The “Let your hair down”

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Part of The American Chamber of Commerce Journal

Title: The “Let your hair down”
Language: English
Year: 1950
Rights
Fulltext: 84 AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL February, 1950 The “LET YOUR HAIR DOWN" INVENTORY nmcm; ¥ A Field Warehouse of Luzon Brokerage Company can be of great service in your 1950 financing. ¥ Enquire of your Banker or consult L B C. All enquiries in confidence. Telephone 3-34-31 BROKERAGE COMPANY DERHAM BUILDING PORT AREA A European diplomatic official came to our office some weeks ago and told us that when he was in China he had sent in a sub scription for this Journal and that he had found it very useful. He said that it had been recommended to him as containing from month to month virtually all the information about the Philippines that is of any import ance! We ourselves would not make any such claim as that, but the diplomat’s remark shows that foreign interest in the Philippines is largely an in terest in the economy,—the pro duction, the trade, the finance of the country. That is, in fact, what “makes the mare go”. Everything else in a country,— its general conditions of life, its government and politics, its culture, its progress, its whole role in the world, is largely determined and limited by its production and trade. Knowing about that, the rest can be much more than merely surmised. An expanding trade indicates an increasing production, sound national finance, a strong government, a rising standard of living, an indus trious, progressive, well-led, and happy people, and a development in all the higher arts. Tn reply to a letter o congratulation from the President of this Cham ber on the occasion of the inaugura tion of the United States of Indone sia, the Hon. C. Tambu. Indonesian Consul General in Manila, sent the following: "I am deeply in your debt for the very warm sentiments expressed in your letter of December 29, 1949, and I have the con fidence that we shall merit the trust you repose in us. “The acquisition of freedom is merely one facet in the great endeavour of giving our people good government and the oppor tunity to live a full life in conditions favour able to national advancement and inter national amity. We mean well, and we are going to try hard to achieve our aims. If the world will stand with us — as in the past —and give us a helping hand, both you and we will enjoy the deep satisfaction of having participated in a fascinating, yet challeng ing, experiment. Your Chamber is in a position to assist us, and I am sure it will.” WE recently received a copy of the July-August issue of Pacific Discovery, published by the California Academy of Scien ces, which contained a very interest ing article entitled “Bamboo Lite racy on Mindoro” by Harold C. Conklin, not the Dr. Robert J. Column Conklin who, with Professor Marvin S. Pittman, was murdered in the Mountain Province late last year. Harold C. Conklin came here during the war as a young soldier and re mained for several years because he is interested in anthropology and com parative linguistics and wanted to work with Dr. H. Otley Beyer. While here, he went out on a number of expeditions, one of them to Min doro. In the article referred to, he writes of the pagan Hanunoo group there which still writes the Philippine script which is “one of the remote descendants of the ancient Sanskrit alphabet”, similar to the Indic scripts which survive in some of the other parts of Malayasia. The writing is done generally by scratching the syllabic characters on sections of bamboo. automatic calculator. Get un equalled speed using simple Friden Methods that are easily adapted to your own figure work. Ask for a demonstration. smTtrbe^ TRADE AND COMMERCE BLOG. MANILA Tel. 2-69-71 February, 1950 AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 85 That any form of writing should be so long preserved by a jungle people, living in almost complete isolation, is surprising, and the ques tion arises as to why. What have they to write about? What is it they wish to record or to communicate? In some areas more than 60% of the people are literate. What is it that is so important that in face of the very simple conditions of their lives, these people have retained and con tinue to practice the art of writing? Mr. Conklin’s answer is — the court ing between the sexes! “. . . The incentive to learn the use of their ancient syllabary does not stem from a desire merely to preserve the old form of writing so much as it does from the interest taken by young people of both sexes in building up a repertoire of as many of the traditional love songs as possible.” Mr. Conklin explains that— "in order to retain the oldest songs and rid dles, continual copying from one bamboo cylinder to another is necessary, since there are no rock inscriptions and the ever-present tropical weevils make