New-York tribune., 1901-11-18
WEALTH IN ITS FORESTS
THE TIMBER LANDS OF THE PHILIP
PINE ARCHIPELAGO AND THE Drv
FICULTIEs ATTENDING THEIR
EXPLOITATION.

4
In one of the rooms at MaIacaran-cor.
Tafts official residence is mere called .na,
ace" though it is not much more than rsr,
shackle wooden structure resting on stona
may see round table the top Of which is
solid piece Of wood no less than eight fest &,
diameter. At the Jesuit Observatory thars =;
table twenty feet long by five and half fa.,
wide and four inches thick the top Of which
also is one solid piece of wood. Throughout n.
islands in fact, one frequently sees in the better
class of houses dining tables that are seven
eight and even nine feet wide the tops in every
case being made of single plank. The wood il
that of the belate, tree which abounds In tbs
forests of the archipelago This wood is ex
tremely hard. is beautifully veined and takes
high polish But it is one only of a score or
more of hardwood trees with which the noun
tain sides of nearly every island are covered
In Manila two Of the principal bridges were
paved, SIX years ago, with wooden blocks made
from the molave tree. These blocks have been
in that time subjected to the heaviest traffic Of
the city, to some pretty violent changes in tenn
perature to the fierce rays of the MONDAY sun
in these Iatitudes and to the steady downpouri
Of tropical rains. Yet after a searching ex-
animation made by army engineers the other
day they were unable to discover single block
that had eltner rottef or Spnntereu
Along the Pasg River and strewn on the
beach Of the bay you may see logs of aranga
and dungeon which are almost exclusively used
for sea piling, the wood of these trees being
impervious to the attacks of the Toredo navalis.
On the track of the Manila and Dagupan Rail-
way you are SHOWN ties which have not been
renewed since they were first laid down. They
are species of wood that seems to resist bet
ter than any other wood known the effects Of
dampness. and to last extremely we'll when laid
in the ground. Specifications in building con-
tracts almost always call for the employment
of moIave, ipil yacal and dungeon. which are
all woods remarkable for their strength and du-
rabiIity and, what is more important here
proof against the attack of white ants. In tIa
navy yard of Cavite you may see an exhbi,
of nearly a hundred varieties of native woods
now all used in the construction and decoration
of ships and boats a similar exhibit has been
sent to the Furniture Makers Association in
Grand Rapids. to the Pullman workshops, near
Chicago, and to other people interested. to show
them what the woods which these islands
produce, and to induce them to divert part Of
their orders now filed in South America to our
new possessions in the East.
There is a great variety of trees yielding val
abundant in Mindanao and Tawi-Tawi- From
the insignificant and comparatively unknown
port of Cotabato in Mindanao alone. there
shipped last year TO Singapore less than
$500 900 worth Of gutta percha- The forestry
bureau estimates that at least seventeen dye
woods are produced within the limits Of the
archipelago, while other trees yield valuable es-
sentiaI oils or drugs. In short. the wealth Of
the islands in woods. awaiting intelligent devel-
opment, may without exaggeration be pro-
nounced to be enormous There seem TO ,:
woods here for every imaginable use and pur-
pose
am well aware that this subject Of the tim
Der wealth of the Philippines is one TO which the
cynical critic turns with unhagging zeal When
ever the shafts of his sarcasm have fallen harm
less and unnoticed elsewhere He has heard
farmers and lawyers and politicians. and nat
uralists. and soldiers. and beer men. and tobacco
men, and drygoods men. and one or two news
paper men. tell all about the timber resources
of Luzon and other islands. He is waiting to
hear from some old timberman who has made
sawdust' in a mountain country. He has seen
himself hills and mountains before, densely
wooded to their SUBMITS. He has seen hundreds
of thousands of dollars go into those hills and
mountains. He has also seen logs and boards
go out. and has heard a good many mill men
.use had words over vanishing capital. He IS
disposed. therefore, to be conservative over
the vast resources and mighty profits OF the
timber business here until he hears the testi-
mony OF a few men whose business 1t IS 70 see
into tree" and who can properly estimate the
cost of cutting, hauling and few other Things
that have to be done in the timber business. All
this is very fine. of course. and must impress tne
Iayuan tremendously with the critics knoWIedse
of the business but if the layman. or the critic
for that matter, were to take the trouble 10 redu
the reports of the insuIar forestry bureau ne
might find himself enlightened on many OF tne
points which now seem so obscure TO hlnl- o.u
the enlightenment would be furnished by people
quite as competent to discuss the subject as ln7
old tinbernlan who has made sa"dus0 VI WIZ
has seen into tree.
That the timber exists and that it is most
valuable admits of no discussion. Of course. Tne
difficulty is how to get it out commercially
have hoard if stated that the chief obstacle Is
the absence of waterways and roads The lo'
mer are full of obstructions az all times anu
mart of the year are without sufficient depui
of water The latter are conspicuous by theii
absence There is much truth in this. no dou0''
and il is certain that a large part OF the tiiii
cannot, for long time to come be cut 10 niiaN
cial advantages. 1t is nevertheless true N
there are waterways of sufficient dep" On
volume notably in Northern Luzon ana III VII
danao. within easy reach Of valuable liiHoe''
which are not being made use OF for loss-'
operations Another obstacle 1 have hearu i
toned is the fact that the different varletie'
timber do not grow in certain ranges or groups
that is to say a nara a tindalo. tor ~
stance, may be met with in one spot. Whlis -
next specimen will be found 10 grow a nAs
more away This has always seemed 10 M
most absurd objection. What is 10 hiIUe -,
timberman from cutting twenty or more
ferent varieties, grouping the product d"