El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-06-20
Philippines are Prosperous
Marvellous Increase Shown in Trade
Since Americans Assumed
Control OF Islands.
-BE Frederic J. Hustzfn --
AsHINGTON. D. C.. June

oLLer elements OF Philippine ACTIVITIES
display to even the casual student
Not only that, but a brief survey Of its
leading features from the date OF
American occupation in 1899 to the
present time embraces other important
phases such as the contest for COM
merClal supremacy between the United
states and her strongly intrenched
European competitors. the strengthen
ing Of business ties between Americans
and ttlipinOs, the gradual increasing
earning capacity of the FiHpinOs, the
surprising facility with which the Fill
pinO people have adopted every i'm
prOVcment laid at their doors by
American Commerce. and the final
realization of the American business
world that the Philippine islands is
one Of the most attractive detectives
Of our expanding foreign trade.
Trade Increases 400 Percent.
The total trade of the Philippine is
lands at the present time is nearly 400
percent greater than il was when the
American flag was first hoisted by
the First Colorado regiment over old
Tort Santiago in the environ of Manila
on August 13, 1899.
In 1899 the total trade Of the is
lands was a little over 100000. OF
this trade $l3,1I6,567 represented the
imports and SI4,640,142 the exports.
The total trade of the fiscal year 1912
was $1U4, S6g,S16. IT is expected that
p
the annual volume to a point above
an increase of 400 percent over 1893.
The total trade of the islands one
year after American occupation was
over S4O,0UO,OOJ. showing an increase Of
$4,000. 600 within u months after the
Philippines came into their new and
better day. However. the balance OF
trade was against the islands as the
imports exceeded the exports TO the
extent of S1S0.OS9- This was due to
the chaotic conditions and the general
staSnauOn of trade resulting from the
instruction of the FiipinOs against
American authority.
Indeed the balance of trade against
the Islands was 10 times as bad IN
1901 and 1902 as il was in 1900, and
the reasons are the same. In 1901 the
imports were S50,24 $500, while the eX-
ports We're S25.223,34S. The following
year the imports were nearly $4,000 600
greater, largely representing necessary
food stuffS, while the exports were
slightly over Sl,2u0, 600 in excess OF
the year before. The balance Of trade
against the islands this year was ST.
4,4SS, or nearly half q million over
the year before.
BegInnI2E Of Better Conditions.
The following year, 1903, reflected
the beginning Of better conditions
because OF the partial rehabilitation
of the islands through the gradual
restoration OF peace under tle civil
government of william II. Taft By
tlIpluOS, and they are in the great
majority, had dropped the bOlO Tor the
good old wooden pillow. The rice fields
which Tor several years mad served
no better purpose than that of muddy
plNOuacS Tor willy lDSurrecIOs and Qe-
lerUlned fever stricken American sol
olers. now returned 10 their natural
junction as the cradle of waving
srain. Hemp stalks foated down the
streams as oil yOre, COCOanuLS resumed
their old place on the little river
landing places, bundles OF tobacco
leaf again formed the principal load
Of the patient carabaO in the tobacco
districts and the autiquated sugar
mills of Nagros and the Visayas
SrOaned and Creaked in the grinding
OF q few pounds OF sugar every year.
The trade Of this year represented
S52sSl 4.445 in imports and S53.15O. 12U
in favor of the islands OF S171,6T5.
ear 1904 Disastrous.
The year 1904 showed a bare $780,
600 increase in imports with a slump
of nearly S5,000,000 in exports. This
was due to a disastrous rinderpest
epidemic which wiped out thousands
Of carabaO in all parts of the islands
The carabaO is the beast of burden
OF the FuiplnOs- The caTabaO is al
once the horse and the COW of the
Flllplnos- The Filipino who owns
carabaO has little fear of poverty and
one who has been able to acquire
small herd is the envy of all his fell
lows Consequently. the rinderpest
of 1903 was a calamity, and to this
day is a very perpleNing and expensive
problem to the government, which is
still experimenting with il. The i'm
ports exceeded the exports for the
year in consideration by S2,995,124
The next five years, up to the great
changes brought about in August 1902
by the bill which established partial
free trade between the United States
nd hi f-n.r -
steady growth both in exports and
imports The imports We're somewhat
lower than they were in the off year
1904, when rinderpest struck its
hardest blow. but the exports con-
unued to expand In all of these five
years a comfortable excess of exports
over imports is shown The best year
in this regard was 1906 when the i'm
ports were S-5.lsg.2gO and the eS-
ports were greater by S6,l19.252. On
the whole. however. the best balanced
year was 1908 when the imports were
S30,9lS,745 and the exports were S52,-
Trade With Other Lands.
In all of this time the United States
old not have the bulk of the Philippine
trade AS a matter of fact the United
states was not even the heaviest
shipper of goods TO the islands TIls
imposed by certain stipulatiOns in the
treaty Of Paris in 1888 and for other
reasons
The principal exports of the Phil
lppine islands are hemp. cOpra. raw
sugar, cigars and CiSarets- Manila
rope and heavy Manila envelopes ara
known the world over Other exports
of the islands are knOtted hemp which
Is shipped principally to italy. France
and Switzerland to be woven into fine
textiles, native fibrOus hats, the bet
ter grades of which compare favor
ably with the famous Panama hats. q
miscellaneous group of Maguey, shells, /
native cloth. Nlang-Nlang oil and per-
fume and native timber and lumber.
Hemp was far and away the principal
export of the islands until last year
when the cOpra took a slight lead
Hemp represented over half OF the
total exports nearly every year even
in 1911 Hemp exports We're $4,000
600 while the total exports were over
S53,OoO,OO0. In the year 1911. hemp
constituted 30 percent of the total
value Of the exports but il now forms
only 32 percent, while cOpra which
in 1911 represented less than % per-
cent of the total export value repre-
scented in 1912 a fraction above that
of hemp Hemp exports were $16.2SS,-
$40. The copra exports were SIC
5l4,l4g- Sugar was a poor third with I
$lO,4O0,0O0 TO its credit. while cigars. I
Cigarets and other tobacco struggled I
far in the rear to the sum OF $4,000 600 !
The principal imports of the Phil
ippine islands are cotton goods rice, I
manufactures Of iron and steel meat