The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-08
PHILIPPINE PROGRESS.
The Trade Situation and It's Indica tons
OF American Opportunity.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sn: Com
pared with the same period Of the fiscal year
1908 the total commerce of the Philippine
Islands for the nine months ended March,
1904, the latest verified figures we have, shows
an increase of more than one million dollars.
In fact, imports increased nearly two million
dollars. lille exports fell off about half million
dollars. Excluding gold and silver and Gov
eminent supplies. the figures are:
1901. 1908.
Imports. .........,....... s25,92IU2l s2i 2S3 5s6
Exports, .,............... ?2.256,69 ?27s5ss9
These figures give us a per cent. increase
in imports and per cent. decrease in ex-
ports. Most OF the import increase was for
rice from the British and French East Indies.
In the exports the decrease was In oopra and
sugar: hemp, tobacco and other leading
agricultural products show increases.
The American share of the imports rose from
50, O84,7s in 1903 TO s3,2T9,i 100 in 1904 This
was caused by the insular Government buy
ing its supplies from local merchants instead
Of importing direct, necessitating the keep
ing of full lines of American goods in local
stocks.
Imports from the United Kingdom, Ger
many and Spain show decreases; those from
France, Japan. Australia. Siam and the Brit
ish and French East Indies show increases.
Exports to the United States show decline
from 1925 o09 to s7,s05,so3. made up chiefly
OF 100000 in sugar and s600,O00 in hemp.
Exports to France also show decline, but
those to the United Kingdom. Spain, China
and Japan increased. BY classes the i'm
ports were
Food and animals ..............,.....sl s.63i $50
Articles, crude or partly so....,...,,... 65l.0ls
MlscellaneouS. .s'poo
Lu1ures ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS l45o,oll
Similarly. the exports were chiefly;
Hemp sl0oOo.ooo
copIa. 100000
lot.
Tobacco and cigars, OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 100000
There i one particularly good feature in
in the carrying done under the American
flag. The increase in imports so carried
vas from stss 90! in 1903 to q ,$a.oe7 in 1901
81 o5s' So out Of s. ~ sos. Still. British YES:
sells brought to us about 100000 worth of
Manufactured cottons form n large part OF
the Philippine imports. and American mer-
chants in Manila are urging American manu-
OF the natives. Vegetables are another large |
import item. but successful government
as a local industry. Local breweries and
distilleries are increasing. causing a large |
falling of in the imports OF liquors and beyer-
Iron and steel imports rose from q $40, 900 |
to sl,oltooo. chiefly in steel rails They rose
electrical machinery has been filled from
the United States. Sewing machines went |
up $4,000 but Germany gets n most .to OF that
French merchants continue to control the
jewery trade. That trade was worth SD
900, in which American iewelry only figures
for 81 600.
Why is it that we only sold $500 worth OF |
the Ss7 n85 worth of cement imported? The
increase in that line was 80 per cent: ~
The lumber and timber import Of Ase.7
between the United States and Australia.
The furniture trade is divided between the
United States and Germany. and Is increas-
Australia supplied IS per cent. of the s34s.-
Gel imports of hituminous coal.
oil fen OF slos,alo. while American oil rose by
s35.45l.
,e h d . Of 4emp, to GS p.ed s"es
while those of the United Kingdom dropped
81 900 from SIZES, 900 to s5,le9,eoo.
We do not seem to care for, Philippine to,
bacco and cigars. as our purchases dropped
from s45 100 TO si,ts2. very nearly total
cessation of the trade
The Immigration in the nine months was
2O0oo persons, of whom $780, had been there
before. mainly Chinese certified laborers.
OF the total immigration sol were Americans, |
$50 teachers, 81 engineers, 40 doc
tors. 25 lawyers. IS clergvmen and 81 clerks.
In the classes OF, clerks and merchants. the
Chinese are largely in the majority No less
Islands islam tS' That is good as the JSPanese are
il Phpne arrcunra circles about GRs
5 900 of the fifth 4,t20I We're Chinese. Only
about per cent. of the other nationalities |
arriving were in the litcrate class,
This Philippine mission of ours is n prob
lem, and n troublesome one. in many respects. |
but good results have been achieved so far. |
and as Secretary of War Taft pc! nts out, the
problem is being solved by American energy.
brains and patience. Not many years ago
slavery was as great problem. but we solved
L, and the Union stands stronger than ever.
Our great Vest was problem to the thir-
teeu colonies, but look at it now. The thir-
zen colonies were IA problem to England, hut
s not England sorry she had to give them up?
We will not give up the Philippines
WALTER j. BALLARD.
SCHENECTADY. Sept 4.
Political Biography OF MIR. TaEgart.
Erotn tbc Jpdiopu nois Ne,rs