Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-04-01
BUSINESS IN ISLANDS.
GOOD PLACE TO MAKE MONEY In. BUT
POOR PLACE TO LIVE IN.
Dr.. Edwords Describes Business Opportun.
tiles Of Philippines. Weather. Sanitary
Conditions. Cheap Labor, and Habits
OF Natives.

Manila. p. l.. March %: 4 have
spent some time investigating che
business opportunities of the islands
and have about come to the conclusion
that it is good place Or an Ameri-
can to make money in but a poor,
place to live in There are so many
opportunities in the United States
that are not taken advantage of that
are equally as good as those in the
Philippines. that could hardly ad-
wise Americans to come to the islands
expecting to grow rich from the vast
opportunities. This is a wonderful
country, and the chances TO make
money are numerous, but the disad.
vantages are so great that am sure
that the same energy expended in any
part of the United States. especially on
the Pacific coast, would bring better
returns and would also bring more
peace of mind.
In the first place the weather here
is something that few white people
can stand for any length of time.
have not seen white woman since I
came who can be said to be in good
healh. The climate depletes their
systems to such an extent that they
| become weak and debilitated after be-
ing here SIX months. After a year
they have to go away or pine away.
do not mean to say that no white
woman can live here and remain in
good health, but the fact that isolated
instances of healthy women are point
ed out as a refutatiop of this, is but
the proof of the rule.
| During the rainy season. and this
season generally lasts fully seven
months out of the year, it is almost
impossible to have anything about
the place in fit condition to wear.
Clothing is damp and the muggv at.
mosphere keeps one in constant
state OF Precipitation. Put your
leather shoes away at night and next
morning you will fiEd them covered
with white mildew. Leather rots so
rapidly that it is impossible to keep
shoes. belts, or gloves in condition fit
to wear. 1t is unnecessary to say
that such condition is not conduct
i've to health.
Since Americans have taken charge
of Manila things are in much better
sanitary condition, but they are still
far from what Americans would call
clean. for the sewer system is still
such as would not be tolerated in any
land on earth. The smells that rise
mp during rain are such as almost
drive one to distraction. Smallpox
and plague are prevalent at all times.
and while whites are usually Well
cared for ar their homes and in hotels
the natives lie in numerous epidemics
that are never reported abroad Chol-
era is here nearly all the time, and it
increases in virulence at times until
it becomes u veritable pestilence
l suppose will be taken to task for
writing in this manner abort the city
of Manila. but feel it my duty to
my readers to tell exactly the con-
ditions that exist. The climate IS
enervating in the extreme, and the
reason why labor is so cheap here is
because it takes about four times as
many people to do what is required as
would be necessary in the United
States. The fact that people can live
so cheaply here that they can be hired
for twenty-five cents day, is evil
dence of what say being true. Tie
twenty-five cent man does about ten
cents worth of work. and is really a
ployers. Men and women spend the
day when they should be at work N
gossiping and smoking. and it You
chide them for their laziness they
will simply leave You in the middle
of their job and go home.
They are all fatalists. il they be.
come infected with some contagious
disease they will lie down and calmly
await the coming Of death. They are
exactly of the same disposition re-
gaIding their means of livlihood. If
they do not work they know that
some one else whom they know does.
and they can get all they want to eat
for nothing, And so il goes all the
time. II takes four servants to do
the work that is usually done by one
good one in the United States. and if
you complain you will have none at
all. They have their castles, and
when you ask or tell one servant to
do some special work he or she is
liable to tell you that he cannot do it
on account OF it belonging to caste
lower than the one to which he
belongs.