The annual industrial exhibition

Media

Part of The Philippine Craftsman

Title: The annual industrial exhibition
Creator: Rowland, Samuel J.
Language: English
Year: 1916
Rights
Fulltext: 58 THE PHILIPPINE CRAFTSMAN system is to insure an accurate accounting for all funds expended on account of industrial instruction and for all money received from the sale of industrial products. It also serves to provide certain valuable statistical information. A comparison of the cost of materials purchased with the value of the completed products—taking into consideration, also, the value of materials produced locally and furnished without charge and those purchased from other than Government funds—will generally show the lines of work most profitable to follow. The report, as a supplement to the knowledge of local conditions in each school, which the division superintendent and industrial supervisor should have, will enable them to determine the courses to be emphasized. The proportion of goods actually sold compared with the value of articles taken up as salable must also be carefully considered. Were it not for the extra labor involved, it would be well to include in the quarterly reports full and complete details of all the kinds of materials purchased and of the classes of articles fabricated. The summary of such reports would be very valuable, indeed, in assisting to determine the quantities of materials required each year for distribution throughout the Islands, as well as in securing markets for finished articles. With a view, however, to simplifying the report as much as possible, the above grouping of materials and articles is prescribed. T1IE ANNUAL INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION. By Sa muel J. Ro wl a nd, General Office. Sixteen hundred ninety-two school-made industrial articles, valued at P2,885.81, were on exhibition at the Philippine Normal School for five weeks during the Eleventh Annual Teachers’ Vacation Assembly. Every industrial course taught in the public schools was represented. In value, the articles ranged from a nominal figure for embroidery, plain sewing, and hand weaving samplers to i*40 for such elaborate articles as the red narra desk from Capiz and a filet crochet bed set from Manila. Beginning with 1910, an industrial exhibition representative of every part of the Islands has been held annually in Manila. Up to 1915 the principal feature was the sales. Last year, however, the annual exhibition was held in connection with the vacation assembly, and the sales feature was subordinated to the educational side of the display. It was intended primarily to give the teachers in attendance at the assembly an opportunity GENERAL TOPICS 59 to observe the products of divisions other than their own, and to compare the work of their divisions with the work of others which had used the same designs. But the large collection of well-made articles attracted considerable attention from the general public in 1915 and again this year. The 1915 exhibition was concluded by a sale of about half of the articles of which it was composed; the unsold balance being in every case returned to the division from which it came. The following figures are for the articles shown in 1915: Total invoice value............................................................. 1*3,894.63 Sales...................................................................................... 1,986.57 Returned .............................................................................. 1,954.53 This year all of the exhibits were turned over to the newly organized sales department of the General Office by which payment will be made for all articles except those sent in marked “Not for sale.” These were returned to the divisions. The last exhibition was better than that of 1915. One reason for the improvement is that the number of articles requested from any division was limited to 50, thus keeping out all but the very best products. Although only about half the number of articles was received, the total invoiced value was approximately 75 per cent of that of last year. The fact, too, that the educational purpose was better understood in the divisions, was an ihfluence favorably affecting the grade of articles. Each division sent the best of its products, eager that they stand the test of comparison with the output of other provinces. The exhibits were housed on the second floor of the Normal School Building, and the 40 cases in which it was displayed took up practically all available room. Many of the bulkier articles, and some of the larger embroidered pieces, could not be shown because of lack of space. Everything was neatly arranged. There was no overcrowding. Although only 50 articles were in any case called for, six divisions sent more than 50. Bohol sent 158. This may be excused by the fact that in this province there is such a diversification of industrial work that 50 articles would not have fairly represented the work of the division. While no attempt will be made to indicate the relative merit of the various division exhibits, as lack of time prevented judging them, there is given below such comment as the casual observer might offer, and such as may be of more general interest. Agusan deserved credit because of the fact that it exhibited 25 articles this year, while last year it exhibited none. Its dis60 THE PHILIPPINE CRAFTSMAN play of midrib baskets was good, but the Polangui work and desk baskets were only fair, as the rims lacked finish. Albay stood first and almost alone in such articles as filet drawnwork, karagumoy baskets, and colored lupis trays. Antique showed some excellent Polangui baskets of B. E. design 1012 and 1006, the trinket baskets of the latter design being the best submitted from any division. This province also had the distinction of being the only one to submit an article