BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-04-30
FlIpllDS AS Workers.
Gen. Macarthur on the Native
Laborers-Lines in Which
They Excel.

When Gen. Macarthur resumed his
testimony before the Senate Committee
on the Philippines on April II, Senator
Dubois a member of the Committee
asked a number of questions concerning
the efficiency of Philippine labor. The
General said there were about 400
natives employed in certain corral in
Manila, and that for this work they
rec eived SIS in gold per month, while
Americans received $40 The Filipinos
were, he said, quite efficient in this
work, and, while this pay was entirely
out. of proportion to that received by
the Americans, it was SO much more
tha1 they had been in the habit OF
receiving that they were spurred to
extra efforts.
Gen Macarthur expressed the opinion
that the natives would be equal to the
task of cultivating the agricultural lands,
Iif sufficiently paid for their services
Still, it was possible that this labor
nigh not be equal to the demands of
American and European exploiterS. In
this connection he re .,eated his convic-
ton that it is not desirable unduly to
exploit the islands, and, if this we're to
be done, excessive wages would be
necessary to secure results.
Replying to Senator Patterson, Gen.
Macarthur said there were few factories
| in the islands, but that he believed the
FiEpinos were capable of development
as artisans. "ihey are successful" he
said, wherever deftness of touch is
necessary. They are of artistic tem-
permanent, and will take high rank as
artists. They are full of romance and
poetry, and will generally succeed as
actors and musicians indeed, there is
hardly Filipino that is not musician.
There is, in brief, no question of the
power of the Filipinos as people to
reach high standard of development
in any direction"
Replying to further questions from
Mr.. Patterson, the witness described
the situation at Manila when he arrived
there in July, 1898. He said that at
that time the natives were besieging
the Spaniards in the city in connection
with a few American troops. The
state of afnity bet cen the two forces
was good, and the Filipinos evidently
looked upon the Americans in the light
of deliverers. He said however, that
there, had not been voluntary coopera-
ton with the Fi1ipinos on the part of
the Americans, and that no subordinate
officer had right to commit Gen.
Merritt to such cooperation
Senator Patterson asked Gen. Mac
Arthur whether, in February, 1899, he
had given orders to his sentinels on
duty near blockhouse No ?, near Ma
Mia, to shoot and kill any Fi1ipinos
crossing the line, TO which question the
reply was:
Il did not give specific orders to that
effect on that occasion, as any sentinel
on his general orders " ould first CON-
mand an intruder three times to halt,
and then shoot if he did not halt. |
Even in connection with Our own
people, that is an established tenet of |
military duty, but would have given
the order any minute of the day if it
had been necessary. Our men on the
line had submitted to so many indig.
mites from the Filipinos that the sen
tinel must have known that any one at
to pass the line was doing so
with hostile intent
The witness also answered a number
Of questions relating to the firing by
the American Sentinels on Filipino
patrol of four men on February 4, 1899,
when the first battle with the Filipinos
began which, he said, would have been
justified under the circumstances if III