The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-07-24
GREAT ADVANCE
 HAS BEEN MADE BY
 NATIVE P|L|PP|NOS
Reyes Says Economic Prog resS of the Islands In Last 20 Years Had Been
 Unprecedented
By Associated Press


 Lcndon, July 2S-Fidel A. Reyes, director of the bureau of commerce and industry of the Philippine 1s- lands. asserted in an address here the other day that the economic pro gress of the islanders in the last 20 years had been unprecedented. He was speaking at the International Exposition of Rubber and other Tropical Plants.
 MT. Reyes also pointed out the op- portunities for the investment of for eign capital in developing the re- sources of the Philippines. He gave credit to the administration of the United States government in the Philippines, saying:
 By promoting one of the most modern and efficient systems of pub lie education. by placing upon our own shoulders the responsibilities of managing our own domestic afr lirs and by assisting us in raising our standard of living the American people have given to my people as a lasting blessing all that Is best in American life and institutions"
 Enormous Growth
 As indicative of the enormous growth of the trade of the islands, MT. Reyes cited figures showing the total value of imports and exports in 1881 to have been only 1,217,o79, com pared with a total in 1920 of sSoo,- 562,138
 MT. Reyes said great progress had been made in agriculture. This, he stated, included big increases n areas planted to crops, corresponding increase In yield and stupendous ad vances in value.
 Causes contributing to the agricul- tural development, he said, were the pushing of the food campaign during the war, the loaning of rice and corn farmers of funds appropriated by the Philippine legislature, the introduc- tion of modern agricultural machin- cry, seed selection. the upgrading of live stock, the formation of rural credit cooperative societies by lagis lative enactment, laws aiming at the eradication of the locust plague and the creation of a system of co-opera- tive insurance to cover losses in work animals.
 With the increased agricultural production and the consequent in- crease in per capita wealth of the people 1t stands to reason that the commerce of the country will wit ness a corresponding growth" de- clared MT. Reyes. The Phlllpplnes, toe, because of their strategical To- cation can serve as a convenient dis tributing point for the Asiatic trade. The manufacture of finished arti- cles for China, Siberia and other Ori- ental countries from tropically gpown raw materials can, or course, be car rled on In the Philippines to great advantage
 l Saving of Freight | "The saving in freight alone would ba decided gain to the manufac- turers. At present the people of the Philippines pay more for refined su- gar than the people of the United States, though raw sugar is one or the principal exports of the country. The field of sugar refining is prac- ticalIy untouched. Fish. vegetables and fruit canning are practically un- known. though the excess production of fruits. vegetables and fish at cer- tain seasons, not to speak of the greater production that would doubt less result through the development of the canning industry, would be sufficient to maintain several large canneries. All in all, the opportuni- ties for the manufacturer are such that they are bound to draw enter prising capital to the islands"