Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-28

BAA ANTLA Hemp, or Abaca, as the
natives call 1t, Is at present and
= has oeen for many years the chief
Of the developed resources of the Philip
pine Islands. The peculiar conditions Of
Its growth and production have enabled
It to escape with minimum of injury
the natural Affections and the social dis
turbances which have at frequent in
tervals visited other Industries with
more serious consequences.
Abaca is the fiber of plant of the same
family as the edible banana and plantain,
and is not readily distlnguishs BILE from
these by the inexpert eye. The Philippine
Archipelago enjoys a profitable monopoly
of this valuable product, for, although
painstaking efforts have been made to
raise the plant In other parts of the
world, no practical success has attended
the ventures up to the present. AS early
as 1856 Dampier mentioned the plant as
yielding a useful fiber, which was then,
and probably had been for a long period
preceding thac date, worked into a rough
rope by the Malay inhabitants. The use
of Abaca was restricted to domestic pur-
poses until the early part of the last cen
tury, when a sample of 1t was carried to
Salem, Mass, by Lieut. John White, of
the United States Navy. Its peculiar
properties were at once appreciated in
shipping circles, and an extensive demand
for 1t arose at once in Boston and neigh
boring ports. The first considerable ship
ment of the material was Al tons, made in
1918. From that time the export contin-
ued to increase and received a great i'm
petus from the invention of the self-bind-
er and the consequent demand for strong
and light twine. Since 1900 the annual
shipment of Manila hemp has been In ex-
cess of 10000 tons and has reached as
much as 10000 tons, with a value up
wards of $50, 1000.
Abaca has no rival and its only competi-
tor is sisal fiber, which is decidedly ihfe-
rior in the requisite qualities, but can be
put upon the market at lower figures.
However, the demand for Abaca at profit
able prices has been greater than the sup
ply almost constantly during the past 25
years. The present output is hardly one
fifth Of what might be produced with the
aid of capital and improved methods, and,
although n large Increase in the produc-
tion would necessarily result In a fall in
prices, 1t is calculable that 300,000 tons
year would find. ready market at profit
able figures, allowing for the economy by
a scientific system of culture and extrac-
ton. In passing, 1T may be said that a
similar statement might, with truth, be
made with reference to several other In
dustries of the Philippines.
Here, then, is promising outlet for the
enterprise and capital of Americans The
plant grows widely in the Archipelago.
and large areas Of land at present in
forest are admirably adapted to It, The
chief difficulty In the way of foreign
planter lies in the necessity of thoroughly
understanding the character of the ma
tive, in order to successfully handle Fill
pino laborors; but 1t is com mparatively
easy to secure the services of managers
who are equal to this and the other re.
quirements of Abaca production. The sum
or $4,000 will suffice to start an Abaca
plantation of $50 es-approximately
go acres, which is one-fourth the area that
may be taken up by a corporation under
the Philippines Land Act. Practically no
income may be looked for until the end of
the fourth year, but after that stage the
credit balance will increase in leaps and
bounds until the eighth year. when 1t will
be $4,000 or more. At that time the
plants are full-bearing and will produce a
maximum crop without replanting and
practically without cultivation for pc
riod of from 10 to IS years
The foregoing rough statement is based
on present conditions, which are extreme
ly crude and wasteful. Labor-savng de-
vices would effect large economics, aud
the by-products should be turned to ac-
count. 1t is estimated by experts that
at present from 20 to 30 per cent. of the
fber is wasted. At each cleaning shed are
found large piles Of waste, filled with
hbrous material. Experiments have proved
that this waste makes excellent paper,
notable for its toughness and strength.
have recently examined some samples
that were remarkably clean, light ana
strong, and can easily understand that
the heavier grades, such as wrapping
papers. can be made of the best quality
from Abaca. These experiments have led
to the organization OF corporation for
the purpose of establishing a paper mill
In Manila, which can hardly fail TO be an
extremely profitable enterprise. for every
square inch Of paper used In the Philip
pines Is imported aud nelghboring eoun-
tries are paying large sums each year
for the same material.
I have dwelt somewhat on this point