The American Chamber of Commerce Journal Vol. XI, No.4 (April 1931)

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Part of The American Chamber of Commerce Journal

Title: The American Chamber of Commerce Journal Vol. XI, No.4 (April 1931)
Issue Date: Vol. XI, No.4 (April 1931)
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extracted text: APRIL, 1931 RULY . A . MAGAZINE—PREEMINENT. IN • THE. PHILIPPINES When the event calls for “a little better than usual” CORONAS A TABACALERA Product When Telegraphing Use The Radiogram Route ! dPb V II r ■■ IRELESS RADIO CORPORATION OF THE PHILIPPINES INSULAR LIFE BUILDING PHONES: t 2-26-02 I Always Open IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNs.. April, 1931 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 1 DE WALT WONDER WORKERS WOOD AND METAL CUTTING EX CL WRITE FOR DETAILS OE THE ' LATEST I)H WALT PRODUCTS MONEY AND TIME SAVERS E. J. NELL CO. 680 DASMAR1NAS MANILA USIVE AGENTS PHILIPPINE ISLANDS — The CLAUDE NEON LIGHTS FEDERAL INC., U. S. A. of Shanghai, China announce the opening of a lo cal factory and service station at the foot of Ayala Bridge The CLAUDE NEON LIGHT is the Original Neon Light Sign If it is a CLAUDE NEON it is the best If you are interested in a Neon Sign, inquire from the LOCAL AGENTS Philippine Advertising Corporation 284 Ayala Boulevard Telephone 2-29-45 J. W. MEARS Manager NEWS while it is NEWS and 44 Features For Results i MANILA DAILY BULLETIN READERS IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 2 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1931 Better Meals for the Family Interior Street-Car Advertising Small in Cost—Large in Results Manjila Gas Corporation Display Room—Roxas Building Tel. 5-69-34 Several styles and sizes on display. Low in price and liberal terms if desired. Come in and see the newest GAS Ranges with the Automatic Heat Control and Automatic Time Con trol, the newest type burners which adds to economy, and improve the meals of the whole family. QUALITY SUPREME i CORONAS DE LA ALHAMBRA EXCELENTES—ESPECIALES PRESIDENTES—BELLEZAS LONDRES, ETC., ETC PROVINCIAL DISTRIBUTORS Cebu - Dagupan Davao - ' Ilagan - Kuenzle & Streiff, Inc. P. Oliver Mueller-Selg, Inc. Alhambra Zamboanga - - Iloilo - - - Legaspi - - - Tacloban - - Tuguegarao - - Kuenzle & Streiff, Inc. Hoskyn & Co., Inc. Jesus S. Sierra Bazar Gran Capitan Alhambra In the high grade Manila cigar line Al IAMBRA PRODUCTS have been the UNDISPUTED LEADERS for over 33 years IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL We Offer P150 for One-Act Radio Plays In connection with its May number, The Commu nications Number, we offer P75 each for the best two one-act radio plays submitted to us on or before May 5. These are two equal offers—you don’t have to write two plays. Write as many as you want to: the greatest chance you have is to get both prizes, Y150. Send your Mss. to The Radio Play Committee, P. O. Box 1638, Manila. You may write in English, Spanish, or Ta galog. The play’s the thing with us. Our committee will be made up according to the Mss. received. We of course reserve the right to reject all Mss. On the other hand, we may either buy or help dispose of some that fall short of the prizes but merit production over the radio. The American Chamber of Gommerce OF THE Philippine Islands (Member Chamber of Commerce of the United States) ALTERNATE DIRECTORS Sam Fraser Verne E. Miller O. M. Shuman S. R. Hawthorne DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS P. A. Meyer, President H. M. Cavender, Vice-President John L. Headington, Treasurer Leo X. Cotterman W. L. Applegate J. C. Rockwell Kenneth B. Day Wm. H. Rennolds • C. S. Salmon EXECUTIVE P. A. Meyer, Chair H. M. Cavender K. B. Day John R. Wilson, Secretary E. E. Selph, General Couneel COMMITTEES FINANCE W H. Rennolds, Chairman O. M. Shuman RELIEF W. J. Odom, Choir John Gordon J. R. Wilson FOREIGN TRADE H. B. Pond, Chairman L. L. Spellman M. M. Saleeby MANUFACTURING P. A. Meyer, Cftairmon Fred N. Berry J. L. Headington PUBLICATIONS P. A. Meyer, Chairma Roy C. Bennett LEGISLATIVE I*. A. Meyer, Chairman Frank B. Ingersoll J. R. Wilson BANKING AND CURRENCY O. M. Shuman RECEPTION, ENTER TAINMENT AND HOUSE J. L. Headington, W. H. Rennolds J. R. Wilson LIBRARY John Gordon, Chairman SHIPPING H. M. Cavender, Chairman G. P. Bradford E. W. Latie INVESTMENTS P. A. Meyer, Chairman H. M. Cavender J. L. Headington ChairWe collaborate in this venture with the radio field in Manila. Further notices will appear in the Manila Daily Bulletin. For ourselves, we don’t know how to write a radio play—nor any play. However, we give some hints: Your play should broadcast in not more than 45 minutes; 30 minutes would be an ideal length. You should not introduce many characters into your play; two will do, the maximum should not exceed 