The San Francisco call., 1899-08-03


not be compared with them.
PRIVATE D. A. ELK1NS. Company A
There are plenty of people in the Phil
ippincs and the country appears to be
pretty we'll occupied. l cannot say what
the opportunities are for obtaining land
for agricultural purposes for the reason
that | have no means of knowing. The
country is fertile and capable of raising
a great variety of crops. In addition to
hemp rice and tobacco, the three staples,
considerable corn IS raised. Wheat, how
ever. l do not think will thrive there. be-
cause the climate is too damp. Cattle
and hogs are raised in great numbers.
Americans and Europeans cannot stand
manual labor in that climate and all that
kind of work is done by the Chinese COO
lies or by the native Filipinos. The island
could very likely be made profitable to
this country if the present contract labor
system were abolished and our labor laws
enforced there. white man will soon
lose his natural energy in the Philippines
and gradually lose all desire to work
I am opposed to making the Filipinos
citizens of the United States, with equal
privileges to ourselves-emphatical So
They are a treacherous race and natural
horn thieves and not fit to be citizens of
this republic.
PRIVATE H. R. JACOBSON. Company
A-The island of Luzon appears to be
pretty well populated, although as the
majority of the people live in cities and
towns you will find many farm houses.
l do not know what the opportunities are
for obtaining land for agricultural pur-
poses, as l did not investigate the sub
iect during my stay on the island. Amer
loan. agriculture can be introduced there
I am quite sure although owing TO the
damp climate 1 do not think wheat would
thrive there Corn is already grown in
great quantities and cattle and hogs
flourish in the foothills. Americans cannot
work in the fields at any form of labor.
All that work must be done by the Chi
nese. who appear to be perfectly suited
to the climate, and by the Filipinos, al
though the latter are by no means par
tial to hard work of any kind. The islands
might be made profitable TO the United
States If the present contract labor sys-
tenn were abolished and our labor laws
extended to them and enforced. People
of our race soon begin to feel the enerVat-
ing effect of the climate and lose all de-
sire 10 work I do not think the natives
should be made citizens of the United
States by any means. They lack all the
qualifications that go to make up good
citizen and they are altogether too treach-
erous 10 suit me.
PRIVATE HERBERT G. GRAVES,
Company A-The Philippines, I should
say are pretty well populated. although,
as l was not off of the Island OF LuZon, /
cannot speak in regard to the others. l
do not know what the opportunities are
for obtaining land for the purpose of agri-
culture, as l had no facilities for
learning when we were there, and l did
not give the matter much thought The
land which is mostly owned by the
church, is very fertile, and all kinds of
cereals ought to grow there, with the pos
sible exception of wheat, which might be
affected by the danipness. Corn in large
quantities is already raised, and the
cattle-raisng industry is fourishing, as is
hog raising. 1t IS out of the question for
Americans to think of doing out-of-door
labor in that climate, as they cannot
stand it. The Chinese. stand the climate
better even than the natives, and they do
most of the hard work. If our labor laws
could be enforced there and the present
system of contract labor abolished think
very likely the Philippines could be made
profitable to us. The Caucasian race is
not adapted to the climate of the islands.
and white men soon lose their energy. The
Fflipinos are the last people on earth l
want to see made citizens of the United
States with equal privileges to ours. They
are treacherous, deceitful and thieves by
nature
B.
do not think the Philippines are lacking
in population by any means. In Luzon
there are a great number of people. and l
understand the rest of the islands are
equally well supplied with population. [
do not know anything about the opportu-
mites for obtaining land for agricultural
PURPOSES The land is extremely fertile
and capable of raising ali kinds of cereals,
with the possible exception of wheat. Cat
r,4e.r,I to, ,INdY-c-
in the foothills. where fine pasturage
abounds Americans are not adapted to
the climate and cannot perform laborious
work there. All hard work of all descrfp-
ton is done by either the Chinese coolies
or by the native Filipinos. l think the
islands could be made profitable for the
United States If the contract-labor system
were abolished and our labor laws en-
forced there The idea of a white man
living in that climate without his energy
becoming impaired Is absurd, and it is
equally absurd to think of making the Fill
ipinos citizens of this country with equal
privileges to ourselves. They are not CIV
iIized. and are altogether too treacherous
TO suit my ideas of what citizen of this
country ought to be.
l CORPORAL W. K. SMITH JR., Com
pany H-Of course | cannot undertake to
speak for the Philippines as a whole, as
we were stationed on the island of Lu-
zon and saw nothing Of any of the other
islands but Luzon appears to be pretty
we'll populated. In regard to what the
opportunities now are for obtaining land
for agricultural purposes, that is ques
ton that cannot be answered at this time.
All land titles are badly tangled, but they
will probably be Strengthened out after
the fighting is over. great deal. of corn
is raised there and other cereals can also
be raised, | should Judge, although 1 am
doubtful about wheat, which 1 am afraid
would sprout before 1t could ripen on ac-
count of the heat. Cattle and hogs are
raised in great numbers, as there is con-
siderable fine grazing land in the foot
hills White men could never work there
successfully in the agricultural districts.
They could not stand the climate, and
even if they could they would starve to
death. as they could not compete with
the Chinese coolies and the natives who
do all the hard work in the islands. [
do not think the islands could be made
profitable to the United States if the
contract system was abolished and our
labor laws enforced there, for the reason
that wages are altogether too low and
must necessarily continue so where there