The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-04-08

tempts me to deal at cnce with the
policy 30 be pursued by our govern
ment with respect to the F'ilfpinos, /
am constrained to proceed logically and
discuss first the islands and their peo-
pie. And III speaking of the Filipfnos,
distinction should be made between
those who irthabft the northern islands
and are members of one branch Of the
Christian church and those who in
habit the island of AIindanao and the
Sulu archipeIago-peopIe who are fol-
lowers of Mohamned- While consid-
cradle number of Fil1pinos are to be
found in Mindanao and some in Sulu.
the Sultans and Datus have dominated
the country Even Spanish authority
never extended over "a southern ISL
ands. and tine garrisons maintained at
the seaports we're constantly in fear
of massacre
Leaving the southern islands for the
next article, L shall cOnfine myself at
present at Luzon. Panay, Negroes, Cebu,
Samar and the smaller islands which
make up the ViSayan group. These
islands contain the bulk of the terri
, tory. a large majority Of the people,
most of the material wealth and pTac-
ticaliy all Of the civilization OF the
Philippines. LuzOn. the largest of the
nineteenth parallel and is about six de-
grees long Like the ISLANDS of Japan,
IL is mountainous and well Watered.
The other islands of the group are con-
siderably smaller and extend as far
south as the ninth parallel. They, TO
are mountainous, but the valleys are
fertile and support a large population.
The principal industry is agriculture.
and the soil produces a variety of GER
Gals. fruits and vegetables.
Rice, as in other Oriental countries,
is the chief article of food, though
hemp is by far the largest export. The
hemp plant looks so much like the ba-
mana that the traveller can scarcely dis
tinguish between them. Sugar cane is
also grown in many parts of the ISL
ands. and would be . cultiva ted still
more largely but for the low price of
raw sugar. Sugar, however, cannot be
raised here with the same II oft that
it can in Hawaii and Cuba. owing TO the
fact that it must be repIanted more fre-
quentlY. Tobacco of an excellent quail
jty is produced on several Of the ISL
ands sufficient 20 supply The home de
mand (ard nearly all Filipinos use to-
bacco) ard leave q surplus for export.
The cocOanut is d staple product here
of great value and its cultiVa ton can
be indefinitely extended OF all the
crops il probably yields the largest in
come on the investment. but as the
trees do not begin to bear until they
are about eight years old, they are only
cultivated i'm small groves or by those
who can afford TO wait for returns.
COpra. the dried meat of the cncOanut,
is now exported to the value of e, 500
COO but systematic effort ought to very
largely increase this export.
The methods Of cultivation and the
implements used are not as modern as
one would expect. The ..arabou, or wa
ter buffalo. is the one all purpose farm
animal. CarabOus are something like
the American OK, but are more heavily
built; they are uniform fl 2oIor--a dark
drab and have heavy. fat horns, which
grow back instead of forward.
The agricultural situation in the ISL
ands is at present most distressing The
fields were devastated by war, and be-
fore labor could restore what the sol
dieTS had destroyed TindeTreSt alta cked
the cara ous and i'm some places car
ried away as many IS ~ per cent Of
the animals We visited sugar plan
tation which had lost mora han half
of its carabOus during the two weeks
preceding. Everywhere one sees fields
overgrOwu with grass which cannot be
cultivated for lack of pillow animals.
One can understand something of the
rinderpest calamity when it is remem-
bered that these patient beasts do all
the blowing and all the hauling in the
Philippine islands. We often saw them
ridden, sometimes bearing two persons.
In addition to the raVageS of disease
and the ruin wrought by arms, the
Filipino farmer has suffered from the
closing of his market. When the Unit
ed States authority was substituted for
Spanish rule, the Filipinos lost the ad-
vantage which they had previously had
IN the Spanish market. while they were
shut out OF the United States by tar
iff wall. And to make matters worse
they now bear the bTunt of the Chi
nese boycott aimed at American goods
Every speaker who has attempted TO
voice the sentiments of the people dur
ing our stay I'm the islands has laid
especial emphasis upon the Injustice
done to the islands by our tariff laws
This subject was falsO brought to the
attention of Secretary Taft and bis
party. and all of the American officials
here urge the Importance of relief in
this direction.
The well-to-do Fflipinos live in houses
modelled after those built by the Span
iards, but the great majority OF tie
people live in what are called nipa nuts
Light structures made with bamboo
frames and with sides and roofs of nfpa
palm leaves The houses are several
feet above the ground and are reached
by a ladder or steps As the tempera-
ture al midday does not change much
the year round, the main objects In
buildings are to secure protection from
rain and an abundance of air, and the
nipa hut meets these requirements The
Filipino house Is not only light and
airy, but it is inex Densive: we saw a
schooIhouse at Santa Barbara built for
500 pupils at an expense Of 500 pesos.
or $3.50 gold At some of the military
camps which we visited the Filipino
style of building has been adopted.
The Filipino dress is quite like that
worn in Europe and America; among
the educated men il is identical The
men of the middle class wear a shirt of
gauzy material outside the trousers. /
The women wear dress skirt with 4
long. narrow train and low-necl<ed. /
yvide-slceved waist, just pronounced /
hOose4 or pima ipenva} cloth. a 6er-
chief of the same material folded about (
the neck completes the toilet. All the
thin fabrics worn by the women are
manufactured on hand looms kept in !
the homes.
Iliolio is the center Of the just cloth |