Four best Manila newspaper September editorials

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Part of The American Chamber of Commerce Journal

Title: Four best Manila newspaper September editorials
Language: English
Year: 1928
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Fulltext: October, 1928 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 11 Four Best Manila Newspaper September Editorials SUGAR AND THE FLAG Manuel L. Quezon, president of the Philippine senate, met a group of business men in their own field yesterday, addressing Philippine sugar men on a subject most vital to the Islands eco nomically as well as politically. He discussed the Timberlake resolution which proposes that the duty-free Philippine sugar entering the United States be limited to half a million tons. His address was not a mere discussion of markets. It was not a mere discourse of political relation ships. It drove to the very center of the subject as it combines political and economic aspects. When he said that free trade is a fundamental right resulting from the fact that the American flag flies over the Philippines he put himself in defense of a position which is unassailable. No matter what the future may bring as regards the independence of the Philippines, no matter what position Mr. Quezon or anyone else may take on that subject, just as long as the flag is here it must stand for something, and that something includes a square deal in trade rela tions. We differ with Mr. Quezon on the question of independence, but that does not prevent our saying that he has a perfect right to claim for the archipelago every protection and privilege of the flag as long as it is here. Any attempt to deny him that right would be to discredit the flag and compromise on the principles for which As a matter of fact the limitation of dutyfree Philippine sugar does not mean one bit higher prices to be paid by the American con sumer of sweets. Neither does it mean the protection to the beet and cane sugar industry in the United States. But even if it did mean either or both of these, the matter could not be considered without tying the American govern ment in a knot of inconsistency, just as Mr. Quezon pointed out. Such procedure would be absolutely out of keeping with the American policy and out of harmony with that which the American people conscientiously could stand for. Such an act by congress could be considered nothing more than class legislation of the most pernicious type, class legislation in direct con travention to a policy which has international as well as national significance. There is every reason why Mr. Quezon or any other Filipino, in public office or out of public office, having commercial interests or having no commercial interests, should protest. There is fully as much cause for equally vigorous protests by Americans, whether in public office in the Philippines or not, whether in commerce in the Philippines or not, whether in the Philippines or out of the Philip pines, whether interested in Utah sugar, Loui siana sugar, Cuban sugar or any sugar anywhere in any capacity as buyer, seller, producer or consumer. The safety of a Philippine industry, ulti mately the safety of all Philippine industries, is at stake. But more than that, the safety of a fundamental American principle is at stake and Mr. Quezon was perfectly right in saying so. —Bulletin, September 21. SECOND VIEWS In a second study of Senate President Que zon’s speech before the Agricultural Congress last Saturday some new viewpoints have been well established in our minds. It is only too true that Filipino and foreign capital has un questioned confidence in Governor General Stimson and in his cooperation policy and in his administrators. But the fact stands that Governor General Stimson will not remain in the Philippine Islands forever. In that con nection, both Filipino and foreign capital would like to know what the fate of their money will be after the departure of Governor General Stimson. Mr. Quezon is not unaware of the question which is being raised in the minds of investors. He is too keen an observer to miss that point. Under Governor General Stimson, economic develop ment will be favored but with a governor general who might be hostile to such development both Filipino and foreign capital would be in stag nation. The Senate President brought this out. Definite political status is necessary to kill present misgivings. Certainly, the Filipinos, as BROUGHT out by Senate President Quezon, are skeptical about changing the present land laws which prevent large holdings. They are right in this view un til a definite STATUS as to the political future of the Philippines is EVOLVED by the President of the United States and the United States Congress. The Filipinos cannot be blamed for their stand in refusing to mortgage their future. The Filipinos feel that they can gain greater autonomy in political matters before they change their land laws than they can afterward. In this they show considerable political perspica city. There is no question in the minds of COMMITTEE AWARDS Best of the Month— Sugar and the Flag.—(.Bulletin, September 21.)—Selected by the Committee. Best in Each Paper— Sugar and the Flag.—(Bulletin, September 21.)—Selected by Mr. Valenzuela. Second Views.—(Times, September 18.)—Selected by Professor Hilario. President Quezon’s Warning.—(Her ald, September 21.)—Selected by Professor Jamias. For a Major Operation on Our Bu reaucracy.—(Tribune, September 4.)