Directory_and_Chronicle_1913 — Page 1538

THE PHILIPPINES

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noticeable in the case of exports to the United States, while there is a decrease in the ease of all other countries. This result was 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 were 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 latest official review of the foreign trade of the island says :-- Philip- pine customs returns for the calendar year 1911 show imports of merchandise to the total value of $18,924,407. Import values of iron and steel, mineral oils, and rice were materially larger, but there were reduced imports of cattle, breadstaffs, coal, and cotton manufactures, and the import total fell $1.394,954 below that of the high record established in 1910, Exports amounted to $44,587,291 and were $3,958,828 more than in the previous year, with marked increases in sugar and copra to more than ofiset reduced exports of hemp and cigars. American Gods were imported to the value of $19,156,987 and maintained the proportion of 40 jer cent, established in 1990. Of the increased export total, shipments to the United States were to the lightly increased proportion of 1 per cent, and amounted to $19,827,030. In addition there were imports from Hawaii to the value of $387,585 and exports to this island possession amounting to $72,192

The cotton trade in 1910 surpassed all records and reached a value of over ten million dollars. In the reduced total of 1911 practically all contributors of any importance shared in the reduction except the United States and Japan. Textiles, which comprise the greater part of this trade, declined from $7,013,250 to $6.160,277, but American goods continued to show increased values and represented over half of the reduced total. The introduction of American textiles into the Philippines is one of the most striking results of the establishment of free trade, with the value of these imports in 1908 $535,476 against $3,114,223 in 1911. Prints comprise about 25 per cent, of cotton textiles and are for the most part of American origin, as well as the relatively small trade in unbleacked goods. In the two leading classes of bleached and dyed textiles the United States furnished slightly less than half of the totals, and these imports by months were fairly constant from foreign countries, but it is to be noted that there was a marked shrinkage in imports of American dyed textiles as well as of prints from both the United States and other sources during the latter half of year.

In addition to cotton there were imports of miscellaneous textiles to the value of somewhat less than half a million dollars, but though the tariff advantage is generally as high or higher, the United States has made little progress and supplied but a nominal portion, with wool and miscellaneous vegetable-fibre textiles chiefly from the United Kingdom and other European countries, while silks were from China, Japan, and France. Hemp shipments five years ago furnished 60 per cent, of ail exports, while copra and sugar amounted to but 13 and 14 per cent, respectively. In 1911 hemp was about five million dollars less in value than in 1906 and represented only 33 per cent, of the total, while copra was a close second, with 29 per cent. and sugar 25 per cent. In the tobacco industry of 1191 a re laced cigar trade was attended by considerably increased exports of leaf, while other exports of minor importance and miscellaneous character were larger in the aggregat and amounted to about two inillion dollars.

The policy of the United States towards the Philippines was defined by President Roosevelt in his Message to Congress in December, 1904. "At present," he said, "the Philippine people are utterly incapable of existing in independence at all, or of building up a civilisation of their own. I firmly believe we can help them to rise higher and higher in the scale of civilisation and of capacity for self-government, and most earnestly hope that in the end they will be able to stand, if not entirely alone, yet in some such relation to the United States as Cuba now stands.” Under Section 7 of the Act of Congress, approved July 1, 1902, all that part of the Islands not inhabited by Moros or other non-Christian tribes is vested in a Legislatur consisting of two Houses-the Philippine Commission and the Philippine Assembly. The first general election of delegates to the Philippine Assembly was held on March 27th, 1907, and the Hon. W. H. Taft caine out to Manila to preside at the first meeting. In a speech delivered by Mr. Taft at Boston before his election to the Presidency he expressed the opinion that the Philippines would not be fit for self-government for one or two generations. The newly elected Presi lent, Dr. Woodrow Wilson, is, however, disposed to favour an earlier grant of independence to the islands.

The military force maintained in the Islands amounts to 13,030 white troops of all arms, 5,000 native scouts allied to the white garrison, and 3,000 constabulary, who act as a sort of semi-military police.

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