6. They say you should avoid comedy. It might be too broad for a radio audience in the Philippines; it might be too subtle for the radio. Of course you can submit comedy, but with comedy it will be hardest to win. Melodrama is perhaps your best medium; don’t worry, either—even if you think you are writing a tragedy it will probably classify as melodrama. Noise called sound effects is important in a radio play. A recent Outlook illustrates a radio noisemaker at work and tells about it. We don’t know where there are other files, but there is one at the University Club, and we suppose, one at the public library. Leaf through the first pages. Anyway, it’s up to the broad casting station to make the noises, and up to you to indicate them. Manila is fertile in noise, if that’s a hint. That is about all. The field is wide open to everyone. You have a little over a fortnight in which to submit your Mss., which are to be originally written for this contest. Cribbing won’t go if we detect it. If we don’t, of course it must. But we reserve the privilege of bad manners on our part, to the extent of exposing frauds if perpetrated. We are glad to encourage, even modestly, a new branch of literature in the Philippines. Good luck! —W. R. Prices of Improved Ford Cars and Trucks Reduced! WE ARE pleased to again announce a reduction in the price of Ford Cars and Trucks, effective April 1, 1931. At these new reduced prices, we are making you a most wonder ful offering and giving VALUE FAR BEYOND THE PRICE. Look over the new list—decide to buy a Ford Now! Easy Terms May Be Arranged “After We Sell We Serve” MANILA TRADING & SUPPLY CO. ILOILO — MANILA — CEBU Phaeton................ Pl.410.00 Roadster.......... Pl,400.00 Tudor Sedan .... 1,670.00 Roadster with 3-Window Sedan. 1,890.00 Rumble Seat. 1,520.00 Town Sedan.............. Pl,970.00 34-Ton Commercial Chassis...................................P 1,060.00 1 >/2-Ton Truck Chassis Standard 131 */2" wheelbase............................ 1,430.00 Extra Long 157" wheelbase........................ 1,560.00 These Prices Are Cash, Ex. Bodega, Manila IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 4 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1931 New Aspects GH Of The Abaca Industry The need for improvements in cultural methods and practices in several of the abaci producing districts is becoming more increasingly felt by the fiber trade in general. Local buyers and manu facturers, as well as cordage manufac turers abroad, have been observing a gradual depreciation in the essential qualities of the fiber produced in certain districts. This depreciation in quality is the direct result of the lack of ap plication of adequate cultural methods, of the lack of renovation of old and depleted fields, of the lack of soil treat ment, and the lack of combating of diseases and insect pests. Years back when the soil in these districts was new and more or less virgin, the application of modern methods of cultivation was not as urgently needed as now. On many fields the plants have been growing for years without replanting; the soil is impregnated with the acidulous juice and the fermented pulp of millions of stalks harvested during years past; and the supply of the essential elements of plant food in the soil is constantly diminishing, with no attempt at replen ishing it by fertilization. ' h i h conditions of neglect, it is ‘ i - (■ expect a material decline :iui. unly :.n the quality of the fiber but V , i.i i'.* vield. In these same districts there :u- veil-managed plantations, the . ir-id 1 quality of the product of ’?.L far superior to the average J quality of the districts in L^t unfortunately the bulk of the production in these districts is not from such plantations. The deplorable condition of the greater part of the abaci plantations in many districts is particularly apparent in their low yield of fiber. The area under cultivation in abaci throughout the Archipelago has remained practical ly unchanged during the past six years. The net producing acreage in any year is very difficult to estimate correctly, but it probably does not exceed 70% of +he 485,000 hectares under cultivation in 1929. Figures I'he past six years give an ypproxiwurf! : verage annual yield of 3.2 bales of fiber of the excellent grades for the entire Archipelago, including the h* t.vy yielding areas of South Minuanao nnd ■ : certain limited sections in ibe nonne1 r> provinces. The greater parr the plantations in South Luzon, S.