Directory_and_Chronicle_1908 — Page 1484

THE PHILIPPINES

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Dr. Augustin de la Cavada, a Spanish historian, says of the natives that they are of a mild, submissive, and respectful disposition, predisposed to religious observances, extremely superstitious, and very hospitable. Those of Batangas, Cagayan, and Southern Ilocos are better workers and more industrious than those of the other Provinces. During their youth they work with energy and a certain intellectual vigour, but on reaching a more advanced age they lose a large part of their disposition for work and lapse into an indolence that is one of their greatest defects. The women are averse to idleness and have a spirit of enterprise, and they often engage in various trades with success. They are economical and sacrifice themselves with delight for the sake of those for whom they feel any affection.

The rivers and streams of the Philippines are countless and traverse the islands in all directions, the natural result of mountain peaks and ranges that extend over a large area.

The most noteworthy volcanoes are Buleyan in Mindanao, Taal in Batangas, and Bulusan and Mayon in Albay. The last is in continual eruption and at times creates terror in the surrounding country, on account of the quantity of boiling water, ashes, and lava it throws out. In 1872 an eruption of this volcano destroyed entirely the villages of Malinao, Camalig, Guinobatan, Ligao, Polangui, and Albay.

The Civil Commission, appointed in 1900, voted the same year $1,000,000 gold for the improvement of Manila Harbour, and a somewhat comprehensive school measure was introduced and perfected by this Commission. It was decided that the English language should form the basis of the instruction given, and a system of district superintendence was established. In the municipal civil governments pro- vision was made for local boards to supervise the work of the schools. Över 500 skilled teachers from the United States arrived in 1901, followed by over 1,000 in 1902. A compulsory school attendance clause was incorporated in the bill. Money was appropriated not only for the building of more and necessary school buildings but for the institution of normal schools for the training of native teachers.

Harbour works, including docks at the mouth of the river on the south side, and also for the increasing of wharf and warehouse accommodation, by the demolition of part of the old city walls along the river front, are in active progress. These works will enormously benefit the trade of Manila.

British interests in the Philippines are much larger than currently supposed. There are about twenty British firms in Manila, many of them of long standing in the islands. Their importance will, perhaps, be best gauged by the fact that two out of the three banking establishments in the city are branches of well-known British corporations. They include the largest import and export firms, but engineering works, ship repairing, stevedoring, and many other in- dustries are also represented. The larger firms have branches in most of the provincial ports as well as rice and sugar mills up country. The principal railway in the Philippines, that from Manila to Dagupan, the port of the rice-producing district of the island, is the property of a British company, and many undertakings with foreign names are carried on mainly by British energy and capital. Other railway schemes are being introduced under American control. Taking into account the numerous insurance, shipping, and other firms for which local firms are agents, it will be evident that British interests in the Philippines run into millions. Most of the foreign carrying trade also is still in the hands of British shipping.

The naval authorities have undertaken a very necessary work, namely that of surveying the local waters, and preparing new charts, the old existing charts being very inaccurate.

As regards the trade of the islands there are still many serious difficulties to contend with; lack of capital and labour, to a large extent, handicaps agricultural and commercial development, capital from the United States not being attracted, and the admission of Chinese labour being prohibited. The British Consul two years ago reported: "An enormous increase is noticeable in the case of exports to the United States, shipments thither being treble the value of those of the preceding year, while there is a decrease in the case of all other countries. This result is mainly due to the fact that by Act of Congress, March, 1902, all articles, the growth and produce of the Philippines admitted into the United States free of duty, are now eligible for a return of the export duty imposed in the Philippines so long as shipped to the United States direct, and proof be submitted of their importation and consumption there."

The official report on the Commerce of the Islands for the fiscal year 1907 (ending June) opens as follows:-"The most noteworthy features in the Philippine foreign trade for the fiscal year 1907 are an increase of nearly three million dollars in the value of imports as compared with the exceptionally small trade of 1906, a continued reduction in foreign rice purchases, and an export trade that is the maximum in the history of the

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