The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-06-25
Business Prospects in the Phil
ippines Are Bright
Manila Merchants Have Made
Money Right Along.
THE WOODS IN DEMAND
Pullman Agent Makes an Offer
For Mahogany Logs.
Outlook For Profitable Gold
Mining Is Good.


Correspondence Of Associated Press.1
Manila, May Pat about the time
this correspondence is published in the
United States, civil government will
havesucceeded military control through
out the Philippines. The islands stin
excepted from peaceful civil rule will
be few and remote. The only large ones,
Mindoro and Paragua. are in quies-
cent rather than a rebellious condition
According to all calculations the sur
render or capture of Lucban and the
beginning at least of the pacihcation of
Samar, will have been accomplished
within a few weeks. so that the organic
alton of municipal and provincial gov
ernments in that stubbornly insurgent
island will not be much longer delayed.
The Inauguration of the purely civil
government is expected to give con-
siderable impetus to business. Although
the amendments attached by congress
to the SpOOner act prohibit granting OF
public franchises or dfspOSalS of public
land and mining rights, and although
no authority has been conferred for the
organization of corporations, still the
Individual American business man is
naturally optimistic over the prospects
of the era OF commercial success pre-
dicted for the near future. The war;
while it caused adversely in the prov
inces has all along brought prosperity
to Manila, and the English, German and
American business men have been and
are making money. Now, with the COM
ing of peace, trade with the provinces
is beginning to boom. and it is quite
apparent that the trade of Manila, llo1lo
and Cebu with continental Asia is likely
to greatly surpass the expectations of
Americans in general
In a recent conversation with the
Associated Press correspondent, Con-
gresham Hull, of Iowa, said:
THE business development of the
Philippines was set back a year by
congress refusal to permit granting
franchises. The new congress must, OF
course, at its coming session, legislate
for the islands. and if we are going to
insist that no franchises be granted for
the promotion of large business enter
prises, we virtually say that we are OPP
posed or, at least, Indifferent, to the
development of the Philippines"
Mr.. Hull. in common with all the
more intelligent Americans who come
to the Philippines in these days, believes
the business future of the islands, and
of Manila in particular, is bright with
Mr.. Hull and his associates in lumber
ing enterprises have recently had prac-
teal demons ration of the fact that
Philippine lumber Will sell IN the Amer
lean market.
An agent of the Pullman company.
who has Just been negotiating here for
Philippine woods. named a price at
which his company would take all the
Philippine mahogany, in the log, de-
liveFed at any Philippine seaport. This
offer. which was declined, tended TO IN
crease the assurance generally felt here
that the beautiful finishing woods OF the
Philippines are henceforth to be much
in demand
Several great agricultural enterprises
are awaiting the chance to acquire
titles to government lands before be-
ginning operations Various companies
and individuals are looking to the
great fertile and largely savage island
Of Mindanao as the scene of operations
in sugar culture on a tremendous scale,
provided the coveted grants OF public
lands can be obtained.
The Occidental Negros lies the richest
sugar country deve 'oped under Spanish
rule, but it is now claimed that the soil
OF several other southern islands can
be made to produce equally good re-
suits.
The great drawback to the Spanish
MestezO owners of the NegrOs sugar
plantations has been and is the exorb-
liant rates of interest charged for mon
ey. Up to the present the current rates
of interest on loans charged by the
British and German bankers of Iloilo is
80 per. cent per annum, and 80 per cent
is usually charged for a loan for short
er periods than year Besides this.
mortgages are generally taken on the
crops as well as on the land, and the
planter often agrees to sell to the mon
ey-lenders- AS a consequence, the man
who produces the sugar is very apt to
have a high grade product classed and
paid for as only medium
The people of Negroes contend strong
ly for the establishment of banks
whose special function shall be loaning
on agricultural lands at legally-regula-
ted, reasonable rates The Philippine
commission favors this idea and will
encourage the establishment of such
institutions.
Similar conditions apply to tobacco
culture, but the tobacco industry is
merging into the hands of big Manila
corporations.
As to hemp, former conditions still
largely prevail, both in the gathering
and preparation of the product and the
financial handling thereof. Generally
the crops are bought in advance by
agents of the British syndicates who
virtually control the product. It is a
system of dealing in futures at short
range instead of by telegraph
The establishment of American ma
tional and saving banks is discussed as
possible in the near future.
OF all the industries of the Philip
pines the one which appeals most
strongly to the average hurry -and-get-
rich American is gold mining For two
years past experts and small scatter
ings of adventures have been camping
about the gold fields of Lepanto, Bon
toe and Benguet provinces, northern
Luzon, getting a little of the precious
metal in primitive ways, and hoping
for a time when they can acquire rights
to mining claims. The surface indica-
lions in that region are very promising,
but the miners are holding off from in
curing any expense until they are as
sl1red that congress will permit the ac-
QUESTION of claims. Tt is dawning fore
IDLY on the rank and file of young
| Americans here that gold mining in
the Philippines is far more favorable
proposition than in countries where the
weather .precludes labor a considera BILE
portion of the year. And, as the indica-
tions point to at least fairly rich yields,
there is bound to be q rush as soon as
| claims can be secured
l The signs of richness in minerals are