Evening star., 1925-10-12

Four hundred pounds of rubber an
acre year are obtained The United
States uses 100000 tons a year 1t
could be grown in the Philippines on
100000 acres-less than one third of
the public domain lying fallow in
Cotabato Province alone.
In Cotabato the planting of 2,000,-
900 acres to rubber probably would
be done at less expense Of labor and
money than in any other region of
equal extent. The trees could be
planted on extensive areas now clear
OF timber and overgrown with cogon,
jungle grass whose presence proves
the richness of the soil and the
abundance of rainfall
On small plantations. five in num-
Der, rubber is now being produced in
the Philippines in five different Min
danao Provinces-Zamboang Gotta
bato, Davao and two others. The
oldest plantations. dating from 1912,
are on Basilan Island. in the Province
of Zamboanga.
Law Limits Land Holdings
1t is because the law limits cor
porate holdings of public lands in the
Philippines to $500 acres for each
corporation, with interlocking prohib-
tied, that the rubber plantation in
dustry was not commercially devel-
oEed here long ago. in the opinion of
men who have followed the industry
in the Dutch East Indies and the
Middle East. Two bills are pending
in the Philippine Legislature to lib
eralize this law, but they are likely
to fail because the ajority party op-
poses as a matter of policy further
investment of American capital in the
Philippines, saying that this should
come only after independence has
been granted. But the legislature is
only the agent Of Congress in respect
TO the public lands. and Congress
may make whatever provision it
pleases.
Unless action is taken either in
Manila or in Washington, there will
be no important development of a
domestic supply of American rubber,
for the native inhabitant will not
venture with the crop until he has
an assurance of a nearby market in
which to sell his rubber
While the industry was in it's in
fancy it is believed here, more than
half the land would be leased or own
ed las Congress or the legislature
might provide) by American corpora
tions with sufficient capital to make
the venture A success. AS 1t grew
older, probably the general rule in
other agricultural industries would
apply-more and more land would go
under native control. 1t being the OBJ
iect of the American corporations
only to get the product.
With rubber, coCoanuts can be
planted. to produce copra, the dried
cocoanut meat from which comes
much of Americas supply of cocoa
nut oil for soap making. And cattle
can be grazed. to keep down the
Jungle grass. Beeves will fatten on
the jungle heritage alone
A. II. MuzZall. expert with the COM
mission from the Department Of Com
merce to report on the rubber posi-
bilities of the Philippines, is in Ma
Mia and fully agrees with what Is
said here in respect to labor. means
of handling 1t and areas of land avail
able. Though he wrote a large part
of the report recently published from
the Department of Commerce, the
part referring to a maximum Of
100. 900 workmen and an output of
10000 tons a year is not his. Nor
does 1t seem to be the commissions,
but something arrived at in Wash
ington.
Copyright. 1925. by Chicago Daily News co.,