Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-11-19
LABOR CONDITIONS ARE
GOOD, is sTATMENT MADE
Capital of 100000 VIII Be Required
to Start Mill and Engage in
Saving There.

ed out by the officials of the bureau
that the Philippines islands offer to
progressive lumbermen chances for prof
its not excelled by any other field ir
the world. The forest officers of the
Philippines state that the islands con.
tain two hundred billion feet Of mer
chantable timber for which there is
a large present demand and that practi.
cally all of it is owned by the govern
ment and is available under very fay
orable terms. In most cases the forests
can be easily logged by the most i'm.
proved machinery and methods.
The timber itself, it is pointed out,
includes structural material of great
value, in addition to many fine hard
woods particularly suited to cabinet
work. In this latter class some Of tho
most plentiful woods may be sold in
competition with mahogany such is
their beauty Of grain and richness OF
color. Manila is only two days distant
from Hongkong, and China, which has
largely exhausted its timber furnishes
a ready market. Japan, Australia, and
even the United States, will take Phil
iRpine lumber, which is admitted free
to this country. One Of the commonest
Philippine timbers, red lauan, which
works and finishes well, has been sold
on the Pacific coast where it serves the
same purposes as the finest redwood,
which it somewhat resembles, ais high
as $50 per thousand board feet.
Government timber in the Philippines
is offered at very low rate and it is
stated that the labor problem is in no
sense difficult. Investments by Amer.
leans are not only invited, but are en-
counged
The Philippine bureau of forestry,
in this first sale which Is being cal.
led to the attention of American tim.
Der operators, is offering a twenty
year concession which gives exclusive
rights to tract comprising about
$4,000 acres, which contain nearly two
billion board feet of timber 1t is re
quired that the successful bidder shall
keep up certain minimum output which
starts with l5 million board feet dur
ing the first two years and increases
to an ultimate output Of at least 81
million per year. A modern sawmill
and logging equipment must be estab
lished and also patrol system for the
prevention Of fires and trespass
A complete report on this body of
timber, which can be had at the office
Of the director Of forests in Manila
or ut the bureau Of insular affairs in
Washington, shows that the region oc
cupicd by the main body of the tract
presents ideal logging conditions. This
report shows that railroads can be built
easily and cheaply and that the en-
tire timber belt can be logged at a
minimum of expense and trouble Tho
amount Of timber per acre varies from
1880 up to $4,000 board feet and
more In the four principal types of
forest embraced in the area, much val
liable material can be secured from
even the least desirable type, and the
most valuable types will, according to
figures of the bureau, provide a hand
some profit for an outlay comparative
| ly small in relation to the value of the
timber which is to be exploited,
The principal kinds Of wood are the
lauans, excellent construction timbers
and somewhat comparable, in mechan
icle properties, to the Pacific coast
redwoods; yacal one Of the most valu.
able because Of its great strength
and It's resistance to destruction by
white antsi apitong, quite comparable
to the hard pines of the United States,
and various other hardwoods which
have already found place as substi.
tutes for mahogany.
It is required that tho successful
applicant shall furnish q capital suffi
cicnt for tho Immediate prosecution Of
the work, the amount in this case being
places at not less than 100000 pesos
Philippine currency, equivalent to 500,
600.
1t is proposed that all bids for thie
timber shall be opened in Manila on
December 10, For the benefit OF pro
specti,e purchasers in America, how
ever, unable to prepare their applica
tious and have them received in Man
liza on or before that date, the bureau
of insular affairs in Washington will
on notification before the final day
send cablcgnm and have the time
extended until the actual bids can be
received IN Manila.
-
Now, young man, there is a chance