Evening star., 1901-10-11

east as in English settlements. this token
of commercial fellowship may be passed
along In the Philippines to the English,
VINO not only have already the largest In
vestment interests here, but are zealously
ana confidently arranging to increase them
ihe philippines thus promise well for
CAPITAL, Which can manage. as it has done
elsewhere, to get all to be had out of Ia
Dor and other local conditions; but the HIT
Tie Fellows among the new corners, as in
other parts of the east, will not be bone
ana sineW colonists, but Of the clerk class
who can do better than at home. miners
ready to go to Jericho for likely claim
soldiers remaining behind with a notion
that big land holdings may fall their way,
a decreasing force Off unfortunates who
mad thought to make bricks without straw.
ana the f1otsam whom the waves of ad-
world"
An Inviting Field.
Mr. Eddy covers theewhoe field for in
vestment with satisfactory detail in several
paragraphs at the beginning of his re-
view
Investment here need not be experiment
tal.' he says. india and China have tried
to grow Manila hemp and have not done
1t. The industry Is small compared with
what 1t might be, but as the article is su-
perior and the demand for it a growing
one, there Is less risk in it's cultivation
than in that of wheat Money has been
made out of sugar In the islands. althoueh
prepared for market In the crudest and
most wasteful fashion. Sugar lands are
plentiful and cheap. Tobacco grown here
Will always sell well In the east. even IL
Europe and America let 1t alone An ex-
cellent quality Of coffee may be raised
Ihe timber supply Is incalculable. Some
OF the Islands contain scores of miles of
unbroken forest. There are $50 kinds of
WOOD here known cemmercially; science
recognizes 665 native species. When the
clVh commission went south one of
the party obtained in Leyte eighty-two
samples of hard woods, gathered In, that
island alone. Some of the woods are nrnof
against climate and insects Coprah is a
rich and abundant product. Many natives
burn 1t for household illumination 1t was
universally so used until English firms cor
WINGED some of the consumers that thew
could get more for 1t than the cost of kero-
sene Of equal Illuminating power
A Variety of Interests.
Mining. followed heretofore only in a des-
ultory way. promises well enough to have
attracted and held for a year several hum
dred prospectors, who await authority to
locate and work claims There is no limit
to possible tropical fruit production Manu-
featuring has never had important place in
the Philippines, but lawyer who is fire.
quently consulted by various capitaI inter
ests says he is advising his clients thai the
country is so eager for home manufa ctures
that anything except sealskin coat fac
tory Is DounQ to succeed.
Many of the mountain slopes afford fine
shelter and grazing for stock DEVELOPMENT
along the lines specified would Certainly
open the way for capital interested in Ship
ping. Agricultural investment on a large
scale may be employed either in extensive
land holdings or as factor which shall
finance, handle and market the products
Of individual industry. Eastern practice
favors capitai employment in commercial
rather than in agricultural undertaking.
While the conditions presented here NAV
we'll impair or set aside precedent, capital
may find, for time. at any rate, the old
way safer than a new one.''
Land titles seem to be much confused
There are apparently only about 5000 600
acres Of land to which personal title can he
readily established This leaves approxi-
mately 6s 100000 acres Of so-called public
lands. Something more than official sur
veys will be needed to define the status of
the tillable portion Of such lands sufflcfent-
ly for the purposes Of capital. 1t Is certain
ly within bounds to estimate the number Of
squatters on them at 100000. many Of
whom can probably get title on the ground
of undisturbed possession for a long term
Of years..
Hemp Holds First Place.
In treating of Philippine products in
more detail, Mr.. Eddy says of hemp; "All
the experience in the islands awards to
hemp growing first place in agricultural en-
terprise. Starting on new soil a hemp plans
tation will not become productive for three
years. but from that time the product is
the least precarious OF egrowths and 1t al
ways commands "a good market. crop
might parch in dry weather, but with
rainy season In the islands as regular as
the seasons, risklon that account is small
Insects. the curse Of many other crops do
not trouble 1t, and II seldom suffers se-
riously from Storm ~
Land owners always ask much more
than they expect, to get for property. but
ma,s rop cash inyems IN frsss 900 al; acres % Or
doubtless be had dssas there are ten-doIlar
gold pieces to paDper acre. Choice planta-
tons already bearing would not be thought
specially cheap at fifteen gold dollars per
the southern islands lnay be had for
dollar or two persacreb
apart from the cost of land, which
would vary according to convenience to
market and suitability of soil, the cost
Of planting might be as high as 80
the money to be paid at full growth
of the plants; or perhaps 80 per cent OF
that amount, the owner taking chances of
honest labor and fertile sprouts and pay
storehouses on q plantation. sheds. press
and the usual farm outfit. worth in all
perhaps 5000.
PROFIT I'm Figures.
1.-THE plantation at bearing time. starting
with new soil, may thus have involved an
outlay of sos, 600. 1t Is the custom for
field labor to work on shares, accepting
pay In store orders or In cash at 81 or up-
ward per bale below the price quoted In
Manila LOSSES on advances to labor quite
balance the gain on store orders. Work on