The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-18

Report of Their Trade and Agricultural
Conditions and Possibilities.

J>Ro. Pnnay Island. Phil opines. May Even
SUPERFICIAL exomnati on OF the conditions in
and industries marvellous because Of their
wealth and the possibilities that attach &c their
protaby shs Sat Ind
sitlon. Heretofore her import trade with ma;
tions other than Spain has been conducted
maintain branches. while agents of these
branches operate In Manila and control. or
rather have in the past controlled. the bulk of
anything "Amellcan" would have been re-,
States Manufacture 10 he found upon the isl.
ands were limited to a few patent medicines
single exception Of flour, but the consump-
ton Of wheat flour has been slight in COMPARE
son. as the masses OF the, people DO not know
what 1t is Yet the foreign element and the
better classes Of the natives require 1t. The
trade IN this, as in all else. goes through Hong
lean products in,thc Philippines. s, It is with
Philippine products in America. What we get
from here goes through foreign houses, and
what We send here traNerreS bark wari the
same route. Thus We know moth hing Of the isl
auds OF what we. might prolltaDy furnish to
"a We come together and as tho anchors Of
the winding chain have now been irrevocably
set ON either side, OF the Pacific; the future OF
these islands is hound IN in the same ban
dig with our own future.
No effort has ever been made TO improve OF
increase the products, o. supDlant antiquated
methods Of labor or industry to.advnnce the
tastes of the people or to educate them. One
may pass. from one to another over thou
sand neldSand will net see II plough. except
ing some poorly shaped wooden AFFAIR OF an
cient make. They threSh their rice in a ho-
lowed log bv constant bounding and beating
they cut the tall sugarcane with great rude
knives and carry Il on their backs 10 the near
est mill. which is almost invariably Of the poor
est. most ancient Iatt6rn, NrtoSian or rain
WAFER is used altogether. hut IA pump il I'M
known. and n windmill would lie IL curiosity,
There should also be n treme ndOus sale among
them OF cotton goods of every description.
There arc 5000 young Americans who eN-
pect to remain here. Their brains. their energy
and their labor will be snread and diifused
among the islands and will enter into every
quarter; a taste OF better things will sharpen
the appctiter OF The natives. sight Of other
things will nrite a desire 20 POSSESS them.
Here Ia "A field for American commerce that Ii
that is bNyCnl CON prehensiun or computation.
il seems like a great hive about to swarm, 4
point has been reached whore the future can
not lie Judged or measured by tho past. A
condition ImpendS for which those who eN.
pect rticiDation must prepare. Primitive
methods. primitive utensils and primitive an
pliances will give way to modern machinery
troll OF Americans, whose labor will bring
about rOIuvenation beyond parallel in his
tory. Exports OF raw products that we can
use, hemp. tobacco. coffee, rice. sugar. spices
and all such staple agricultural products as
are required ~ us in quantitles or quality
beyond our power To produce. will be diverted
into American channels. The work of pro-
most beyond calculation. Manila itself has
yet 10 be modsrnHsd. while the country il al;
most virgin to the touch Of civilization and
clyllizing methods.