in which the common seashore pandan was used in the fabrication. Bataan was conspicuous for its Polangui baskets. Batangas, Tayabas, Cavite, Cagayan,. and Isabela exhibited some excellent small articles of red narra, including paper weights and knives, inkstands, and bookracks. Bohol attracted attention with its rather elaborate solid silver rosaries made by fourth-grade pupils of Dawis. The dapdap basketry molds were the best example of homemade basketry devices, and should offer a strong argument for the possibility of more schools using molds in basketry classes. Bulacan had, in addition to some excellent embroidery luncheon pieces, coiled bamboo (lapat) trays with designs in colors produced by means of potassium permanganate, filet crochet, and a practically perfect buntal hat. This hat, made by a 14year-old boy of the fourth grade in Baliuag, well merited the 100 per cent which it had been given and deserved the P25 at which it was marked. The hat was a fine example of the perfection of an ancestral craft under the influence of public school industrial instruction. Camarines excelled in mosaic embroidery and in white lupis tray work. Capis had some excellent articles of buri raffia. The Polangui wastebaskets, B. E. design 1019, were models in workmanship and color combinations. Cebu showed some very attractive pillowcases adorned with filet crochet. The Ilocos Sur exhibit unfortunately arrived too late to be put up. The best work consisted of coiled baskets of maguey notable for cleanliness of material and simplicity of design, carved articles of lanete, and napkin rings wrapped with buri and nito. Iloilo exhibited some excellent black and white book satchels made of buri midribs, a good collection of seeds from Sara, and a placard of photographs showing Sara’s school garden activities. Laguna was the only division to send an exhibit of products of a cooking class. These consisted of cans of preserved pineGENERAL TOPICS apple, cocoanut sprouts, and breadfruit. Due, however, to the ease and frequency with which glass jars are broken or leak, it is deemed inadvisable to send exhibits of this nature to future exhibitions. Leyte showed some Polangui wastebaskets of B. E. design 1016, upon which it would be difficult to improve. Manila excelled in pina embroidery. Mindoro had the smallest exhibit, but its wastebaskets 1016 and the desk tray of red narra were among the best. Misamis did very well with sewing baskets of design 1019. There were also some well-made abaca coiled baskets. Nueva Ecija exhibited some very good buntal baskets. Nueva Vizcaya had some fine examples of coiled stem basketry. Occidental Negros stood alone in its exhibit of cooking utensils, among which were an oven, a lid, and a stand made of galvanized iron, to be used with the native clay stove. The articles will add much to the cooking efficiency of the common clay stove. Palawan sent some very well-made black and white bamboo baskets in a variety of weaves peculiar to that island. Pampanga’s lace and embroidery, expecially that on baby dresses, was excellent. Pangasinan sent in an exhibit which for general excellence of workmanship was surpassed by no other division. Rizal, Manila, Bataan, Samar, Cagayan, and Isabela were well represented with bamboo and rattan furniture. Samar showed baskets both of coiled stem and coiled abaca fiber, the latter excelling in sheen. Sorsogon maintained the place it has long had in coiled baskets of abaca cord. Surigao sent in some wrapped canes. While these were very well made, they are not regarded by the General Office as very salable. Tarlac’s most interesting article was a brown buri raffia hat. There was also shown a placard bearing a complete statistical record of last season’s garden classes. Zambales had its usual good display of the basketry to which it gave its name. The Philippine Normal School and Ilocos Norte had some good examples of cotton weaving on improved foot looms. Union showed some good vetiver baskets. It is believed that this exhibit marks the end of colored embroidery. Manila showed luncheon sets in blue thread on Canton linen, in design 3713. These have been salable recently, but 62 THE PHILIPPINE CRAFTSMAN this work is believed to be only a passing fad and no market can be depended on for next season. Neither are pillow cushions and hand bags in colored threads any longer salable in Manila, except to a very limited extent as curios. The effect of the present dye famine was apparent in the appearance of the Zambales baskets exhibited from various divisions. Green, yellow, red, red-violet, brown, and black baskets were sent in, but only the brown and black ones were of the proper shades. In many cases the spokes and the rims did not match as they should. It is thought that only brown and black can be depended on for next season. A list showing by divisions the value and the number of articles exhibited follows: Thus it is seen that, while every division was represented, not all sent in the full number of articles called for while others sent in more. Some of the exhibits were received late. This made it neces- . sary to install them while the classes were being held in the * building. Delay was also caused due to the fact that not all boxes, crates, and packages were so marked as to show that they were intended for the vacation assembly exhibition. As a means to improve next year’s exhibit, pupils should be advised early of the fact that at the close of the year a selection will be made of the best articles from the schools of each division. Furthermore, it is planned that next year a person will be placed in charge of the exhibition during the entire session of the assembly so that articles may be taken from the cases for closer examination by the students. More and better cases will be provided so that a greater proportion of the exhibits may be displayed.