Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, OCT. 2, 1900. Manila v. P. Tenax.

Manawatu Herald, 2 October 1900, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, OCT. 2, 1900. Manila v. P. Tenax.

It has been a matter of very much ; moment to obtain a correct idea of the real position of the hemp market, I and the Messrs Austin's are to be congratulated on the pluck they have shown in endeavouring to arrive at a just conclusion by despatching a member of the firm to the Philippines. The result as set forth in Mr Herbert Austin's report is satisfactory, but there is lacking any data to justify a sceptic in "wholly accepting it, and as long as confusion reigns in that country nothing definite is likely to be ascertained. In thus acknowledging the position to be as it is, we are all interested in putting certain facts and figures together in an endeavour to forecast the future, and by what follows we are inclined to more fully believe that the failure in the delivery of Manila at the port lies in the action taken by the Americans in discouraging Chinese cheap labour than from any other reason. One, and all, who have had anything to say about the natives of the Philippines describes them as being very lazy, and they work only just sufficient to procure the necessaries required at the moment. Thus no merchant can tell when and how much fibre may be forthcoming and when the stocks are low, as they were at the beginning of this year, they have to acknowledge that the outlook is very doubtful. This will readily be gathered by the following figures : — That on the 31st December last the stock of Manila was only 858 tons, whereas for the previous nine years the average stock on hand at the end of the year was 20,000 tons. We find further that the average export of Manila from 1890 to 1b99 has been over 90,000 tons having a reserve of 20,000 lons, so that when we find that in 1899 only 75,000 tons were exported and only 858 tons were in stock, it points to an apparent deficiency of 85,000 tons. This quantity has been disposed of, by the exportation of Manila, to the amount of 85,851 tons to the 80th June last, and there having been over 21,000 tons in stock. Taking these figures as they are given it shows that the 21,000 tons in stock represents the usual amount always on hand, and that no quantity has practically been produced to represent the sis months from Dec. 81st to 80th June last. In other words as far as the figures are given Manila is j just six months behind in its usual production. We take up another aspect of the question which shows that it is not internal troubles that weakens the j?:-jj action of the fibre, and so points

to some* interference with the class who used to prepare it. The very latest accounts from the Philippines agree that the Americans will have to import cheap labour, apart from the natives, if they want the produoe of the islands to be cared for. It will be remembered that the Filipinos revolted against the Spaniards in 1896, and fighting was going on in 1897, yet the remarkable fact is that during those two years there were larger exports than for any previous period of Manila, Copra and tobacco, there having been for 1896---97, 208,534 tons of Manila, 6,903,034 \ piculs of sugar, 1,518,966 piculs of j Copra, and 586,441 quintals of tobacco. In 1898 war broke out between the United States and Spain, and peace was declared in December of that year, having been sharp and j short, and since then the Americans j have been concerned in endeavouring to quieten the natives. It is singular the difference there was in the exports directly the United States of America became the controlling Power, the exports of the leading lines having been the smallest on record. Thus in 1898 only 99,075 tons of Manila was exported and in 1899 only 75,092 tons, or for the two years 174,167 tons as against the 208,584 tons during the Spanish war. So in sugar there was a falling off of 2,564,519 piculs, in copra the difference between the two periods shows 964,242 piculs, and in tobacco as much as 247,010 quintals. It is evident that one help towards the solution of the Manila problem lies in the question why the export of fibre, sugar, copra and tobacco should be so much less under the American rule to what it was under Spanish rule, and until this is made perfectly clear by interrogation of the United States authorities at the Philippine islands, we can only presume that the indisposition to permit Chinese labour to overrun the land is the oause. If this is so the position* of our Phormium Tenax should look up considering the price at which it can be produced by machinery to that at which Manila can be produced by hand. And it is, for the outlook of our industry, satisfactory to know that no machine has yet been invented that can dress Manila, and that many have been attempted but failed. Under whatever restrictions cheap labour may hereafter be permitted to work in the Philippines, we may feel tolerably assured they will not be such, aa was permitted by the Spaniards and thus Manila must consequently rise to a price which will afford a margin to allow flaxmilling to be carried on in this colony at a paying price. The unexpected, it is said, always happens, but this is not so in ordinary matters. 1 We would not like to induce men to I embark any capital on our specula--1 tions of the reason for the past dearth of Manila, but still we confidently present them to those who have mills and who at present feel doubtful on the outlook, to consider and ponder over, so that they may not rashly leave what bids fair to be an industry which has corns to stay.