Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-21

est stations keep a sharp lookout concern
ing logging operations upon private estates.
Only one large tract, in the Island of Min
doro. amounting to about $1,000 acres,
owned by the religious order known as the
Recolettos, has not been registered
Rebuilding the Homes.
The market for Philippine timber at
present is Manila, a few cargoes being
shipped to Hong Kong and Singapore. The
war caused great destruction to property
The country people lost their money
and their stock, their homes, have been de-
stroyed. roads and bridges ruined. and
now that an effort is being made to rebuild,
there is but little money to pay for recon
struction; the people and the municipal
and provincial governments are poor.
Steady progress toward reconstruction is
being made. however and native timber Is
much used. Philippine timber is popular
In the Chinese market. All of lowland
China is without timber. and much is i'm
ported. Manila is nearer to China than any
other country furnishing timber and
should in time furnish all of the construc-
ton and fine numbers needed. good mar
ket for cabinet wood should also be found
In Australia Japan and the United States.
The cost at the mill of native manufac-
tured lumber should average less than SO
per thousand feet, board measure. The
lower-grade woods would then pay a fair
profit and the higher grades can be sold
at much larger profit.
The legislation now requested of Con-
gress,' continued Captain Ahern. looking
toward railroad development in the island
and allowing municipalities to incur a GER
tain amount of bonded indebtedness and
reduction of the tariff will, If enacted, be
followed by an era of railroad construc-
ton and municipal and provincial improve
mentS, which means an increa sed demand
for native woods. China Is building rail-
roads and yearly increasing it's demand for
timber. The Philippine market should take
at least l0000o.OOo feet of timber a year.
w hal
pore should each take as much at least
Standing Timber Unsurveyed.
NO complete survey of standing timber
In the islands has ever been made No
record can be found of any such work hav-
ing been attempted during the Spanish ad-
ministration. Since the organization of the
present bureau this work has been COM
merced in six provinces i'm virgin forests
as well as In regions hat have been severe
~ cut. At the same time, vigorous work
Is being done toward acquiring a knowledge
OF the forests everywhere in the islands A
large herbarium is being formed through
the eHorts OF between fifteen and twenty
botanlsts, collectors and foresters. We find
upward of four hundred different tree spe-
cles within limited area. and II is esti-
mated that from 1900 to 800 will be
found in the islands. Between 800 and 700
different species are brought into the mar
ket each year, of which about forty are
well known A detailed study of these
forty is being made, both by botanistS and
foreStefS.
''Of the 100000 acres of wood land in
the Islands at least 20, 900 600 acres are
virgin public forest Surveys by our for
esters brings out the fact that In this virgin
forest there is an average stand of $3.50
cubic feet of merchantable timber on each
acre. 1 would modify this statement by
saying that it Will be safe to assume that at
least 800 cubic feet of timber will be found
on each acre which could be marketed at
once, and much of the remainder after we
have completed the investigation in our
workshops that l have described.
THE display of forest products at the
Louisiana purchase exposition at ST. Louis
was revelation to many visitors. Few
people had realized the enormous guam
titles, sizes and beauty of the native timber
and the great variety of other valuable for
est products which the islands produce. The
forest wealth of the islands, especially in
those parts where no operations have been
carried on, Is enormous and is practically
untouched. There are three good sawmills
in Manila. one in northern Negros and a
few small ones in other provinces A Cleve-
land firm has recently put up a good mill
and Is operating with profit. The timber
exhibit at ST. Louis attracted a great many
inquiries in the same line the questions
you have asked me. by practical lumbermen
from Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Missouri,
California, Oregon and other states, and 1
know of several syndcates that have sent
out inspectors TO report on conditions. But
people who go to the Philippines must I'M
derStand that numbering is not childs play
and that their success may depend upon the
tact of their managers in handling the
tive labor