Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-30
IN THE FAR EAST
Government of Oriental De-
tendencies.
CONDITIONS EXAMINED
EXPERIENCE OF ENGLAND,
FRANCE AND HOLLAND.
Report to the War Department of J..
W. jerks, Sent to Investigate
Means and Methods.

The War Department and the Philippine
commission, believing that the experiences
of England and Holland in their dependen-
cies in the orient, in which the conditions
were quite similar to those in the Philip
pines, would be suggestive and helpful in
preparing suitable legislation for the Phil
ippines. sent Prof. ]. ". jerks as special
commissioner to look into those conditions.
Prof. jerks report has been made public.
1t opens with brief discussion of the atti-
tide of the countries in question toward
their colonies and dependencies and their
methods of government, with the apparent
results. 1t is the opinion of the writer that
however selfshly in earlier days these
countries treated their colonies, at present
they intend in the main to govern them for
the benefit of the natives themselves In
certain instances the government is direct;
in others both England and Holland hold
merely protectorate over native chiefs,
whom, however, they advise continually
through English or Dutch residents living
at their courts.
There seems to be no doubt that. on the
whole, in the dependencies of both coun-
tries there has been considerable progress
made during the last few decades. and that
conditions are now more favora BILE than
ever before. In neither country, however,
has much been done in the direction of es-
dependencies of England, Holland or
France in the orient has there been granted
so great a measure of Self-goyernment as
the United States has already given to the
Filipinos. When one considers that these
nations are, beyond question, seriously
working for the good of the natives, and
that they are doing what on the whole
seems to them best, the inevitable conclu-
sion is that the government of neither Eng
land or Holland considers the natives as
yet capable of self-government, although
they are making some efforts toward edu-
eating and fitting them for ultimate self
rule. The United States is commended for
its earnestness in pushing forward these
measures, but the rulers of the other coun-
tries would doubtless question the wisdom
of taking rapid steps,
Attention is especially called to the fact
that much interference on the part of the
home authorities in the details of the gov
eminent of the dependencies is harmful
and that those colonies have progressed
most pidly in which the English or Dut CHI
rulers have been given by their home gov
ernments the freest hand In administration.
The special economic subjects discussed
are the currency, labor, especially mmi-
grant coolie labor, local taxation and the
native police.
The Currency.
The experiences of India, the Straits Set
Elements, the federated Malay states, Java
and Sumatra show that the gold standard
is not necessarily the best. The silver
standard during the years when 1t was
steadily declining in value as compar red
with gold, beyond doubt did stimulate in
certain colonies the export trade and man
ufacturing for export purposes. 1t thus
aided the development Of the country.
This aid was not given however, without
certain classes in the community suffering.
In Sumatra, the Straits Settlements and
federated Malay states, the stimulus to
trade was given to a considerable extent
at the expense of the Chinese coolie labor
ers. Owing to the fact that they were &C
customed to the large silver dollar, Mexi-
can or Spanish, and that this large dollar
could more readily be used by them, they
have preferred it to a smaller coin, even
though the latter was of greater value.
Naturally, the employers have not been
averse to taking advantage of their ignor-
ance. Selling their goods on a gold basis
and paying their laborers and other ex-
penses in silver they have found exceeding
ly profitable
The relative fall in the value of silver
led in India and elsewhere to very heavy
losses on the part of the government, which
had large gold payments to make in Eu-
rope, but which collected its revenue in sill
Yer. The government employees likewise
and others on fixed salaries. who wished to
remit part of their savings to Europe, found
silver currency extremely expensive. This
influence was what led to the fixing of the
rate of exchange in India through the stop
page of the free coinage of silver and the
gradual adoption of the gold standard.
Although recognizing that a silver stand
ard may be best in certain countries, as
| for example Sumatra and the federated
Malay states the conclusion is reached
that for the Philippines it Is much better
| to adopt the fixed rate of exchange with
| gold, as recommended by the Philippine
commission, while encouraging the use OF
silver as currency as much as possible
The special reasons given are that if the
silver standard continues to depreciate
| those who gain from its depreciation will
TIA, -Jszt,
and German. although in part American
while the native Filipinos who grow hemp
| sugar tobacco, ETC., on their plantations
| will be the losers. Inasmuch as the chief
| purpose of the government is to protect
| Filipino laborers and producers rather than
| American or foreign business men, who are
| better able to look after themselves, it Is
| considered unwse to adopt legislation
| which would seem to discriminate in favor
of the latter.
| Moreover the fixed rate of exchange with
| gold would remove many of the difficulties
| of the Philippine government, which has
| intended to pay it's employees in gold, and
| it would also tend to encourage commerce
| with the United States rather than with
| silver standard countries. The report or
| this subject has the greater significance, in.
| asmuch the writer, as appears from the
| report itself, Is not a gold standard man In
the sense that he believes that the gold
standard should be universally employed
| He recognizes that silver is better for some
| countries, but in the interests of the ma
| tive Filipino urges that 1t would not be
| best for the Philippines.
Dearth of Efficient Labor.
| In the oriental countries visited, with the
| exception of Java, there is a dearth of eff
| ficient common labor The resources of thu
| countries could not be developed by the ma
| tive Malays or Burmans, and in most o.
| the countries 1t has been found best to i'm
| port coolies.