Evening star., 1908-01-30

cupancy under the civil government agri-
culture has been subject to the violent
destruction which is more or less char
aeteristic OF all tropical countries The
typhoons have damaged the cocoanut
trees, they have at times destroyed or
very much affected the hemp production.
and drought has injured the rice as we'll
as the cocoanuts. The character of .ne
tobacco leaf has deteriorated much be-
cause of lack of care in it's cultivation
due to the loose and careless habits of
agriculture caused by war and ladronisn,
and locusts have at times cleared the
fields OF other crops without leaving any
thing for the food Of the cultivators.
Ravages Of the Rinderpest.
'The great disaster to the islands. how
ever. has been the rinderpest. which car
ried away in two or three years 75 or 50
per cent Of all draft cattle in the islands.
This was a blow under which the agri-
culture Of the islands has been struggling
for now four or five years Attempts
were made. under the generous legislation
of Congress appropriating. three millions
Of dollars to remedy the loss If possible.
to bring in cattle from other countries.
but it was found that the cattle brought
IN. not being acclimated. died, most of
them before they could be transferred to
to the difficulty of the situation by bring
ing new diseases into the Philippines. 1t
has been found that nothing can restore
former conditions except the natural
breeding of the survivors, and In this way
it will certainly take five or six years
more to restore matters to their normal
condition. Meantime. of course other
means are sought and encouraged for
transportation and for plowing. The diff
fculty in the use of horses is that an In
<l:- L :,
has been Impossible TO cure, has carried
off 10 per cent of the horses of the islands.
Considering these difficulties 1t seems to
me wonderful that the exports from the
Islands have so far exceeded the exports
in Spanish times and have been SO well
maintained that last year there was more
exported from the islands than ever be-
fore in the history of the Philippines.
Need Of More Capital.
"One Of the crying needs of the Philip
pines is capital. and this whether il be
for the development of railroads. wagon
roads, manufactures or in the promotion
of agriculture. The usurious interest
which has to be paid by the farmers is
so high as to leave very little for his
profit and maintenance. and ever since We
entered the islands the cry for an agricul-
tural bank which would lend money for a
reasonable interest. say. 10 per cent. has
been urged upon the commission.
In nay last annual report, ] set forth
in detail the concessions granted for the
construction of railroads in LuZon. Panay,
Cebu. and Negros. and showed that with
in five years we might expect that, in
stead of single line Of railway 10 miles
in length which was all that We found
when we occupied the island. we would
have a system with mileage of 1000
miles. Work has gone on In full COM
pliance with the terms of the concessions
of the two companies.
There is no reason in my judgment
why these roads when constructed should
not pay reasonable percentage upon the
investment. 1t is of the utmost difficulty
to secure the coming of capital to the
islands. and it would greatly aid us If the
dividends earned by thees roads were
very large.
Railway Construction.
Even with increased wages the cost Of
unit of result is less in the Philippines
in the construction of railways than 1t is
in the United States. Of course. the
drain on the abor supply of sugar plan
tations and other places where agricul-
tural labor is employed. is great and the
effect upon raising sugar and other
products Is to increase the cost. But |
think the lesson from the construction of
the railroads Is that Philippine labor can
be improved by instruction and can be
made effective and reasonably economical
by proper treatment. The coming into
the islands of the capital to construct
railways. Of course. has had 4 good effect
IN the Improvement Of business condi-
tons.
"Ali that a friend of the Philippines can
hope for is that the sugar and tobacco in
dustries shall regain their former reason
ably prosperous conditions. The develop
,onf nf
direction. The question of labor and cap
ital both must always seriously hamper
the growth of sugar production. Nor
would regard 1t a as beneficial result for
the Philippine Islands to have the fields of
those islands turned exclusively to the
growth Of sugar. The social conditions
that this would bring about would not
promise we'll for the political and indus
trial development Of the people. because
the cane sugar industry makes society
in which there are wealthy landowners
holding very large estates with mos. val
liable and expensive plants and a large
population of unskilleo labor, with no
small farming or middle class tending 10
build up conservative, self-respecting
community from bottom to top. But.
while I have this view in. respect to tn,
matter. I am still strongly of the opinion
that justice requires that the United
States should open her sugar and tobacco
markets to tlle Philippines. ] am very
confident that such course would not in
lure by way of competition. either the
sugar or the tobacco industries of the
United States. but that it would merely
substitute Philippine sugar and tobacco
for a comparatively small part of the SUI
gar and tobacco that now comes in after
paving duty. Their free admission into
this country would not affect, the prices
of sugar and tobacco in the United States
as long as any substantial amount of
those commodities must be imported with
the full duty paid in order to supply the
markets of the United States.
Sugar and Tobacco Importation.
$50 confident am l that the develop
men1 which the sugar and tobacco in
terests of the United States fear in the
philippines from an admission of those
products free TO the United States win
not elsue TO the injury of those interests
that | would not object TO a limitation
its various forms. manufactured and un
manufactured. which may be admitted
TO the United States from the Philippines
the limitation being such reasonable
amount as would admittedly not affect the
price of either commodity in the United
states or lead to great exploitation of
the sugar and tobacco interests in the
islands The free admission of sugar and
tobacco up to the amount If the proposed
Limitation. for the purpose of restoring
the former prosperity in these two prod
ucts tn tho islands, is very important
There are two OF three provinces. notably
Occidental NegIos and the Island Of