Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-05
USURY SYSTEM DEPLO RED
ASRETARDING PHILIPPINES
American Progress is Delayed by Vide
spread Exploitation, Ex-Legislator
Declares In Plea to US.

the humanitarian and idealistic and
the sordidly materialtstic.
There is that Spain of priestly ra-
pacity and political bigotry, seeking to
repress the individuality of races under
her control, but there Is that other
Spain Of chivalric deeds and noble i'm
pulses that spread the seeds OF civlllza-
ton throughout the world, the Spain
that, through the indomitable spirit of
her sons, enlightened continents and
discovered uncharted seas, a nation
that has given to the world men OF
lofty character and rare talent.
Usury Expresses Tenants.
The prevalence of usury among the
principal landowners in the provinces;
the unjust and unwarranted exploita-
ton to which the poor tenants are sub
jected, the organized system of fraud
under which the social underdog SUI
| ferS-all of these are mostly due to the
medieval and undemocratic standards
of thought and action introduced into
my country by some of the Spanish
rulers. The system of usury so deeply
rooted in our agricultural regions is
one of the most pernicious to be found
anywhere.
Under this system the big boss" or
|
him a number of poor farmers. Each
one of the men receives, say 10 pesos
| $50 for his current expenses. For this
money he signs a promiSsory note for
! 20 pesos plus one "yon' of rice, valued
| at 10 pesos. payable at harvest time,
| that is to say after year. The igno-
rant tao" does not even know what he
| signs, the document having been pre-
pared beforehand by the owner OF the
land.
Interest Reaches 200 Per Cent.
The former does not know that the
rate of interest is 200 per cent until the
| time of payment comes. have seen
! this system in number of provinces
| in Central LuZon and have exposed IL
repeatedly In the columns of the Ma
Mia papers with which have been
connected.
This system Of extortion appeared to
me as the tragedy of tragedies. 1t had
| neceSSitated on a number of occasions
| the direct personal intervention Of Gov.
! Gen. Wood, who during his incumbency
as chief executive of the country showed
such unselfish and unusual interest in
the protection of the rights of the COM
mon man. Because of this direct per-
Sonal Intervention Gen. Wood had been
branded "autocratic" by the profession
al politicians of Manila in league with
these "caciques."
This system of robbery is prevalent
throughout the provinces of the archi-
pelago. and Notwithstanding the laws
against usury, the loan sharks" con-
tinue to ply their trade, wreaking havoc
and desolation in countless humble
homes. Unless this exploitation is
curbed wholesale assassinations Of land
lords may be witnessed in the not far
distant future.
Usury Law Termed Joke.
The usury law is just as big a joke
in the Philippines as the Volstead act
is in the United States Island moral
lists and statesmen thunder and rave
on the iniquity and rapacity of foreign
imperialiSts for the purpose OF fishing
for votes, yet they are among the no.
torious Insurers fleeing their own peo-
pie. Similarly. Congress has approved
a law prohibiting the sale Of intoxlcat-
ing liquors and yet many members OF
the American legislative body. so /
have been informed, drink their whisky
with perfect impunity. The parallel IS
clear.
Philippine journalists and orators
! constantly vociferate against the Land
| grabbing" foreign imperialist whose
main crime, it seems. is to bring IN
more capital into the country and en-
bark on an enterprise of material de-
velopment. They denounce the foreign
exploiter who, according to them. threat
ems the heritage of our posterity.
Yet they remain dumb before the
''Yandal within the gates" the Filipino
exploiter of his own countrymen whom
Rial condemned in his novels, the real
| enemy of Philippine liberty. far more
| odious, yet far more powerful locally,
than the combined host of capitalism
and imperialism on the other side OF