The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-09-30
SLAVERY IN THE PHILIPPINES
AUDITOR FOR THE ISLANDS YER
IFIEs PREVIOUS REPORT.
Parents Sell Sons and Daughters at
Prices Ranging From $50 to 500.
Peonage Prevails Everywhere.

Prices Ranging From $50 to 500.
Peonage Prevails Everywhere.
WASHINGTON Garri-
son had before him today a Philip
pine slavery report by w. H. Phipps,
auditor of the islands, practically
backing up the startling charges of
Dean Worcester. 1t cites details of
many cases of boys and girls being
sold into slavery at prices ranging
from $50 to 500. Heads of savage
families sell their daughters and re-
gard the practice as right.
Il have no hesitancy in saying that
l think the charges of Secretary
Worcester that slavery exists in the
Philippines are sustained" says Mr..
Phipps.
The Phipps report is based upon
investigations conducted under the
direction of the Philippine auditor
by district auditors. 1t was accom-
panied by a list of names of sixty
seven persons held as slaves, some
being held outright and some under
the so-called debt" system, the fall
lacy of which is shown by the fact
that some of the slaves so held are
more than so years old and have
been held by their present owners
since birth.
Barter and Sale of Humans.
"The almost universal report
made to me by each person who has
been asked to investigate" wrote
Mr.. Phipps, was that slavery in
some form existed to his personal
knowledge; with number it is a
form of peonage, which is the most
extensive form of slavery practiced
here; with many others it will be
noted it is barter and sale of human
beings by one person to another, who
holds such person in absolute sub
jugation, and they perform duties
and labor for him without compen-
sation further than the scanty
clothes and in many instances indif-
ferent food
All of the district auditors who as
sisted Mr.. Phipps were obliged to
promise their informants that the
source of their information would
not be made public. The names of
officials who helped in the prepara-
tion of the report also are withheld.
One investigator made this report:
my observation has been that the
largest percentage of real slavery ex-
lists in those provinces adjacent to or
in parts inhabited by hill tribes of So
called non-christians. I myself have
known of several instances where
children have been purchased from
the hill tribes, and believe that a
house canvass of the servants of the
well-to-do class of Filipinos and
proper inquiry into their status will
show that large number Of them
are actually owned, having been ac
quired by purchase. Some of these
are old men and women, who have
been the property of some family
since childhood
Traffic in Girls.
''Thre is a considerable traffic in
girls. I personally have had num-
Der of offers of this kind, and it is a
generally known fact that a large
percentage of Chinese who have Fill
Pine wives actually bought them at
stipulated price. A recent instance
in which I was offered boys and girls
for the small amount of 20 pesos, 80
pesos and 40 pesos was in August of
last year at Cebu. Peonage exists
in all parts of Ahe island and in
many instances amounts to slavery"
Another district auditor said he
was reliably informed every Negrito |
servant in his district was originally |
enslaved.
"They are generally bought"
wrote this investigator, when quite |
young, and kept as slaves until they |
become old enough to shift for them |
selves"
The report said the commonest |
explanation of the presence of the |
alleged slaves in families is that the |
parents died and the family adopted |
ornban obi1dron