Omaha daily bee., 1912-02-18

from there amounted to only little more
than 100000 and our exports to about
S, 200. eco Last year the imports amounted
to HSooc,OOo and the exports TO about
;l60oo.Ooo.
The importatiOns show how the people
are growing in wealth. Since 1901 they
have increased their purchases Of flour
800 per cent, Of provisions 100 per cent
and Of leather and oils more than 2Ot
per cent, During the last year the gross
sales OF goods by the merchants were
years ago, and the bank deposits have
increased 20 per cent.
In the first year Of our occupation the
foreign trade Of the Philippines was only
little more than s21.00Q.0 600 BY 1909 II
had grown TO more than Ss,0oO.O O0 Then
came free trade with us and II jumped
to S76.OOo.OOo This year It Ia expected TO
reach fS2,0ooOO0. which Is three times az
much as was the average during the last
fifteen years of Spanish rule. As It is
now. every business is growing. and the
hemp exports amounted TO lls,ooo tons
the last year.
Money In Cocoanuts and Hemp.
At present the two best money crops OF
the islands are hemp or abaCa aud copra.
which is the dried meat Of the coooanut.
The abaca fiber is used for ropes and
ships cables. We use a vast deal of II
for binding Irvine. and II goes In quaint.
ties to France and Switzerland. where
1t is made into fine laces and hat bralds.
II is also woven into cloth and there are
thousands Of women and girls who are
now making such cloth in different parts
Of the Islands. We take about 50 per
cent Of the hemp exports, and the
best grades come TO our country The
Philippines began to export this product
about ninety-two years ago. and the first
shipment was forty-One tons. Last year
exports amounted TO l7OCO tons, and
this sold for more than Sl7,OOOOO1
How would you like TO have a cOcoanut
grove? There are men in the Philippines
who have some 2ocO trees. Each tree
Yields them 81 and upward a year, and all
they have TO do is to pick the nuts.
This business has been increasing in
value ever since We took hold Of the Is-
lands. II has grown 10 per cent since
1879. and the exports are now running
about 100000 year. They bring in
about one-fifth Of all that the islands
sell TO foreign countries, and the business
is capable of indefinite expansion. Cocoa
nut trees will grow anywhere along the
coast, COpra is better than apples I'm
Oregon. All you have to do Is to plant
the cocOanut trees and keep down the
weeds for seven or eight years. when
they begin TO bear. After that the nuts
drop Of themselves and they have only
to be taken up and carried 10 the mar
kets. In some places the nuts are turned
into eopra on the plantation, and IN
others they are sold as they are.
One dollar a tree is considered a fair
yield the world over. but there are trees
In the Philippines which bring in more
than $ year. some Of the nuts being
worth much more than others. To show
the difference In the value Of nuts. in
Samoa II takes 200 TO produce a ton of
copra, while in other islands 1t takes
500 or COO There are groves in the
Philippine Islands where $50 nuts will
make ton and some at San Remon of
which Il takes less than 800. Our gov
eminent is now sending out information
10 the people as 10 the best nuts 70 plant
and advising them just how TO cultivate
their plantations TO get the best crops.
Ny latest information from the islands
is that cocoanuts are now paying better
than anything else. The officials say that
the copra towns never know hard times
and that the presidente Of one Of them
complained that he could get no servants
The cocoanuts bring in 50 much that the
people will not work
Sugar and Tobacco.
The Filipinos are not satisfied with their
tobacco trade with the United States.
When ting tariff was removed they ex-
pected to swamp Us with Manila cigars
and to sell them at Havana prices. With
that view they sent about 100000 the