-mjH snd Myte hardly yield more ■ r. .. an avern..: of 2.5 bales of the same vlnoo of fiber per hectare. However, these figures of production represent only the quantities of fiber which had gone through the process of government grading and inspection. In addition to such fiber, it is generally known that considerable quantities of ungraded fiber are consumed locally in the manufac ture of commercial rope, in knotting preparatory to manufacture of braid, in making rough ropes and twines for ordinary tying purposes, and in the weaving of native cloths of various kinds, all of which are not included in the official production statistics. Prob ably not loss than the equivalent of 100,000 bales of excellent grades is thus annually consumed locally, which in creases the annual production and the average annual yield per hectare by about 10 per cent. Therefore, the aver age annual yield per hectare for the six-year period is approximately the equivalent of 3.5 bales of fiber of excel lent grades. Like all economic plants producing important articles of commerce, the abaci plant responds to proper and modern methods of cultivation. This fact can be fully appreciated in the splendid quality and yield obtained on many of the plantations in DavaoGulf district of Southern Mindanao, where up-to-date methods of planting, cultivation, and soil treatment are prac ticed. The quality of Davao abaci is too well known throughout the consum ing countries to require any special mention at this juncture; and, quality for quality, the yield in this section is easily double that of the average for the entire Archipelago. A thorough agricultural survey throughout the three South Luzon prov inces and also throughout the prov inces of Samar and Leyte with the view of rehabilitating the abaci in dustry, would undoubtedly prescribe the complete abandonment of certain fields, the renewal of old and depleted fields by replanting under modern meth ods of cultivation and soil treatment, and the adoption of the same modern methods of cultivation on the compara tively young fields in which the soil is still rich and the plants are still young and vigorous enough to respond to proper care and treatment. Such a program, if properly and efficiently carried out, would undoubtedly result in a reduced acreage; but the assured increase in yield would more than com pensate for the decreased acreage. The first reform that comes to mind under the head of industrial reforms is the elimination of the crude and wasteful stripping knife, by means of which the greater part of the abaci fiber is still being extracted from the leaf-sheaths of the stalk. This antiquated apparatus must give way to modern types of auto matic or semi-automatic machines, be fore the abaciindustry can be completely rehabilitated. The prevalent native process of stripping abaci is associated Bulletin Number One issued by the Fiber Board discusses some of the needed reforms and improvements in the Abaca industry . . By M. M. Saleeby with waste at every step. First, the necessity of separating the outer fibrous strips from each sheath of the stalk consumes unnecessary time and labor; second, in the actual separation of the fibrous strips, not less than 25 per cent of the fiber is left attached to the middle layer of the sheath, and is therefore thrown away; and third, the pulling and scraping of such strips under the plain or serrated knife inevitably results in an additional waste of not less than 25 per cent of the fiber. Considering the millions of stalks thus harvested annually, this waste assumes enormous and disgraceful proportions. To tran slate this waste into a more concrete form, the producers are annually throw ing away the equivalent of 500,000 bales of excellent grade fiber to rot on the fields. Obviously this is a very serious matter and almost any effort, which may be put forth either by the govern ment or private initiative to eliminate such waste, should be amply justified. The history of the development of the sisal industry in Yucatan, East Africa, and the Dutch East Indies is an instructive example of what can be accomplished by the general use of auto matic machinery. The rapid develop ment of the abaci industry in the DavaoGulf District is another illuminating example of what can be done by the use of semi-automatic machinery. With these two examples before us, it becomes manifest that a general development of the Philippine abaci industry on a sound, economic basis can be accom plished only by a more general use of modern machinery in extracting the fiber. The size and capacity of such fiber cleaning machinery will be largely deter mined by the size of the plantation and the density of cultivation in any one area. On large plantations, or in sec tions where considerable areas are under cultivation with sufficient proximity, the larger size of automatic machinery would prove most advantageous. The most economical fiber-extracting ma chinery has been of sizes which have a capacity of one to two tons of dry fiber per day. On small, isolated plantations machines of a smaller size may be used to advantage. Whether ultimately the sisal type of automatic machinery