The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-03-14
Filipino Labor.
Sir William Van Horne Advises En-
Ploying Fiipinos on the Railway.

Slr Wuilam van Horne ADVISES Eli
Ploying Filipinos on the Railway.
Sir William Van Horne talked with
Secretary Taft last Thursday about
building railways in the Philippines,
a project IN which Secretary Taft Is
much interested. Sir William Is pres
ident of the Cuba Company, which
built railways in Cuba. using Cuban
labor, and it was thought that his ex-
perience would would be Of use IL
planning similar work IN the Philip
pines.
The work in Cuba, it is said, could
have been done more cheaply if let
out to contractors, but the directors
of the company decided that the en-
ployment Of native labor would avoid
friction and save enough trouble TO
make up for the increase Of expense.
The managers, superintendent, and
foremen were, of course, foreigners,
but the labor was all Cuban. Sir
William believes that under wise man
agement the same plan could be sue
eessfully carried out in the Philip
pines.
OF course, the use of American
labor in the islands for any such pur-
pose is out Of the question; the labor
ers would die too fast to be of any
use at all. The alternative of import
ing Chinese coolies Is forbidden by
law, and any attempt TO change the
law would not only be politically uE-
wise from a party point of view, but
1t would be a grave mistake IN policy.
Not only would the Western States
rise up in alarm at the suggestion Of
a concession which they would regard
as the entering wedge to Chinese labor
on the Pacific Coast, but friction with
the Fihpinos eould scarcely be avoid
ed, and a further race mixture would
probably result from the importation
OF the large number Of Chinese need
ed for railroad building.
1t has been said that the Filipino
VIII not do such work, that he will
not, IN fact, work at all unless he Is
compelled to do 50. But the truth Is
that whiIe he, ike the average man, Is
not anxious to undertake strenuous
labor in the hot sun purely as a matt
ter Of exercise, there Is no reason to
suppose that he viii not do this work
If 1t IS made worth his while. Under.
Spanish rule he was made to work as
a practical slave or peon; and the re-
action from this compulsory labor
has created conditions akin to those
prevailing in certain Southern States
after emancipation, when the recently
freed slaves conceived no other use
for their freedom so satisfactory as TO
do no work unless they chose. The
trait of unwillingness TO work IS not
peculiar to any one race. Desire to
work is mainly a matter of environ
ment, temperament, and education.
The FIlipinos have been engaged In
various sorts Of labor ever since the
American occupation began, and have
been running wheelwight shops, car
pcnter shops, foundries, and engaging
IN other trades and occupations which
caanoJ be carried on without labor.
l. IS bard for the native Of colder eli
mates 10 understand, at first, the more
leisurely movements and frequent
siestas common 10 the tropical la
borer; but 1t is 10 be noticed that thi,
same disdainful European does not
spend his time in active physical ex-
ereise, at least after he has lived IL
the climate a little while. 1t is not
only characteristic, but necessary, for
the laborer in the tropics to proceed
with some caution in the matter Of
physical exernon.