The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-26
Certain Government Work Well Done,
hut Private Enterprise Is
Hampered.
A CALL FOR CHINESE LABOR
NATIVES AND AMERICANS NOT IN
TOUCH FOR SOME REASON.
Filipinos Too Idle and Easy Going to
Suit Promoters of Industrial
Enterprises.
of the indianapolis Journal.

Correspondence of the Indianapolis Journal.
MANILA, June 13.-When the Atlantic,
Gulf Company assumed the contract TO i'm
prove this harbor, one of the earliest pre-
paratory tasks was to provide for an ade-
quate labor supply for three years. The
company enjoyed no special privileges or
exemptions. 1t had to deal with conditions
as 1t found them and there was no time to
waste in making the adjustment. Since the
law closed the door to the Chinese and Chi
nese labor available in the islands was not
strong enough to meet the company's
qurements, the managers set out to adapt
themselves to the local market They learned
that labor was not offering itself, but must
be sought and that the way to obtain it in
full working force, with tolerable assurance
that it would not desert, was by arrange
ment with head men in various districts.
These men could order out labor which could
not otherwise be obtained and natives whom
no money offer could induce to place them
selves under hire assembled at the Mari
| veles quarries and wherever else they were
wanted, to enter the company's service on
| terms prescribed by the head men. The work
| to be done included quarrying, Tightening,
| laying stone for breakwaters, bulkhead con-
struction, working the dredges and kindred
| hard labor. 1t provided that the COM
| pany should construct houses at the centers
Of work, into which the men might move
| their families, that general stores be kept
| to supply the employees with provisions and
| other goods practically at wholesale cost,
| and that a rate of wages be paid higher
| than that prevailing in the provinces
1t has been necessary at various times to
| invoke the help of the head men to hold the
| laborers to their engagements, but this au-
| thority has not once failed in its undertake
| ing. the men obeyipg these superiors as un-
| questioningly as troops follow commanders.
| Every part of the work appears now to run
| smoothly, the contract is two-thirds fin
| ished, and there is no reasonable doubt not
| only that it can be completed within sched-
| ule time, but that the company may, with
| out risk of labor shortage, assume a fresh
| contract for an extension of the breakwater,
| upon which the government has decided to
| expend 100000 gold in addition to the 49,
| 0o0,O0O to be spent on the present contract.
/ This work, greater in magnitude than any
other ever undertaken in the islands on pub
lie account, reinforces effectively the con-
struction Of the railway to Dagupan, the
| largest private undertaking, as demonstra-
/. tive of the adequacy of native labor for
| large demands. The railway extension in
progress into Benguet, where there will
| probably sometime be sanatorium and pos
| sibly summer capital also obtains its la
Dor from native sources. 1t Is curiously true
| that in addition to having constructed the
!, existing railway native labor has since been
| continuously employed on 1t and has always
been diligent and faithful; that lnemen,
| track inspectors and that class of respon-
sible labor have stood by the English COM
| pany which owns the road. ever since it's
| construction, and that such men are con-
tent to hold places at s12 Mexican per month.
while Americans may bid in vain for the
| same grade OF labor at $50 gold per month.
FILIPINO LABOR TRUST
Under conditions far different from those
obtaining in the harbor and on the railway
work is commanded. as it has been for
years. by a company popularity known as
the Tabacaleria. That company controls a
| species of labor that is not many removes
from slavery. 1t owns and operates vast
| tracts of laRd in the north, where the choice