The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-03-27
FEAR OF JAPAN
As an Agricultural or CONNER
cial Rival
Has No Foundation Says DIR.
s. A. Knapp.
GOVERNMENT EXPERT
Appointed to Look Into tn
Situation.
Price of Labor There Has DOu-
bled In Ten Years.

Knapp, who was sent by the depart
ment of agriculture to Japan, China ana
the Philippines as an agricultural ex-
plorer has returned to Washington and
has reported to Secretary Wilson the
results of his labors. He was instructed
to investigate such products of the
farms, fields and forests of those coun-
tries as might be of advantage to the
agriculture industries of the United
States.
Some of the observations of DR.. Knapp
relating to the products of Japan al
ready have been published in a pre-
liminary report. On this branch of IN
vestigation, however, he has the FOL
lowing additional to say:
"All fear of competition from japan
along agricultural lines may be dis
missed. On the contrary it must be
come a large consumer of farm products
drawn from the United States. The
diffusion of knowledge and introduction
of new industries in Japan have had the
effect of more than doubling the cost OF
labor in the last ten years, and in pro-
portion of stimulating consumption by
the common people. A feature OF the
progress must be mainly made in the
direction of manufactures. In Such
event the food for the operatives, the
cotton and other fiber material for the
fabrics, the lumber and iron for the
construction of factories and much of
the machinery will be drawn from the
United States.
have made much progress under the
factory system and this is owing to the
fact that they were not produced to any
extent in the empire and hence no home
system of manufacture has been eStab-
lished for them.
THE principal agricultural products
imported into Japan are wheat, flour,
sugar, cotton, butter, cheese and meat.
The annual value of these articles is at
present between "a and % million dol
lars in gold. Under favorable treaty
.T.,kf To-
United States nearly all her flour, but
ter, cheese and meat, three-fourths of
the raw cotton required and from the
Philippines nearly their entire surplus
output of sugar"
Regarding China, the report says:
THE great area, the large per cent of
fertile lands, and the enormous pOpula-
ton of China Stagger the observer on
the threshold of investigation. Here,
however, as in Japan, radical changes
in agricultural methods or products
must be made very slowly, if at all, be-
cause the food supply can not be ma
terially reduced or even changed with
safety. Large areas devoted to fibre
plants for the promotion of manufac-
the acres necessary for the food supply
and must be speedily followed by impor-
tations from the United States.'
DR.. Knapp was deeply impressed by
the alert. Industrious and frugal charac-
ter of the Chinese.
From China, DR.. Knapp proceeded to
the Philippines. Arriving at Manila he
went by rail as far as San Fernando
passing through the rice section to the
east and north of Manila on to the su-
gar lands to the north The yield per
acre, according to the best authorities
is about 1000 pounds of hulled rice on
lands under rainfall irrigation solely
and 1000 pounds on lands artificially ir-
rigated. This shows very careless hus-
bandry. The rich clay loan soil about
San Fernando is well adapted to sugar
cane. In LuZon the methods of sugar
farming are quite different from those
practiced in the United States, while
the factories are the crudeSt conceiva-
BILE. The sugar is drained upon the
open kettle plan. The proprietor fur
nishes land and factory and the tenant
furnishes seeds, does all the work in the
field, delivers the cane to the mill and
supplies most of the hands for making
the sugar. The proprietor receives one
half of the sugar and all the molasseS.
The tenant, in theory, is allowed the re-
mainder, but in practice he usually re-
ceives about twO-tifths of the sugar.
DR.. Knapp was informed that in the is
lands of Panay, Negroes and Cebu the
sugar farms and factories are much
more improved than in Luzon. Sugar
lands produce from 5000 to 5000 pounds
per acre depending upon the cultivation
and the factory.
The Filipinos as far as he observed do
not give as much attention to the pro-
duction of heterogeneous foods as the
Japanese, hence are less muscular.
views with Manila exporters satisfied
the doctor of the prosperity of the to-
bacco and hemp industries under nor
NAL conditions.
Millet, maize, sago and indigo do well
and are ordinarily profitable crops.
Philippine coffee, of which there were
formerly many plantations, has a pc
culiarly rich and pleasant flavor. Co.
coanuts, pineapples, oranges, bananas,
grapes, figs and many other fruits grow
almost spontaneously.
The Philippine islands abound in val
liable wood for building, furniture dye
woods and some yielding costly gums.
According to the best authority near
ly two-thirds of the lands is still public
and passes to the United States with
the title If opened for settlement to
soldiers many of our young men will re-
main and become permanent settlers.
ready been organized. The price of i'm
proved land ranges from 81 to $40 per
acre (gold), depending upon the location
and value of the improvements.
Reports of the observatory of Manila
show that the average rainfall for the
past 80 years has been rs 40 inches.
The temperature is quite uniform, aV-
eraging during the past is years a de-
grees for January, the coolest month,
and S3.S degrees for May, the warmest
month. Within the period the thermom-
eter only once rose to 100 degrees and
once fell to 7o.4 degrees.
Prominent Filipinos assured Dr.
Knapp that upon the estates the labor
ers were industrious and thrifty and if
encouraged these conditions would be-
come general. A visit to the carpenter
factories satisfied him that the F'ilipinos
made good mechanics when DrOperlv