will prevail here, cannot be stated definitely at the present time. Both the Carona and the Prieto machines are now being tried in Davao, and during the next year or two we should know definitely whether these machines would serve the purpose and come into more general use. All sisal clean ing machines are based on the Raspador type, by which the actual extraction (Please turn to page 18, col. 1) April, 1931 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 5 Taxi! But Where? Manila’s bureaucratic progress contemplates airtaxis... mean while no stands are allocated to the land going variety. that many messenger trips can be made by taxi: a trip from the Journal office at 180 David to the printer’s on calle Castillejos—walking time for a mes senger, about an hour—is P0.20 in a The Journal editor will never believe that all the pow-wow about the carro matas on Manila’s streets is justified; he knows by experience at the wheel that the motor vehicle with the 4-whccl brake is subject to precise control— such precise control that the most con gested traffic in town can be threaded without mishap, usually at far over the legal limit of 18 miles an hour. He knows too, as everyone docs who has driven horses, that the horse is not subject to precise control; and while he does not know, he believes that more ordin ances about the carromatas will only add confusion and policemen to a situation already overconfused and over policed. Don’t forget the police—they arc paid with taxes. To go a little further with plain truth, 24 years contact with Manila cocheros has engendered a respect for them. The .8. P. C. A. has done im measurable good in correcting the neg ligent. but they were always a minority. Most Manila Jehus have good horses and take good care of them; the Philip pine pony himself is a brave, patient and docile beast—the wonder and ad miration of everyone who knows horse flesh: it is never a hardship to brake a car a little and give this little fellow leaway with his load. As to turning midblock as against going on to a corner, trial should prove corner-turning the better practice before law is made to enforce it. Very probably, midblock turning is the better way. It is expe ditious, and involves fewer rigs than corner-turning would involve; imagine the carromatas and carretelas thronging Manila’s streets, all having to go to corners to turn! There is left the cruising for fares. This inexcusable practice is a fault solely of the police. A lot of needless midblock turning grows out of it. Without new ordinances regulating it, the carromata is on its way out—the motor vehicle is driving it out of business. It is no longer a safe vehicle, people avoid using it when they can; it won’t be much in evidence downtown when cross town bridges are built upTwenty-five years ago, downtown Manila streets looked like this. on the Pasig. What can be done, therefore, is to encourage motor-vehicle traffic. Very little is being done. Ex ample, the taxicab service. And even an earlier example, police restrictions prohibiting downtown garages to have even one car parked at the curb front ing them. To allow garages to have one small car on stand would never jam traffic: it would accelerate it. The taxicabs, too, need downtown stands. There could be stands on plaza Cervantes, plaza Moraga, plaza Santa Cruz, and plaza Lawton. What hurt, pray, to have these conveniences—not for the company, for the public? Each stand might have a ’ telephone the public would soon learn to get its taxis quickly. The taxicab company, fran chised and specially taxed, is, like the garages, handicapped by the lack of stands; it is taxed and regulated as a public utility, but given no place to put its cars—as if a railroad were compelled to operate without stations. Thousands of Manilans see the taxi cabs and wonder how to call them. If you are downtown, the American Express, 2-35-58; if in the hotel and apartment-house district in Ermita and Malate, the Luneta Hotel, 2-19-71; another alternative is the central office of the company on calle Mabini 5-69-55. Experience has discovered the fact taxi : safer and cheaper than carromatas. The same fare will take the mail to the pier. The Manila Yellow Taxicab Co., Inc., was organized early last year and has until about the middle of this year to get 100 taxis into service. Its exclu sive franchise has been contested, a company alleging intention to compete won an order from the supreme court, to the utility commission to ' T . franchise. It is said an app nny be taken, but present prospe .'o'e that the competition will en^-r ..tu; field: Really, a very interestin,; game: carromatas, carretelas, garage cars as low as Pl for 30 minutes or .ess, and the prospect of competing tai< >o Thpublic wins, if the traffic pays. It is to the public’s interest that the traffic