Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-29
BUILD RAILROADS
IN PHILIPPINES
PIONEERS START TODAY FOR
THE ORIENT
Steamer Sailing From Seattle Carries
Engineering and Construction
Forces-Native Help viii
Be Added Abroad

With the pioneer division of the Phil
ippine railroad engineer corps on board.
the steamship Minnesota will leave Sc
attic today. These engineers will have
charge Of the building of a new sys-
tenn of steam railroads in the island
possessions, concessions for the con-
struction and operation of which have
just been made by the United States
government
This undertaking has attracted wide
spread attention throughout the United
States and demonstrates the faith that
private citizens have iii the future of
the Philippines.
This new system of railroads will
cost at least $30,0O0,0O0 and will be
built by private American capital.
The system. which covers the islands
of Panay, Negros and Cebu, will be
built by a New York syndicate COM
posed of Cornelius Vanderbilt, J. G.
White & Co., William Salemon & Co.
and associates, and will comprise many
hundred miles of track.
Perpetual Franchise
The franchise is perpetual and the
United States government guarantees
interest at four per cent on ninety
five per cent of the bonds for thirty
years.
The engineering and construction will
be done by j. G. White & Co. of New
York and London. The party which
sails today includes fifty engineers Sc
lected largely from the railroad field
of the west.
Edward j. Beard, formerly principal
assistant engineer of the Rock Island
road, is chief engineer of the Philip
pine road for the syndicate. Mr.. Beard
has figured prominently in the railroad
development of the west. He combines
in an unusual degree the qualities Of
generalShip and genius for detail. A
large number of the engineers who
are going have been selected by him
personally because he knew them per-
sonally in their work.
Among the principal assistants is
Lawrence E. Bennett who has had a
large experience in engineering work
in the east.
Mr.. Bennett was adviser to Governor
Taft in outlining the transportation
plans Of the government in the Phil
ippines.
The transportation item of this party,
with immediate effects, will amount to
nearly 100000, from Kansas City, the
rendezvous, to Manila.
Natives Will Help
The rank and file of the pioneer
corps in the field. rodmen, axmen,
tapemen, ETC., Will be made up of ma
tive Filipinos, to the number of sew
eral hundred. Whenever they show
sufficient aptitude natives will be adj
vanced to more responsible positions
in accordance with merit.
The present party will be divided
into five sections, three for Panay and
one each for Negros and Cebu. Work
will commence simultaneously on the
three islands, but that on Panay will
be pushed to completion first.
1t is expected that four or five years
will be required for completing the
system.
The party will arrive in Manila about
June and will proceed at once to
the field.
The present equipment includes all
possible necessities. from a surveying
transit to a frying pan. Special care
has been taken to preserve the health
of the engineers in the field. There
is included medical staff with special
provisions for meeting tropical condt-
tions.
More Equipment Later
The construction equipment will fol-
low as required. Much of this equip
ment will be made up from the plant
of J. G. White & Co. in Manila, Iloilo
and Cebu.
The natural resources of Panay, Me-
gros and Cebu are numerous and di-
versified Panay produces sugar and
rice in abundance. Negros is the great
est sugar producer of the Philippines,
and contains beside, rich timber lands.
Cebu produces sugar and Indian corn
principally. Contains numerous rich
coal deposits, which the United States
census report says will influence the
whole commerce of the Pacific ocean
when developed. Coal has been tested
by the United States navy with good
results.
The first big investment of American
capital in the Philippines was in the
Manila street railway, amounting to
6,OOO, 900. 1t was supported by many
of the constituents of the present syn
dicate and the engineering work was
done by the same engineering firm,
who are also responsible for its oper-