Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-11
AMERICA i'm THE PHILIPPINES
X-Commerce and Material Progress
By frederic j Haskin

to the abandonment of rice culture for
that of hemp, but 1t Is largely charge
able to the devastation by war and
pestilence.
Sugar production in the islands is
| in a most primitive condition, and
much capital would be required to de-
velop it to a point where it could make
a showing against Hawaii, Cuba or
other cane sugar producing countries
of today The tobacco cultivation also
needs capital and intelligent super
vision. A free trade arrangement with
the United States will aid both sugar
and tobacco, but the improvement will
come but slowly. The islands are now
| importers of rice, although fifty years
ago they raised more than they con-
sumed and sent 1t to Europe.
! All commercial prosperity seems to
| await the introduction of foreign capt.
/ tai: and foreign gold with its GUS
/ tomary timidity, will not come until
it is assured of the future intentions
of the American government with re-
gard to the Philippines. Naturally,
progress under such conditions will be
Veyr slow-as slow as 1t was in the
southern states after the war.
Yet there is a genuine and lively hope
of great things in the Philippines-a
confident expectation of golden
| future. One may not hear much of 1t
among the bankers and the great inn
porting and exporting merchants of
| Manila, for many of them are given
over to discussing hard times, Ind
hard times only. They cannot be
blamed, for the business man has had
rough going in the Philippines for the
last year or two. But If one gets out
among the retail merchants OF Manila,
/ or talks to those statesmen who have
made a tour of the provinces, he finds
a great optimism.
These retail merchants say shat the
! Filipinos needs are increasing by
leaps and bounds. He must have shoes,
he must have more clothing, he must
have ornaments he must have sewing
machines, monographs, books and
scores of things of which he never
dreamed until the American school
teacher came to the village. To obtain
these things he must have money to
| get money he must work. The result
is an increase in the production of the
! islands and an increase in the con-
sumption of imported goods One
retailer said: "The Filipino will not
save money; he must spend it. Unless
there is something he wishes at the
moment he will not work. We are
making him industrious by tempting
him with luxuries. H. is q phllanthropic
mission with material profit for every
| body concerned"
No doubt the business of the islands
has suffered somewhat from politics,
men formerly engaged in commerce hav-
ing turned to politics since the open
ing of opportunity to natives to par
ticipate In the government. But 1t Is
| inevitable that their places Will be
taken by the younger generation, and
within ten years from now the nor
NAL status of interior commerce will be
restored. 1t always takes long time
to recover from the effects of de-
vastating war and to make adjustment
to an entirely new social order.
The government at Washington has
been slow, perhaps, to grant the Phil
| ippines tariff encouragement, but 1t has
| otherwise done all 1t could do for the
business men Of the islands The gov
ernment at Manila, being largely free
to do as IL likes has geratly facilitated
| commerce in the archipelago. Sub
sides have been granted to inter-
island steamship lines, the government
telegraph and interisland cable serv->
ice has been extended, railroads have
been constructed and highways have
been built.
1t is due to this activity on the part
of the Manila government, approved by
the administration at Washington, that
the commerce of the Philippines has
actually increased under American rule
despite the great handicaps to interior
production and foreign disposal. There
| Is no reason to believe that these poll
cies will not be continued in force. At
the present moment the low price of
hemp casts a gloomy shadow over
every prospect In the Philippines, but
such things are the portion OF every
country With more advantageous
tariff regulations and with the con-
ment, 1t is probable that the Philip
pines will show a gradually increasing
business each year. But there is no
hope for great prosperity and wide de-
velopment without foreign capital, and
that awaits a decision as to the prob
able future of the Philippine govern
ment
Tomorrow: America In the Philippines
! XII-American Philippines Policy.