shall pay; so it is worth while advocating the taxi stands. Forty taxicabs are now in service night and day. Twenty more are soon to be added. Shall there be stands? For this company, also for another if it be gins operating? The airtaxi may come. All right, that is for the provinces—it ought in time to beautify nearby moun tains with villas. But the taxi itself is here, successful from the very begin ning because it fills a need—outfelat’ses the carromata. May )i soon have stands. the Manila Yellow Taxicab Company is trying to render the Public could be improved by allocating downtown taxicab stands to it. 6 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1931 Machines And The An Answer to Speaker Roxas’ Commen cement Address at the University of the Philippines—the editorial thereon from Machine Age La Vanguardia. Speaker Roxas has again stirred public attention, with his commencement ad dress at the University of the Philip pines. We prefer to attribute this at tention to the fact that Speaker Roxas occupies a prominent place in Philip pine public life, and not to any other cause. Because, if the truth must be told, his speech, about industrialism, of the dominance of the machine over this phase of civilization, of the universal economic disequilibrium, of tariff pro tection, of unemployment, etc., contains nothing new. These arc problems of a practical nature of the contemporary world, problems discussed in every intellectual center of the old world and the new world, by writers, economists, politicians and academic professors. Concerning, for example, the evils charged against machines, it was said even in the days of Stuart Mill that concentration of populations in industrial cities, the suffering of men thrown out of work by new inventions, had their origin in rhe machine. But what social force was there, what could there be, to impede the progress of science and in vention? None whatever. When the first railways were laid across the fields of Eng land, the engines were stoned by the owners of horsedrawn coaches who had a presentiment that the steamjgine meant the ruin of their business; J in some cases the engineers were zilled. This much to illustrate thal there is no progress that does not involve sacrifi even at times the letting of b’ _ Not one of these deaths, nor the 'dium with which the simple countryfolk execrated the engine then, as others have done ev°r since, as “a monster without a soul,” i >eded the prodigious advance of railwau ansportation and the prog ress of ap± tied mechanical science. Beholding all these preoccupations of the human spirit, we believe there is no culture, nor will there ever be one, political, economic, of moral or religious character, that docs not embrace within itself certain evils of which its own genius must relieve it, in the fullness of time. There will occur in this what occurs in democracies. Who can doubt that democracy, an excellent philosophy, superior in every way to monarchical concepts, still contains exasperating abuses? Notwithstanding, democracy itself strives to eradicate these abuses. The question, in our point of view, is to weigh the evil against the good we enjoy; if this could be done in an honest balance, our judgment would be less impatient. Perhaps there transpires in all this what transpires in democracy. The benefits civilization has produced under the capitalist regime are, beside the evils we suffer, so considerable, so patent, and so obvious that demon strating them is by no means difficult. The virtues of education that stimulate human intelligence and make it seek a future richer in happiness arc the fruits of capital, and their influence is now over the people. Material things pre cisely, and those that give spiritual satisfaction -the field of art, the thea ter, the garden, the lecture—are diffused over a wide horizon of life embracing to greater or lesser degree all social classes. Men share now more tangible happiness than in any other epoch of the world. This deep disquietude ob served among the lower ranks of society merely reveals the intense public desire to increase the well-being of the world from the , positive benefits conferred upon it by the great enterprises of capital and its manless machines. But some, and first of all those who have little faith, the pessimists who believe the evil afflicting the world has no remedy other than the dream of the destruction of all that capital has created, inquire: What are these remedies, what arc the formulae that within, the bounds of order and the peaceful evolution of capitalism are proposed to alleviate the evils of industrial progress, mass production, rationalization and its con comitants, idleness, unemployment, and the acute disequilibrium between pro duction and consumption? The answer is very simple. These remedies are observable