Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-18
PEONAGE IN LUzON
Practical SerVitude Exists to
a Considerable Extent.
Is NOT INVOLUNTARY
VICTIMS HAVE NO DESIRE TO
CHANGE THEIR CONDITION.
Some Aspects Of the Labor Market in
the Philippines-Efect Of Ameri-
can Occupation.
is NOT INVOLUNTARY
By WILLIAM Z. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald.

MANILA, June 10, 1904.
| The doubt about securing sufficient labor
has prevented several capitalists from in
vesting money in plantations and other en-
| terprises, and the uncertainty will continue
| to be an obstacle in the way of progress.
| People will not buy land until they are GER
| tain of finding men enough to work 1t, ana
conditions in the agricultural districts are
| even more unsatisfactory than in the cities
and large towns.
The farm classes have not recovered from
the Generalization of the instruction and
the war as rapidly as the more settled
communities. but they are gradually get
ting down to normal circumstances. A
great many farmhands followed the insur-
gent army into the cities and remained
there. Hence the demand for labor comes
from all directions. Several plantations
owned by Chinese merchants living in Ma
Mia are lying idle because their owners
cannot secure coolies enough to work
them, and no Filipino will work for
Chino employer under any circumstances
1t is considered beneath his dignity TO re-
ceive wages or place himself under the or
ders of the despised race, no matter how
rich the representative OF the desplseo
race may be or how much the proud Fill
pino may need money In several districts
there have been troubles because planters
refused 10 pay Inc dusdHCc Wages ei'ehe
have been demanded since American occu-
patton, for like everything else, compen-
sation for every service has advanced I'M
mensely since the war.
High Wages Paid by the Government.
Everybody complains that the government
has demoralized the working population and
done serious injury to private employers by
paying unreasonably high rates of wages In
the quartermasters, engineers and other
departments Of the army and in the public
works service Of the municipality. When
the Americans took possession of the Phil
ippines wages In this city for ordinary
labor were from 20 to 30 cents a day Mex
lean gold. Our army offered 80 cents in
order to get reliable men. and has since ad-
vanced to 70 cents and 81 a day. which is
still twice as much as paid by private en-
plOyers for the same service, and everybody
agrees that 1t is more than an ordinary
Filipino can earn.
While it is less than a white man re-
ceives, 1T must be considered that the latter
will accomplish two three times as much
in the same length of time the Filipino
He has greater strength and endurance and
greater intelligence. No matter what sort
Of work you put him at the comparison
holds, and, measuring his wages by what
he accomplishes the average Filipino on the
government pay roll gets more than he
earns and every one of his neighbors who
receives less pay wants a similar lob
Therefore. 1t is asserted, general demorali-
zation and discomfort prevail throughout
the working classes of Manila
Men In private employment are scheming
TO get on the government pay roll. and all
who are able to read and write are ambi-
ious to secure clerkships The result ha G
been a general advance In wages. sala-
ries and every form OF compensatI ton and
expense since American occupation without
iegitimate cause or reason. People Of ex-
perience assert that wage-earners in every
form of occupation. including household
servants. laundry hands seamstresses
clerks. statesmen, bookkeepers teamstars
ordinary laborers and every other cIass ~
already receiving two and three times the
lay theY were satisfied with during Spanish
tunes. and are still demanding more. Ac-
cordfng TO the popular oninion tbn;, ~
creased incomes do them more bar,p +ha,
good Ihey have not improved their VIZ,
vi hV'hg or dress nor do they save their
money: out gamble 1t away and nobody 10
the better for It, Is
Alleged Effect of Free Schools
1here Is great deal of complaint also
as ~ 'he erect of the educational system
mat has been introduced by the Ar,ar;co,,
Everybody wants to go to school NOT for
the sake of learning. but because a lille cd
ucation will enable him to secura ,.-ao.
wages and better position. II is c1aina5
tnat the country schools have nIaved rnis-
chief with the coming eenerattop v,,
men ana women. boys and girls from, tval,,o
years old and inward who were for,,or,r
engaged In various OCCUPATIONS which theft.
age and strength permitted and for which
thelr services canot longer be obtained ay
cept out of school hours so that Older moo
PIE nave to be employed for the work at
higher wages. N
1t is quite true here as amone tho
negroes of the south that education nnf,ts
man for farming or working at anv of
.ne traoes. NO Filipino who can read will
do manual labor. The constabulary. which
now Is a force 5000 strong. has temnted
many boys away from the farms. and II is
difhcuit Tor those who have been through
nt., Is scenes or the resurrection to
plantation life vi
few months ago Prof Lamson scribner
chle1 or the bureau Of agriculture sent out
circular to practical farmers in all the
provinces asking information concerning
conditions In their immediate vicinity.
L. Whether lands are for sale, and II so
at what price? ~
2. Whether labor is to be had. and at
3. Principal crops and how they can be
increased. ~
4, Amount OF income or profit entoved bv
farmers.
8. Comparative profits from principal
crops
6. What obstacles and difficulties must he
overcome to secure larger crops and greater
agricultural activity.
The replies to these questions, tabulated
and published in the Official Gazette, fur
nish an epitome of the agricultural condi-
ton Of the country, showing the most ex-
traordinary differences in the several prov
inces. In some places land Of the highest
quality can be obtained in any quantity de-
sired as low as S. an acre, and in other
localities 1t is held at $500 an acre. Labor
is plentiful in some places and entirely
lacking in others, wages range from 20
cents to $3.50 day, according to the To-
cality, and the chief difficulty reported in
most provinces is the scarcity of farmhands
since the war. Many Of the returns recon-
mend the importation of Chinese coolies
Existence Of Peonage
Although 1t has been discussed very little
and has received no official attention, peon-
age prevails to a considerable extent in the
Island of Luzon and In several other parts
Of the archipelago. as it does in Mexico,
Central and South America and other
Spanish countries. Here 1t presents a new
and curious phase Of the native character.
1t Is difficult to believe that people who
are celebrated for their independence of
spirit, their love of liberty and hatred of
oppression will submit voluntarily to practi-
cal servitude, even when they are advised
that their oppresSors have no legal or moral
claim upon them. It Is also Incompetent
sible that members of this race, often
accused of lacking scruples, of being born
without consciences. of being incapable of
recognizing obligations, and devoid of the
40 nd dIrfu a In