The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-07-02
PREY TO MANY EVILS.
In Interests Are at Very Low fb In
The Philippines.
IrENANT HAYNES INTERESTING REnRT
|c Typhoon Swept s>vnmps OF The
AsIatic Is1nnds-Thc Natives A'e
Generally worthless.

ion may not have been called 20 tn
81 osurc, the substance OF a report I
agricultural department. AS there az
pie who might be inclined to desert tx
ile lands and temperate, healthful ci.
he of Texas for the typhoon ,wipt
mps of Asatic islands, think 'ou
lid do public service to reprint ir
b widely circulated journal.
early every well informed man l5owt
there are greater opportuniuel for
/ capital and muscle in a countrf like
as than in all the tropics in The World
Eery dollar taken from the United
les to the Philippines or west Indies
ms just that much less power or de-
opinent in our own county, and
3ture the prediction that nneeen out
avery twenty men who go from Texas
\ Che tropics will return jus as soon as
4[l&y can get back-and they will return
e&dder and wiser men. Respectfully yours,
H5X james L. Slayden.
The article mentioned ~ Congressman
SIeyden in the above is as follows:
The agricultural department has received
an interesting report from Lieutenant ~.
RI Bayne, California heavy artillery, on
aEKitulture in the PHILIPPINES, dated Ma
nilG The condition at tie time of writing
Fsfe such that Lieutenant Hayne Sad
been able TO make no personal observations
beyond the American Ines, but he trans
mltted the translation of an article pre-
p4rNd for him by Senor Manuel del Busto,
rUIMY n the t.t;t
at Manila, of whom he speaks Us on, of
th49most scholarly and scientific residents
ofsthe city.
Tie most remarkable feature OF the re-
QtE& is the almost hopeless picture pre-
44fd of the conditions prevailing in the
Itl BIDS and the frankness with which the
M&&ler, though resident, points them out.
NM he social stagnation in the islands Is
ltated by the fact that from 1912 to
4 the increase in population in the ls-
yea of Cebu was but 8. per cent, and this
tried hut little either way in the other
|Uapds of the archipelago"
Ihe great fertility of The soil Is pointed
3Hf, and 1t is said that only in few re-
!ff1cted areas, where three crops a year
RQx4 been gathered without interruption
rS3everal centuries, S there any apparent
lee8 for fertilizers. In spite of this all at
'qmpts at colonization have failed, either
'4Eough the poor class of emigrants Sc
'vEeq, the financial Instability of the va
't4Ae companies, or the corruption and OPP
2repsion OF the governors and government
REeQts. The result is that the middle and
oWer classes in the islands are almost Of
;pef~orst possible type, irresponsible aad
morally and physically, insen-
'toies or any contracts or obligations, writ
en- or oral, ready to cheat, and expecting
a "a Chnatpd
,er9Qasion except brutal force. from which
49, are always seady TO escape by NOV
nE atheir habitat.
~ aouition 10 mis primary difficulty In
'eHnrlng reliable labor, the agriculturist
s.f8qnfronted at the start with the neces-
'!skySior an lmmase amount OF work in
;!e4ying new land When this is accom-.
'tlisned ana luXTiant crop is raised, IL
sG the mercy of the first typhoon
sllcn' IN the northrn part of the archi-
seiago Is very severe. These wind and
alnstorms level cro)s. uproot trees de-.
noilsh houses and fiood with water every-
hing that has been left by the wind
'urning plantations into lakes and
sWamps, and rendering the primitiye
roads impossible for long periods. IL NAV
20 said. however that his danger. which
q present at all seasons in Luzon. de-
sreases in travelling stuthward till in
hlndanao and the more southern islands
here is fixed wet and dry season. and
ne yloleht storms are ralsly experienced.
beslaes the typhoon, here is to be
saTed IN certain provinces Tor instances,
ilcos, Ahra and Union, tn. "dapudo" or
Try land wind, which, in an incrediblv
mort time, dries up and DESTROYS yege-
.atlon' running many varietie of crops.
The virgin soil produces many rich ar
'icies OF commerce, such as gums oils
'eAlnf, woods and canes. The land has
Q#pe cleared of an almost inpenetrable
IsQWth before it is fit for agricultural
2ront But this work is attended with
ll&ye dangers. Diseases, so far, hardly
!aQHn to European doctors. result from
93 turning up of this virgin sill. Ac-
to competent medical authority
OF these strange aisordeis cause
l0&kn within few hours, while from
|tH4Fs, even If the patient recoyers he Is
94qemned to a wretched and lingering
whence One of the commohest of these
NOISES is temporary or permanent
lAreiysis, with almost endless complica-
SApong the recorded instances of this
o{tt was an attempt on the part of tie
Ae pstinlan fathers, in 1879, to construct
k& dbed in the province OF Isabella, but
9udden and awful fatalities among the
IzI<X 'hSu NtiuoSI IL 10 De dD1u10ne1. II
10 pa, however, that with the aid of
cal science such obstacles can be sue
nlly overcome.
Il other of the great difficulties in the
OF agricultural development is the
lack of roads and shipping points.
only means of transportation on
& the natives rely is the water buff
swamp reared, swamp dwelling
al. whose feet are adapted to the
WI In the muddy roads and flooded rice
.< He has little endurance. but he
e best draft animal obtanable in this
try, which is credited with having
HVorst roads in the whole world. The
buffalo is hitched to a primitive
wheel cart, a sledge. or sort of
according to the condition of tho
and only the lightest loads can be
IN, rendering transportation slow,
putt, and very expensive. The roads
pncticaTe for horses only in the
season. Macadam is unknown out
OF Manila.
Illustration of the influence of roads
pc Philippines is given by the price
nhauled rice in the provinces OF Tar
Ind Panpanga. Before the cons rue
OF the Dagupan railroad the farmer
scarcely obtain 81 cents for thirty
litres Immediately after the build
Pr the railroad there was a good mar
In these provinces at $l12 f.r the
amount, and the same quUithy sells
lanila today for sI.72. This handicap
transportation applies equally to all
agricultural products