in plans for a 5-day working week (a re form partially put into effect by Ford in his factories); in suggestions that public works expenditures be increased, not diminished, in times of depression, suggestions that governments have put into effect; in studies of the stabilization of employment that count the influence of the government in the general econ omy and would have it, guided by the study of a long period, concentrate its purchases and improvements in periods of depres sion; in the stim ulus given cooper ative bodies, for buying and selling; in the plan the British propose, to reach a truce in the international tariff war that has dis organized world markets as an econ omic unit; in the force, no less or ganized, of the Fe deration of Labor, opposing all re ductions in wages to prevent reduction in the buying power of the masses; in the efforts of the industrial nations to reach an agreement ameliorating the perturbation caused by the unequal distribution of gold; in the measures against dumping that, demoral izes world markets; and in general, other sane and really valuable remedies vary ing in applicability according to con ditions existing in each country. These reflections indicate that in all times humanity has always lived under the pressure of circumstances born of the problems provoked by every signi ficant and characteristic phase of its evolution toward a more elevated and organized life; and civilization, at no time, has had a clear and luminous vision of the sure road the nations must follow in their forward march, excepting from the insubstantial utopias tempting destiny to the border of an abyss and annihilation. April, 1931 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 7 Manila’s Gondolas and Gondoliers If this is Venice, I wonder, Where a man can park his car. So sang a young Britisher on his first visit to Venice. Perhaps he stood leaning on his walking stick in the plaza in front of the ancient palace of the Doges surveying the Grand Canal wind ing like a huge serpent between the time stained dwellings with their queer barber pole mooring posts, on its way to the sea. Or perhaps he had found a beautiful young Venetian and like the man in the ditty was rocking her gondola. It is hardly possible that he could seriously be wishing for a motor car at such a moment, but it is possible that he was searching for a good place to park. Young men have that complex the world over and one presumes that young Venetians are no exception— especially now that Mussolini has placed a tax on bachelors and old maids. Venice and her gondolas; canals and streets of water. An air of romance mingles with the drama of an age long past when Venice was the great trading city of the world. But Venice is not the only city that has gondolas and gondo liers. Manila has, but few people think of them as romantic, what with algae and the other odors that seem to hover over the esteros and the rivers. They think them a nuisance and an expense. They require bridges which are costly to build and which jam up the traffic in wet weather and at rush hours. It is pre cisely then that Manila’s gondoliers come into their own. All of the esteros and rivers do not have bridges spanning them, all of Manila’s citizenry is not bless ed with automobile and so, the ferryman. For two centavos he will paddle you across the river in his little boat. Back and forth, countless times a day, he rows men, women and school children. It takes a number of crossings a day to make a peso at only two centavos per person. Early morning when the labor ers are on their way to work finds him at his post and waiting, for that is one of the busy times of the day. Noon and closing time brings the same custo mers back, tired and hungry, anxious to find the shortest way home. School children, a little later in the morning and a bit earlier in the afternoon add many coppers to the day’s receipts. Back and forth, over and back, plying his broad paddle, he sits in the stern and pilots his small boat in all kinds of weather. At the end of Calle Andres Bonifacio near the monument to Anda, there are several banqueros waiting to take the business man across the river. If he is in a hurry, the two centavos arc well spent for it is a long way around to the opposite side by way of the Jones bridge. At night the bancas glide like shadows in the darkness, their one small light For ?wo centavos a busy man can take a ride in one of Manila's tiny ferry-boats, made modern and romantic by such names as Show Boat or Whoopee... By Beryl Hughes. on the prow glowing red just above the water. You hear voices on the far side, an answer and then the dip, dip of a paddle, and a few more centavos find their way into the boatman’s pocket. In the distance is the put, put of a motor launch cutting the stillness with its sharp