Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-18

of the world. There are seven wireless
stations on the islands
All of these public works are support
ed by the people themselves, and not by
the United States. AS far as 1 can learn,
outside the army. the Islands are prac-
tically paying their own expenses, winch
Germany, England or Holland, all OF
whom try to run colonies, would say Is
mighty good work.
Much of my information regarding the
present business situation comes from
Mr.. G.. B. Elliot the secretary of COM
MERGE He is also a member of the Phil
ippine commission at Manila. He says
that business jumped since the markets
Of the United States were thrown open to
the island products. That was about two
wears ago, at which time our imports
from there amounted to only a little more
than seven millions and our exports to
about eight millions Last year the i'm
ports amounted to thirteen million dol
lars and the exports to about sixteen mil
lions.
The importations show how the people
are growing in wealth. Since l90l tnev
have increased their purchases of flour
300 per cent. of provisions 400 per cent.
and of leather and oils more than 300 per
cent. During the past year the gross sales
of goods by the merchants we're 30 per
cent greater than those OF two years ago,
and the bank deposits have increased 80
per cent.
In the first year of our occupation the
foreign trade of the Philippines was only
a little more than twenty-seven million dol
lars. By 1909 it had grown to more than
fifty EIGHT millions. Then came free trade
with us, and it jumped to seventy-six mill
lions. This year it is expected to reach
eighty-two millions. which is three times
as 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 1lSOOJ tons
the last year.
At present the two best money crops of
the iSiandS are hemp or abaCa and cO2ra,
which is the dried meat of the cocoanut.
The abaca fiber is used for ropes and
shiIs' cables. We use a vast Geal OF 1t
for binding twine. and it goes in quaint
ties to France and Switzerland, where 1t
is made into fine laces and hat braidS.
1t is also woven into cloth. and there are
thousands OF women and girls who are
now making stch cloth in different PARTS
of the Philippines. we take about 20 PEI
cent of the hemp exports, and tie best
grades come to OR country. The Philip
pines began TO export this product ninety
TWO years ago. AMI the FIRST sh pment was
II tons. Last year exports amounted to
11oe:s} tons and this sold for more than
Sl1..s9J,0yO.
How would you Ike 10 have cocoanut
grove? There arc men in the Philippines
who have some 1900 trees. Eacn tree
yields them a dollar and Upward a year,
and all they have to co is to pick up the
nuts.
This business has been increas sing in
value ever since we took hold OF the is
lands. 1t has grown 10 per cent since
Lea, and the exports are now running
at about $1O,cOJ.GsJ year. They bring
i'm about one-fifth of all that the islands
sell to foreign countries, and the brs ness
is capable of indefinite expansion. Cocoa
nut trees will grow everywhere along the
coast. Copra is better than apples in
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 to the markets In
some places the nuts are turned into CO.
pra on the plantation, and in others they
are sold as they are.
One dollar tree is considered fair
yield the world over, but there are trees
in the Philippines which bring in more
than 81 Il year. some of the nuts being
worth much more than otherS tn show