—Selected by Professor Dyson. political and financial leaders, both in the Philip pines and abroad, but that the Philippine legis lature will change the land laws Of these Islands shortly after a definite political status is given by the United States. Mr. Quezon’s speech to the farmers in some ways was vague and illusory although it was a masterpiece of dramaturgies and political acumen. But just to show that the Senate President is far from being under illusions as to the necessity for the clear defining of the political status of the Pnilippines before capital feels itself free to act let us quote the Senate President’s own words from his address. “I am firmly convinced that the genuine obstacle to the rapid development of the country and the real cause for the reluctance of capital, both foreign and native, to invest in the Philip pines are the uncertainty of the future political status of the Islands. Since the solution of this question does not rest in our hands, it is obvious that we cannot be held responsible for the conse quences of such uncertainty.” The whole question of economic development of the Philippines depends on the action of Congress and the President of the United States. Until the definite status of the Philippines is de cided capital in the Philippines will be backward. The illustrious Senate President is quite right in that point. This newspaper certainly agrees. —Times, September 18. PRESIDENT QUEZON’S WARNING Senate-President Quezon’s speech at the sugar convention yesterday morning was a real eyeopener. It was a notable analysis of the situ ation in connection with the Timberlake bill, which is designed to limit the free entry of Philippine sugar into the United States, and the disastrous consequences which the passage of such a measure would bring to the Philippine sugar industry as well as to other local industries. To use President Quezon’s own words, the passage of the Timberlake bill will be the sever est blow that the economic development of the Philippines could stand. While the danger is not imminent, still the menace looms large in the horizon, threatening no’ less than the entire economic fabric of the Philippines. Fortunately, there is yet time left to combat the menace. Governor General Stimson is with us in trying to prevent the passage of the measure. President Quezon advises us, however, that we should not leave the administration alone to fight the measure. The advocates of the Timberlake bill having behind them interests representing three billions of dollars, will not give up the fight even if defeated at the first attempt. They will remain a standing menace to the local sugar industry and a great threat to- Philippine economic progress. The live forces in the Philippines should unite against the sinister measure. The question involves the possibility of’an economic slavery in our present state of political subjection. And President Quezon’s suggestion that we appeal to American public opinion which, if properly informed, will not tolerate the commission of such a grave injustice as would be perpetrated upon us with the passage of the Timberlake bill, is most timely. The American people are fun damentally just and fair. If there is any power that can permanently prevent action upon the measure it will be the American people. We urge that the Philippine Chamber of Com merce should, in conjunction with the Filipino participation in the government and with the advice and counsel of the Governor General, immediately lay out the plans for a general campaign of education and information through out the United States in accordance with Pres ident Quezon’s suggestion. The campaign should be capable of arousing the American people and of bringing them to a full realization o' the injustice of adding to the uncertainty of our political status the uncertainty in the trade relations between the United States and the Philippines.—Hera Id, September 21. FOR A MAJOR OPERATION ON OUR BUREAUCRACY The startling growth in the number of our government employes is a phenomenon which is encountered in all countries and which must periodically be met by drastic measures. It is apparent that the time for deflation in the Philippine service has arrived. The situation now confronting us is one of gradual and almost imperceptible development. Each year new laws have been passed and new functions of government assumed which require more personnel. Each succeeding year addi tional personnel is employed to carry out the growing detail of work. It is almost unheard of for a bureau chief to admit that his office can add to its duties without more help. It is difficult for a legislative body to make cuts in the salary schedule. The bureau chief supposedly knows more about his office than any outsider. He can put up an argument^ backed by his statement of facts, difficult to answer. Only one way has so far been found to deflate the cost of government, and that is through independent research by an unprejudiced in vestigator. He can analyze each government operation and separate the essential from the nonessential. He can detect wasted motion, duplicated efforts, and overlapping of functions. Take the subject of government paper work alone. How many tons of records are kept which serve no useful purpose. How much statistical information is gathered which is never distributed, and which if distributed has no practical value. It would be interesting to know how many merchants have found of real value such govern ment statistics as is compiled by our bureaus, and what was its worth to them in pesos. Have the millions of pesos spent in gathering these data been worth millions of pesos to the com merce and trade of the country? Have the statistics gathered by the bureau of labor furnished information commensurate with the cost of gathering it? Could not thousands of the routine matters handled by correspondence be quickly disposed of by telephone? How about the hundreds of thousands of un necessary “Dear Sirs”, “I have the honors” and “Very respectfullys” which in the aggregate would take hundreds of typists a month to write? During the war, the United States army paper work was cut out in half and brought added efficiency. Since the war the civil bureaus in Washington have eliminated a large percent age of useless red tape. ■ Such improvements can be effected here only through the agency of an impartial investigating board, freed from personal and political influences and with the courage and skill to perform a successful major operation. We know of no better use for the P25O.OOO fund granted the governor general than to employ a staff of investigators to analyze our present bureaucracy.—Tribune, September 4.