staccato note. The small red light draws nearer. You look toward the sound of the motor launch and hold your breath, for it is headed right toward the small ferry. The paddle dips are as rhythmic as before—no hurry. You wonder if the man is deaf or has been hired by his passenger to aid him in committing suicide. Just as you are about to close your eyes to shut out the sight of the crash that seems nc.:: r..Ll*». the banca darts across the bo. -i 1 launch, is caught in the wake, a.. : -v •: a rush comes safely up to the lai. dig. You smile at your fears now that t.are over. That weatherworn ferryma ■ has been dodging sea-going craft for years and has learned how to use them to his advantage. After a day of rowing a boost is welcome. Along the Pasig near Bonifacio, Del Pan and M. de la Industria, a banca is owned and operated by two men. Small as the boats are they represent in actual money at least one hundred pesos, and a license to operate it costs Pl.40 a year. The initial investment is about across th< t feet longer high out of passed for a from Venice. the only expense except for paint and a few repairs; a banca will last from ten to twenty years, barring accidents. This is the busiest location in Manila for ferrymen. Employees and laborers going to and from the piers, the customs and warehouses in the port area willingly pay the two-centavo ferry charge to be taken to their work. On an average day the two owners will make from P3.00 to P6.00. During the evening they charge the passengers double and after midnight a ride costs 20 centavos. There are no rules regulating the men here, the first one on the spot gets the pas senger and a wide awake banquero makes good money. Farther down the river, near Maga llanes Drive and closer to Manila’s business district, the boatmen line up and take their turn like taxi cabs at a taxi stand. There are about ten bancas here and when several boats are moored at the docks the men make from P3.00 to P6.00 a day carrying passengers from the interisland steamers to the business centers. An average day or slow nets them not much more than one peso. The fare is higher here—5 centavos instead of two and a banca is managed bygone man only. The district of Pandacan is also a good location, for here the Pandacan estero is wide. The landing near the San Miguel church is also : . Here the Pasig is very wide ,.n ; to „ < to the other side at ’<>ot c* Cristobal, the fare is ■’ eep -'cntavos The Macleod plant ed Hie MptTt Corporation shops an- loca’ d •■it, 1 the ferrymen av bus - mo■; vi the day. Manila gondolieis are ieiiows oi imaginafTo and resource and believe i.- 'o'cping 'I.- with the times. They ,nu-T take ijn; T once in a while to go to the 'iiovii i'.’r vhere else could they hav f<.u.nd sue:.- i nes for their crafts •ix a.-i: been .bee. an some of them. ShiK- Bout, 'fhn I I// Boatman and :,o(,/>'<■. The J:>y I ••.. them, Show Bo', had jnst received n w coat of paint T icsp'i " ’ ains in the Had id> prow a vt <lit THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1931 A Martyr Of the Cross A translation from the chronicles of Bigotillos’ expedition and the sacking of Caraga in “the century of the Moro”.................. By Percy A. Hill. Least known and most sparsely settled of all Philippine coasts is that of eastern Mindanao, incessantly lashed by giant combers out of the vast Pacific and guarded bv fanged coral reefs shelving off to that hydrographic chasm known as the Philippine Deep. The coastal plains arc narrow, the hinterland is walled in by coastal ranges of jagged declivitous mountains ever dripping with the moisture swept in from the ocean by the querulous winds. It was this repellent region that offered the hardest difficulties to the friars when they were establishing the Christian missions in Mindanao, and even to the Jesuits, between whom and the Recol lects the field was divided until the Jesuits were expelled from the Philip pines (about 1768, as from all the realm of Spain) and the Recollects were left to carry on the work alone. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the missions at Cate-cl, Bislig and Ca raga flourished. The missionaries made proselytes of the people and stout, dominating churches of the coral rock; they baptized the savage and carried far and wide the creed of the cross. Their implacable foes were the Moham medan chieftains, who resented th conversion of their subjects from Is' u to Christ. The struggle kept th in hospitable coast swept with fi .1 sword for 200 years, and the .v'd j >imedan triumphed: the p • .'.v’-e killed, often after torture I -i<,n. were abandoned; the na* . • ')!:,ibitu'H. reverting to savagery r .. nfe:\ i.i the wilderness of th •'■.(■•h.ls. No matter hov v > i <!>f; >r <>v< r .religion, a good i lit-m. xp.-ak ing, a godly r i in. im •«•!