the preservation of bamboo records for more than one genera tion impossible.” He states also that because of the “amazing simplicity of the script itself, it is possible to learn the entire syllabary within only a few weeks’ spare time”. There are only 48 basic and derived characters to me morize. “A true life saga of the courage and fortitude of a proud people” —Gen. Douglas MacArthur Frederc H. Stevens’ Memorabilia of civilian internment camps of the Philippines during the Japanese occupation. With a Foreword by General Douglas MacArthur. The reviews and comments on this 569-pagr book have been highly favorable. P6.00 POSTAGE 50 CENTAVOS EXTRA ON SALE AT: PHILIPPINE EDUCATION CO. 1104 Castillejos, Quiapo UNIVERSAL BOOK STORE 2066 Azcarraga ARMY & NAVY CLUB South Boulevard VAZQUEZ BROS., LTD. Plaza Santa Cruz LIBERTY BOOK STORE 1844 Azcarraga AGUINALDO'S Echague MANILA BOOK STORE 73 Escolta G. MIRANDA & SONS 721 Quezon Blvd. LUNA 6t SONS TRADING, INC. 1931-A Azcarraga LEGASPI GARDEN Port Area According to the authorities, “his tory begins with writing, as does civilization”. Writing sprang from the need to assist the memory, — the first methods involving the use of sticks and stones, shells, notched sticks and knotted strings, beads (wampum). Then came drawings, paintings, and pictograms. Syllabic and alphabetical writing came still later. Generally, writing probably started with the recording of magical and religious incantations and spells, inscriptions on buildings and monu ments, dynastic and priestly succes sions, military exploits, epic migra tions and wars, laws and codes of law, letters between rulers and gover nors, treaty, agreements, contracts KEEP HIM HONEST J GET A PJINEY bowes POSTAGE METER J . A PITNEYBOWES METER is a tamper-proof machine w h i c li can be loaded with any credit amount from Pl.00 to P9,999.99 2. PITNEY-BOWES is the only mailing system adjustable with an additional meter for documentary stamp control. 3. PITNEY-BOWES is the only mailing system in the Philippines that performs sealing and stamping in one operation. FOR .1 DEMONSTRATION IN YOUR OFFICE, CALL LP MARSMAN & CO., INC. \NI)A AT STA. LUCIA, INTRAMUROS • TEL. 3-20-41 Branches: CEBU • ILOILO • DAVAO . BACOLOl) between great merchants, etc. All very important matters indeed! But here these simple folk in Min doro preserve their ancient writing merely to better make love. And who will say that that is not the most important business of all? The editor, poor fellow, has to keep on writing on economic, financial, and business questions. But he couldn’t write a love-song anyway. “What makes you think that?” he asked. “I have written some pretty passionate ones inmy time.” “Oh, yea.” “They were printed anonymously.” “Let’s hear one.” “My memory is not so good, but I’ll give you a new one just to show what I can do. Here— ’ ’ 86 AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL February, 1950 EVERETT STEAMSHIP CORPORATION GENERAL AGENTS AMERICAN MAIL LINE To and From Portland Seattle Vancouver Tacoma PACIFIC TRANSPORT LINES To and From California Philippines BARBER-FERN LINE Service to U.S. Atlantic Via Straits, Suez, Mediterranean FERN LINE To and From North Atlantic Ports Gulf Ports—Philippines EVERETT ORIENT LINE Serving the Orient Philippines to China, Japan, Korea, Straits and India Ports PHILIPPINE STEAM NAVIGATION CO. Serving the Philippine Islands 223 Dasmarinas St., Manila Tel. 2-98-46 (Priv. Exch. All Lincs) He sat down at the typewriter and after a while read the following: “O lassie dear, You are still Near in my heart, Though long it was Since we did part, Did part. . .” “For ‘lassie’ ”, he said, “substitute any of a half-dozen names.” “Funny, yea; and feeble,” said the stenographer. “Ah, so,” said the editor. ‘‘Well, here’s a love-song I defy you to laugh off. It came to me last night.” And again he wrote on his typewriter, then read: "O charming Little rolly-polly Rogue, My little laughing Stumbling tot; On unsure feet You walk Straight into My heart.” “That’s dedicated to my youngest grandson,—1/4 me and 3/4 Fili pino, and I don’t know what, but I do know that he and his genera tion will be the men of the future,— unless government controls ruin the country for them . . . Do you see my interest? “Grandfatherhood is sacred,” he said as he put the cover on his typewriter. “Let no one accuse me of spoiling the Philippine climate!” The office was respectfully silent. C. F. SHARP & COMPANY, INC. STEAMSHIP OPERATORS—AGENTS SHIP BROKERS GENERAL ORIENTAL AGENTS: WATERMAN STEAMSHIP CORPORATION Mobile, Alabama THE IVARAN LINES-FAR EAST SERVICE (Holter-Sorensen—Oslo, Norway) PACIFIC ORIENT EXPRESS LINE (DITLEV-SIMONSEN LINES) Norway (TRANSATLANTIC STEAMSHIP CO., LTD.) GENERAL STEAMSHIP CORPORATION San Francisco SIMPSON, SPENCE & YOUNG New York V. 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AGENTS 3rd Floor, Trade & Commerce Bldg., Juan Luna Tel. 2-82-01