The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1912-12-10

MONIES conditions, would Be without
I money with which to buy rice from
those districts OF the Islands where
an e1cess production could be had
This very situation has existed re-
pe;atedly "A the history OF the is-I
lands and may be expected TO repeat,
itself until remedy Is discovered
and applied.
Perhaps the most lasting harm
caused by the condition Just men
toned is that the people, owing to
the future Of Their own crop and
having no other resources. are
forced to leave their nelds and
homes ard seek employment else
where to secure GOOD. The natural
movement under these conditions is,
TO the large cc.1ters OF population
where employment may be had.
While families ueake this change
intending it to be a mere temporary
arrangement, a considerable per-
ceutage remain n the cities and
are permanently lost to agriculture:
the fields formerly cultivated by
them are abandoned and the danger
Of TOO great a trend from rural to
urban life threateas.
q review OF the experience Of
other countries, particularly in Eu-
rope and Asia. seems to indicate
that the generalization Of cottage or
household Industries offers the 50.
( luton "A part, at least, of the Phil.
:ppine problem. while the public
: schools are devoting much time to
the INSTRUCTIONS OF children in these
industries. it seemed apparent that
for immediate and large results it
would be necessary to provide for
the instruction OF adults IN large
numbers. The director OF educa-
ton drafted a bill which was
passed by the Philippine assembly
apprOpria ting $50 900 to establish
in Manila a school OF Household In-
dustries, which will TRAN about 900
women from various parts OF the
Islands who are to return to their
home communities to teach adults
the various handicrafts now taught
to the children in the intermediate
schools. while the development OF
household industries Increases the
j incomes OF individual workers, it is
, relatively subordinate phase OF
relief. the main problem being the
! increase in. the production OF rice
to meet fully the Philippine de-
! mand
| There baitthe Philippines in the
great Valleys OF Luton. Of iMndoro,
OF Mindaho. and OF the smaller is
lands. ample areas or public land
! easily developed into rice pianta-
tic4as Of the first class. with excel
lent water transportation facilities.
and SO Tree from forest growth as to
be immediately available for. rice
| planting. There are IN the llocos
lsproy:nces. IN, the southeHa part OF
the island Oh Cebu, in portion OF
the island or lBohol. and to lesser
extent in other PORTIONS OF the
archipelago congested population
which. with great ANTIQUITIES, are
Istriying to produce enough food for
their own consumption by the cuI-
twain OF exhausted fields and rocky
hiIIsides. If 10000 families could
be induced TO abandon their presen
! homes in the districts just men
toned and locate under govern
iment supervision on the public
! lands described above. the Philip
pine islands viii cease &c. send some
ten million dollars annually to
French Indo-China AID British Bur
ma, neither OF which countries ans
snuaIly purchase more than a few
: thousand dollars worth of Philip
pine products.
The Importance of remedial
measures IS shown by the fact that
lin the first nine months Of 1872
there were imported into the Philip
pines, more than two hundred and
forty million pounds of rice in ex-
fcess of the. large amount imported
in the corresponding period of the
preceding year. In other words, the
value of rice tmportations from
January I to- the and of September
was $11,43.3, 253, or more than six
million dollars in excess OF the
amount sent abroad for the same
purpose in the nine months of 1911
This increase accounts for more
than two-thirds of the adverse ball
ance of trade during these months.
thus constituting a serious drain
on the resources of the islands
The executive secretary in his re-