Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-03-10

y
alton of some character in the islands
! Direct taxation would accomplish prac-
| tically nothing, the people as rule being
| very poor. No one familiar with existing
| conditions would expect any appreciate
return through such method, or that the
! government would, under any circum-
| stances, resort TO Ii.
! Turning from this to the system COM
/ monty known as the internal revenue,
! the prospect is a little better. There Is
| among the great masses of the people so
little of active business, and so small is
the consumption of the classes of articles
| from which revenues are usually derived
| under an internal revenue system, that
| compared with the object in view the
amount possible to collect under 1t is In
significant
| The possibilities of receipts from tariffs
/ on both imports and exports in the Phil
| ippines are scarcely less Inadequate when
measured against the huge and yearly
| increasing expenditure which IL Is sought
/ to counterbalance. Statistics of the for
mer trade of the islands, and recogni-
/ ton Of the conditions now existing, easily
| demonstrate the correctness of this
/ statement. The generally accepted state
ment of the foreign trade Of the Philip
pine Islands prior to the Spanish war is,
/ OF exports and OF imports, total aggre-
gate of $50, 900, 900 in gold. Statements diff
/ fering in any great degree from this are
/ found only where the figures relate to
/ deprecated silver money. Upon such
basis no argument Is required to show
the impossibility of securing a reimburse
/ ment Of either past or future expenditures
! from any duties levied If they should be
/ upon both imports and exports. Any rea-
sonable tariff duties on such a business
| would scarcely suffice to defray the ex-
penses of the civil government.
Examination Of imports and Exports.
| m
| is recognized as a standard authority In
| his statement Of their total imports and
| exports during a series of years, he gives
| 1892 as that in which the highest figures
were reached. In that year the imports
were S27.O00,6O4 and the exno-ts were
$SS, 47S,924, in silver, the depre' ton of
| which must be taken into a~Oount In
war in which there were complete official
records, the imports were $17f40,010 and
| the exports S.2l0,0s2, silver.
Recent statistics issued by the war de-
partment of the United States place the
| imports of the islands for 1891 at s12O55, 615
and the exports for that year at S15. 747, 500
a total of 81, 500 IA, in gold, for the en-
tire trade. including both imports and ex-
ports. These and the figures for other
years show that the yearly average of
| imports and exports combined was APP
proXimately $50 900 in gold prior to the
/ 6RdAAAol NcA-luG dInOuAI DelnK some
times under and sometimes over that
amount. II these figures represent the
business Of the islands under normal con-
| ditons IL is apparent that from duties
| levied on the same there cannot be re-
paid that which has already been expend-
ed What is more to the point in the pres
ent inquiry II is equally apparent that
IL the present expenditure or any approx
/ imating 1t is to be continued, the future
annual cost will not be returned to the
United States through customs duties
| even IL the business of the Philippine is
lands should Immediately become quad
| ripple what II was prior to the Spanish
war AS extreme as the statement NAV
appear to be, it is nevertheless true that
| under present conditions the annual ex-
| penditure of the United States on account
Of the Philippines would not be recovered
II in each year all the articles imported
into the islands and all the articles ex-
ported from the same were seized and
sold by the United States and the total
proceeds turned into the national treas
/ ury.
This statement is made in fun recogni-
ton of the fact that the annual imports
and exports have largely increased within
the past two years. Even with such in
| crease the figures sustain the correctness
of the statement.
The statistics of the war departuent
place the imports into the islands for the
year 1900 at so, 100 and the exports at
S26 231, 442. in gold. Those who anticipate
great returns from the Philippines point
with confidence to these figures as the
demonstration that the productive indus
tries of the islands are growing with leaps
and bounds, and that. in their rapid and
grand expansion, there will be rich pecu-
MARY rewards to the government and gen.
eral public Of the United States. II this
increase in business measures the actual
H.
with the producers, the confidence Is well
founded for a trade greater than that of
the islands prior to the Spanish war On
the contrary, IL IL is due to fictitious and
abnormal conditions such increased bust
ness will not survive the restoration of
normal conditions.
No argument is needed to sustain the
proposition that the normal trade of
people is measured by their productions.
Certainly this is so in the absence of sur
plus capita. Commerce between countries
Is the reciprocal interchange of their. pro-
ducts. In the absence of increased pro-
duction in a country, an increased trade
must be due to abnormal causes. Apply
ing this principle, the increase in the i'm
ports and exports of the Philippines is not
normal, because it is a fact that the pres
ent production of the islands does not
equal the production prior to the Spanish
war. This fact is freely conceded by all
acquainted WITH the GAlSNlNk GOnullAOHSt
including the high civil officers and the
well-informed Filipinos. 1t is impossible
that it could be otherwise. A large part of
the country has been devastated by three
years OF war and a considerable part OF
Il is still the theatre of war. There are
fewer laborers than formerly. There has
been large loss of life among the Filipi-
nos. and the survivors many have become
demoralized through u4scontent and by the
Idleness and license o. the camp, and have
not returned to work. This is not conject-
i've, but is stated on the authority of we'll
| informed natives. A controlling factor in
the decrease of production is the loss of
The caribou Cor, water buffalo), which is
practically the only agricultural work an
| imal in the islands. No other animal is
suited to that climate and he only be-
cause every two hours or so he is allowed
to submerge himse-i in the water. leaving
out only the tip of his nose. During the
active hostilities this animal was slaught-
| cred by both SEES. and since Their there
| has been great loss through the rinder-
| pest. From these causes the loss of the
| caribou has been general, and in some of
| the provinces, nine-tenths of them have
been killed or have died of disease. The
products Of the Philippines are agricul-
| tural Compare with these the other pro-
ducts are insignificant. Under the con-
| ditions IT is impossible that the products
could be otherwise than greatly decreased.
With this unquestionable decrease in
production the increase in imports is