Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-08
WHERE KINDNESS WINS
Tact Needed in the Employ
ment of Filipinos.
ESSEN TALLY SOCIAL
WILL WORK HARD IF TREATED
WITH CONSIDERATION.
Satisfactory Experience of Some Con-
tractors-Labor Question on the
Islands is a Serious One.
ESSEN TALLY SOCIAL
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

Written for The Evening Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
In the boom that is coming to the Philip
pine Islands during the next few years with
the construction of railways, public works
and the introduction of private enterprises
the question of labor is going to very seri-
Gus. You will find plenty of old resi-
dents in the Philippines who will insist
that the native labor is worthless and can
not be depended upon. that the ordinary
adult Filipino is hollow-chested. weak in
the back, without muscles in his arms or
legs and unwilling to exert what little
strength he has. They claim that he is
more unreliable than the negroes in the
south; that he is lazy and trifing. fond of
pleasure and sleep and cannot be depended
upon. and that he will always lay off after
pay day until his money is exhausted
On the other hand, you will find people of
experience who insist that the Filipino
peasant is perfectly satisfactory as a Ia
borer provided he is properly handled But
all agree that he is child of nature and
must be treated as such. If his employer
wins ms confidence and treats him kindly
he will be loyal obedient and do good
work but If his temper or his prejudice
are aroused. if his whms are not gratified
and II he does not have the excitement and
amusement that his childish nature Graves
he Will become Disconnected lazy irritab BILE
stubborn and worthless. The personal
equation is very important in selecting su-
perlntendents and foremen to manage the
native labor for they must exercise great
tact and treat their hands very gingerly
Experience of Some Contractors.
Some contractors in the Philippines can
get all the labor they want and can work
their hands long hours at low wages with
out the slightest friction. Others can get
Ia bOr all he
for them at any price. The difference is
due purely to personal reasons. For exam
pie, MeSSrs. Beden and Latin the con-
tractors who are laying the new street rail-
way system in Manila, are very popular
employers, and get as much help as
they want at ordinary wages and work
their men any number of hours they please
while others can get no labor at all This
Is because they serve lunch or rice to all
their hands at MONDAY free of cost. 1t
does not cost them more than . or 3 cents
per capita. and they get % cents worth of
addltlonal work out of every man. They
also encourage their men to celebrate
hestas. furnish them bands and banners
which is only a trifiing investment but
pays them many thousandfold
Major hennaF who is building the road
to Benguet up in the mountains, is another
popular employer. He has about LOCO ma
tives at work, and could get as many more
as he wants. He keeps them in camps
with military discipline, but allows them
DlllS IIlelf women, permits them to
gamble all they like among themselves, al
though he will not permit professional gam
blers to come among them; has bands play
ing every evening, furnishes music for their
hestas and bailles, or dances, provides free
vaudeville shows, cafes and other amuse-
ments. He has fitted up church so that
they can go to mass every Sunday morning
and cock pits so that they can spend Sun
day afternoon at their favorite sport With
these amusements the men are contented
and KEENAN, gives them plenty of holidays.
The contractor who built Mariveles, the
quarantine station in the bay opposite Ma
Mia. adopted similar policy At the be-
ginning he could not get any labor at ALL
but after consulting with men of expert
ence he provided the music, amusements
excitements and diversions which the ma
tive taste Graves, and had no further trou-
bic. Successful contractors insist that such
concessions cost but little, but go a great
way, and that as long they are furnish
ed there is no discomfort, no trouble and
no strikes.