The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-12-05

broideries are more and more in .li -ei they may be, for there are no commercial needIework- CTS in the world superior to the Fiji pinO women-who are not only since the period of the Great War, dupli- eating with entire satisfaction the for ner product of European centers of this fine old handicraft, embroidery, but are also weaving the faces of old Cluny and Valencia. Filipino women have had skill in needlework for cen turieS, but where once they amused with it, donating the product of pa tient hours to the Church. they now make it a means of livelihood.
 The finest product of the Philip pines is done on pima cloth, a typical ly native fabric woven on hand-Iooms from fiber won from the spined leaves of the pineapple, interwoven with silk. It is delicate beyond de- scripion, yet strangely substantial Wedding gowns made of it may be est frtde of the Metropolis, and then laid away and kept for generations to follow. Il will age a softly tinted. saffron. but it will never cease to be a fabric.
 The usual commercial product is done upon standard fabrics made in American mills and sent out to Manila stamped for the working all according to the latest designs; or 1t will be sent out to branch houses of large New York firms established in Manila. where the cutting and :'rsrr.ire. will he done, and where some several hundred workwomen will be employed at grading, finishing and packing the provincial product. When it leaves Manila. it Is assorted and priced upon commercial stand ards; and even the less worthy of it is a very desirable addition to mi lady's wardrobe. while nothing is more fitting in a hope box"
 One will examine Philippine em- tro+dery, and swear that machines have been used; but no, the sole ma chine used in the making of Philip 7.- 7-.fee ie th, needle and 'thimbIe eled by Oriental patience and pride in tasks well done. Pa drOnes are the go-betweens from fac tories to workers. They receive their quotas of stamped materials from the factories. upon which a price is set for the completed garments. Thus supplied they go out to the villages of matched houses surrounding Manila. and parcel out the contract,
 Maria in this little cottage takes dozen chemises; Dolores in that one across the street takes a half dozen: Rosa and Encarcacion, further along the road, want to do three dozen. but rhe work must all be back at the Manila factory by the tenth-or some other day fixed upon between the pa 1 HrOn and the factory managen nent- l and they are persuaded that two doz- ! en will be their limit this time, since 1 the work must be above criticism and rebound to the good name of the l barrie.
 In this manner the whole contract is placed. amOunting to hundreds of pieces. and even thousands. Needles ply to the sound of croned Island Iabfes-thet ply, that children may hn fed and clothed decently for sohoo1-and all goes very merrily in dacd. unless the padron becomes dis honest and attempts to souge the pa tfort workwOmen. Then their pa t:oncc suddenly ceases. and their hands are stubbOrnly idle until the wrong is made right. Dishonest pa droneS have been the sole stumbling block in the way of New York houses, i in building up their Philippine busi- r1css; and even these troubles have been rare.
 Tho movement received it's first inn petus from the Philippine public schools. where girls and boys are given special industrial graded studies from books The household training is classified as "educ9 tionap: the training in embr oidery, lace mak- ing crochet. etc. is called "commer- cial' since it can at once be turned to account. The product of the schools Is handled through a retail and wholesale system, and the profits revert to the pupils Girls are able to buy their books in this way; and their needed supplies of paper and pencils It is very handy pin money. which they are glad to be able to earn. Such work has been fully Or eanized in the Philippine public schools for more than a decade. The growing embroidery industry Is direct result of this practical educa- tihnaI work.
 One New York firm has s70o,000 irr-ostad in it's Manila field had in tends to keep adding to this until the laft al employed there shall amount to s1500 GOO or possibly $2,00O.00O
 Asked if the ending of the Great War and the consequent reopening of European fields of hand needlework would alter their plans, a, represen- tative of this company said, 'by no means We find the Philippine prod Ilct exceIs the product of Europe, the work women quite as dependable and the DuSlnoSS III every way HUI satisfa ctory. We shall only add to our Philippine business, not curtan it''
 Several things recommend this course to the trade. not least among which is the peacs existing in the Archipelago, conuasted with the un- rest and uncertainty prevailing in Europe, and the fact that Filpinos incline to peace and industry and are little given to following the advice CD of pamphleteers and philoso- phica1 propagand;sts.
 For centuries the Fflipinos strug- sled for the opportunities which have come to them under the American flag. Now that they have them they want to make good. They are asking for political independence, but they want the commercial and social ties to grow and strengthen with time.