Evening star., 1935-08-05
BY JUNIUS Y WOOD.

TO meet tneSe pTOOteHlS.
BY JUNIUS Y WOOD.
MANILA, P. I. (NAN.AD Sugar,
coconuts, hemp and tobacco and their
products form $3.50 per cent of the
exports from the Philippines. That
is the figure for the IL months that
ended February %, 1885. Though it
varies every year, these same four ar
ticleS always are the foundation for
the country's economic health.
Coconuts does not mean the nuts
themselves, but copra, or the dried
meat, which makes more than half
of the total; coconut oil, dessicated
coconut and coconut meal. Similarly,
hemp. or abaca, includes cordage and
knotted hemp as well as the raw fiber.
Cigars are four-fifths of the tobacco
exports.
Source of Existence.
Whatever way the proSaic figures
are divided does not change the fact
that the prosperity, or even existence,
of the Filipinos, whether little farmer,
big corporation or merchant, depends
on cultivating the four plants. En-
broideries are 212 per cent of the ex-
ports. Maguey, hats, lumber and
pearl buttons are the only other ones
large enough to be itemiZed in the
annual figures, and the four together
are less than p per cent. Gold from
Philippine mines is now taking a
larger place in the totals.
The United States encouraged the
Filipinos to produce American capi-
tai was invested in plantations, chiefly
sugar, and in factories. The invest
ment would ahve been larger If the
Filipinos had permitted. A big rub
ber company which wanted to pur-
chase several thousand acres Of ap-
parently waste land was the most
striking example. The Legislature
refused, always on the ground that
increased American investment in the
islands would be that much more in
f1uence against independence.
Regarded Part of U. S.
The Philippines were treated as
part of the United States Their
products and people entered the
United States as if they had been
grown in that country, though the
Filipino always was assured that his
country was only temporarily a part
of the United States and that, he,
while not an alien, was not an Amer
lean citizen.
This free entry of Filipino goods into
the United States, because it paid in
pesos and centavos, was a stronger
incentive, though indirect, than
scholarly speeches or teachings of
agronomists in inducing the Filipino
to produce. Also. as the four major
commodities were what the United
States needed, cultivation centered on
them instead of developing the diver
sifled production which nation needs
to be independent. That is how the
Philippines are today.
Quezon realized this when Presi-
dent Roosevelt called him to the
White House, conceded all his demands
and urged Congress to pass the Tyd-
ings-McDufie independence bill in
March of last year. Possibly that was
why he had presented so many OBJ
jections to the pending bill. He may
have adroitly expected that his de-
mands would not be granted, as so
often before, and that independence
would continue popular issue in the
islands, keeping him in power. In
stead, the Filipinos had it this time
on their own terms, and there was
nothing to do but accept it at the
plebiscite of last May IA.
Restrictions Will Hurt.
A taste of the changed conditions
which will be in full effect November
l5, 10 years hence, when the Philip
pines are independent and outside the
American tariff wall, has come quickly.
A quota of so immigrants a year is
not pleasant to people who for so
many years have been free to 20 to
the United States to work, as well ss
for study and pleasure. Quotas and
tariffs on Philippine products are
more disturbing, as they jar the entire
national economic structure down to
the pocket of the smallest farmer.
In the last year sugar was more
than two-thirds of the islands ex-
ports. 1t amounted to 1,599,624 tons.
practically all to the United States.
The independence act gives the islands
duty-free allotment of LOIS, 1856 tons
into the United States. The subse-
quent Jones' Costigan act-protection
of the beet sugar interests-cuts 1t to
$4,000 tons (850,00O long tons).
In the same IL months, 10,20s, 1854
pounds of hemp cordage entered the
United States duty free from the Phil
1ppines. The independence act let
raw hemp in free, but limited the free
quota of cordage to 5000 900 pounds.
Though this has been raised to 6,OOO.-
600, it is considerably below the
islands production capacity for the
American market. Coconut oil COM
petes with homegrown vegetable oils.
So 1t goes with other things, the Fill
plno losing more centavos from the
profits on what he produces, always
pitifully meager to meet American
tariffs and pay for his independence.
Reciprocal Trade Sought.
Filipino leaders plan, as their first
act after the new commonwealth is
1naugurated, to send a commission to
the United States to discuss and agree
on program for the next 10 years
or more, covering reciprocal trade,
quotas, tariff rates and such details.
Only Filipino could be so optimistic
as to believe the United States or
any other big nation, could determine
even its own economic or financial
program that far in advance.
(To be continued)
Copyright. 1885 by the North American
Newspaper Alliance. 1nc)