.. Andre will take with him to Wash
ton maps of all the islands, made as a re-
suit OF his own knowledge of them, which
will show the character Of the soil In the
various provinces, the people who live
there. the agricultural and mineral re-
sources and the forests He will also take
with him the official surveys and plans of
all the projected railroads in the island of
Luzon which received the sanction OF the
Spanish officials. These plans were made
by competent engineers and show in COM
plete detail the work to be done in the
construction of the roads and their cost.
He Will also take with him all the port
plans. togetherNwith complete information
as to the trade of the islands, their re-
sources and their possibilities. /
The object of the company will be to
take advantage Of the various opportuni-
ties for profitable investment of capital
offered by the development of the Philip
pine islands. He considers that the re-
sources Of the islands have hardly been
touched. A few of these resources, such
as hemp, sugar and tobacco, already pro-
duce large profits, but under Spanish rule
it was impossible to handle any of these
Industries in business-like methods, so
that even those upon which the most eff
fort has been expended can hardly be said
to have reached more than the primary
stage Of their possibilities. There are
scores of other fields practically un-
touched. The greatest of these Is in the
construction of railroads and the opening
OF ways of communication. Now the
roads are in such condition that it is
only with the greatest difficulty that the
produce Of the provinces finds it's way to
mai ket. The shipping interests are
most inadequately handled. To one who
has. travelled among the islands It IS easy
to see that proper ports are needed in
many places. The rich timber interests
ere entirely undeveloped. Rice cultivation
ic in N ct "a a nv Un|oi ct1
seems especially designed by nature for
growing rice great quantities must be i'm
ported annually to supply the demand
of the population. The difficulties of
transporta ton at present divert what lit
tie traffic there Is from its natural chan
nes and render it impossible to open up
rich fields. Only the surface of the min
cral wealth has been scratched. There is
q trade in coprax, but the possibility of
using the cocoanut husks and waste
hemp, which now are thrown away, seems
never to have been considered.
The company proposes to center all its
operations around a bank which will be
established in Manila, with branches in
other parts of the islands. This bank will
be a national bank, issuing its own cur
rency, and will handle the funds of the
company and do a general banking bust
ness.
~ The principal departments of the bank
besides the central bank proper will be g.
credit and mortgage department, a. COM
nercial and marine department., manu-
featuring and industrial department, eng1-
neering, railroads, ports, bridges or
mines department and general trust
company department.
Mr.. Andre explains the field of the diff
ferent departments to be something of
this sort:
The first named department will make
loans on real estate, ships and other prop
nrtv a r.
pose the department will act as a. ware
house and storage company. The banks
now operating in Manila conf1ne them
selves to advances on goods for exporta-
ton, with the condition that they shall be
handled quickly, the banks discounting
the drafts. This enables the banks to
avoid doing business on long time, there
being plenty of short time business to oc-
cupy them thoroughly at more profitable
rates. The entrance to the projected
bank with it's easy time business simply
takes up a field at present unoccupied.
but nevertheless profitable, although not
as remunerative as the short-time bust
ness, which will be looked after by the
central bank. -. ..--
The commercial and marine department
would have to do with staple articles
1T would be the business of this depart.
ment- to take advantage of all iopportun-
tiles for acquiring these properties and
developing them for sale or for opera
ton by the department for the profit -of
the company. .-.,.{ ,..- ....~, ,.......-
=. The chief business OF the department
would be the construction Of railroads.
;tramways. bridges and power-supply
Iplants. The railway lines have been sur
;Veyed thoroughly and Mr.. Andre takes de-
tailed plans with him to Washington.
T. 1t Is expected that the franchise to be
got from congress by the company viii OBJ
q 0r0<3.I 1n1 ~RN
forest at present of absolutely no value.
but which would be good property If
traversed by a railroad. Districts now
umnhabited and deserted would be COW
cred with farms and the land sold or
rented at a good price.
The large natural traffic on these lines
would be Increased by the commerce de-
partmenf, which would be buying and
shipping products to Manila, as well as
sending them from one province to an
other. sFs t>1=z--I-I,.
Domestic traffic would be greatly
Northwest Luzon Is unapproachable DUR
ing the southern monsoons from July to
March, nine months but instead of seeing
traffic suspended, as happens now because
/! OF the inaccessibility Of the coast in the
southwest monsoon, the railway will
carry the products to market Similar. re-
suits VIII be obtained in other districts by
other projected roads. The projected
road to Benguet and the cool highlands of
North L1zon, with the accompanying con-
struction OF hotels and development Of a
governmental hill station. could un-
doubtedly be made to pay handsomely.
In Benguet. in the cool season, the tenn.
perature goes down to 40 deg. Fahren-,
heit In the morning. The distance from
Manila would be only six hours by train.
il is the intention Of the engineering
department to bid for port and harbor
work. bridge construction and all engi.