Do you think justly of us

Title

Language

English

Source

The American Chamber of Commerce Journal Volume XVIII (Issue No. 6) June 1938

Year

1938

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

June, 1938 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 9 Do You Think Justly of Us? • Below are listed a few of the reasons why men of worldwide business experience rate this common wealth tops. Halfway in 1938 is a subject at which we may pause to try to bring to the consciousness of the commercial world a view of this commonwealth more just to its de serts than the view, mostly sheer ignorance, commonly prevailing. Without research, not wishing to write a book on the subject, we proceed at random. First, per sonal liberty is highly prized in the Philippines and is practically unhampered. Every newcomer arrives with whatever impedimenta he chooses to bring along; boldly, for instance, he steps ashore with his camera, that needs no registering or police permit, and other such personal belongings save firearms. There is a national tradition of hospitality to the stranger, the commonwealth citizen takes pride in up holding it. If goods are brought along, stow them in bond with the customs until, when sold by sample, you release them to purchasers. If they are foreign goods, be aware that the commonwealth tariff is one of the lowest barriers to actual free trade existing anywhere. If they are from the United States, American goods directly shipped, don’t bother to stow them in bond; this is American territory and trade with the homeland is on the free federal basis prevail ing among the states themselves. Have no qualms about climate, you will find it admirable; nor about mysterious maladies peculiar to the tropics, for they are absent and (as Dr. Victor G. Heiser, the man who organized the drive against them, says in his Odyssey) you have come to a land where rheumatism, arthritis and similarly really dangerous ailments for mature people, some of them winter diseases, count for but little. Asiatic epi demics will not assail you, because the United States pu blic health service is unsleeping and tireless and will not admit them. If you have wife and children, by all means bring them along and seize the opportunity for the children to learn their modern languages. Expect no high taxes, you will not find them. When you earn net more than $2,000 a year excluding liberal exemptions, income tax will begin at 37c ; when your in dividual net income rises as high as $1,100,001 a year the rate will be 39% (compared to England’s base of 27-1/2%). Want to go that high? Well, go to it then —opportunities abound, and some of the boys have ac tually made it. Corporation income is taxed 6%, may reach 107' this year. Compare with rates elsewhere, and be happy. Little, very little, goes to the serving of the public debt—because there is practically no such debt to service. Most revenue goes directly into ser vices broadening and bettering your market: schools, railways, public corporations trying to found new indus tries, roads and bridges, and the new universal military training and the army—a small affair considered neces sary for national defense and decided upon reluctantly, under pressure of outside circumstances beyond the com monwealth’s control. Let’s go back a bit to debt. Finland, an honest country (the commonwealth’s population is five times Finland’s, by the way), has a just fame in the news papers for paying her debt to the United States. Give this commonwealth its due, on the same grounds; it bor rowed, from the United States, too, of course, for about the same purpose: better implementation of its econo mics. And it has regularly repaid, sometimes in advance of due dates, and now has a superavit in its sinking fund. The Philippines was doing this long before Finland began doing it—in fact, long before the Finnish debt began. But while the homeside newspapers give Finland columns of praise, fully justified, every time she makes a debt remittance, when this commonwealth does the same thing it doesn’t rate a stick of public notice. Be just to this commonwealth, it’s niggardly to do business with a country and not meet its good deport ment halfway. You are safe here, either in the cities or the farthest most isolated provincial points. A constabulary service blankets the archi pelago, while the attitude of the people is one of spontaneous friendship. Nor will minor exceptions to general experience abrogate the rule. The national character is inquisitive and eclectic, mightily attractive. There are assaults and killings, but for per sonal affronts such as insults in public places or cross ings in romance; they are among the people, who settle such offenses in the direct old biblical way instead of parading loss of face in courts of public justice. There is of course one precaution to be observed: sow no gratuitous insults, this is a commonwealth and its citizens comprise an old proud race—the only one that ever mastered the Pacific prior to the 16th century, which it did with fleets of dugouts! Bring here such money as you choose to bring, it will be secure in any of the banks; and what is more im portant, when you wish to ship it away, go right ahead— a dollar will cost you two pesos plus nominal exchange and you can export on these terms as much money as you can lay lawful hand on. Now tell us frankly, isn’t such a country not only somewhat rare in the world today, but, in probability, a first rate one in which to do busi ness or experiment in industry? If you think so, then for heaven’s sake pass the word along. And try your luck yourself. —W. R.

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