< i.nrv jnrr of the Phi'i. s '-hali>. ngr.- mu- ad miration' ves V. fi.r h .- r- Hence, fearless' and n. - ■ rdu'D for his ideals a upc rfic.;.-.: p.-. must not biir ip- s> os •>; jusii <. die present c- i < ‘i .■ 1 'I’ili;u-t:'r derives from .h . nn■' r j by the mis. iOT;ar> friar., I. > .hrough the Cen tura =; aud t-. J' xtions feeling them. e.~ civilize ' „ cross is preferred to • „ crese.T.1. Two .eat friars (the barefoot seer .'ft-. Augustinians) administered the Cariga mission in 1745, when it was kail and burned by Bigotillos, the Al'! •.mmedan marauder whose Spand name means Little Whiskers. His -•ard was no doubt an Arabian inherit ance, to which his leadership may also be ascribed. One of the friars at Caraga when Bigotillos destroyed it was Fray Jos6 de la Santisima Trinidad, the other is known in the chronicles as Fray Juan. The mission was still crude. The convento was of wood; its walls sagged, the roof leaked; in the lean-to thatch kitchen, quite unrcsourceful, al tarboys pressed into service as domestics prepared meals for the friars of edible roots from the forest, game from the encroaching jungle, fish from the ad jacent reef, and boiled rice when rice was to be had. Thus living, in one of the uttermost villages of the world, the friars encour aged one another by their companion ship and spent their time working, preaching, teaching, repairing the church, and making arduous pentccostal journeys in cassock, girdle and sandals during which they carried the gospel to the wilderness and urged the heathen to repent. Caraga was a typical isolated mission. It was an old settler, ent known to the sultanates of Tide:- Ternate prior to the Spanish d;s' ■>'s. Its church was the handiwm’.. d the missionaries, the bones of n. bniiilcis had L>ng been dust. The ‘ hal;';ft'it'-, a ■ ■ half pagan, b .!>’ Christi ir race. ■.< :idden with d: . .i.M-, especially Under the ■ tl :•!! I gold or C. iii the friars came, miiiiuejvd, tiged. died in the c. .i< ' of the tV’h Pho thatched h it 4 the people, b iilt under the lofty of p1ms. 'ustered around the baf tk-imvered ■'l.uch. Nearby was the means m reaching the fields. \i<mg the r>\' r were bamboo stockades, ikc.^itv pi uection against the swarm ing ci-.cuailes. Rains, long, dismal, ir.ervati.ig, were followed by the sea bi'ez. , then the hot sun sucked up the m: ;>,ure to the clouds and dashed it down again in renewed torrents of rain. This monotony of nature kept up the miracle of life and growth and decay. Everything grew luxuriantly; a clearing left a year was a 10-foot jungle when the pioneer got back to it. Caraga’s pueblo was small, most of the nomadic inhabitants who had been influenced toward civilization by the mission lived in the distant widely scattered rancherias reached only by forest and river trails penetrating the wildest solitudes— haunts of the reptile and the spearman. Amid such scenes, however, and in such isolation the friars bowed down in more awe than ever of the inscrutable wisdom of God, who permitted so much that was cruel, fierce and terrifying in the midst of so much that was beautiful and in spiring. They saw the forested cliffs cleft with cascades of gleaming silver, but among tbe blue pinnacles of the moun tains wandered the Atas, armed with bow and spear, and never coming to the settlement except for salt, the dearest need of their souls, for which they bar tered at the nearest houses. North and south from the convento at Caraga the view was of coral reefs over which the spray played like smoke over ruins made by fire; seaward was the horizon less ocean. Fear of the Mohammedan—the Moro —was the one great terror always brooding about Caraga. Moros’ forays were no light calamity. Dreadful was the descent of Bigotillos upon the town; he was a brother of the sultan and came in a war fleet bearing 3,000 men from Tawi-Tawi. Robbing and burning, slay ing and capturing along the coast of Palawan, they made portage over an isthmus and planned to take the fort Santa Isabel by storm. Their guide was an inoffensive chief called Sumilin. He led them by devious paths and managed to get word ahead to Captain Pedro Lucena, commanding the gar rison, that they were coming. Then commenced a siege by land and sea for 20 days. The people crowd ed into the fort for safety, battled with desperation and repulsed all attacks. Their greatest sufferings were lack of food and water. Ignorant of the siege, the supply ship of the alcalde of Cuyo sailed by sheer luck through the in vesting squadrons and tied up at the very walls of the fort itself. To the desperate garrison this looked to be a direct act of Providence; they welcomed the alcalde with tears, prayers and sal voes of cannon. This timely succor caused Bigotillos to raise the siege. Setting fire to the town, under the smoke he hoisted sail for the south. The sea was dotted with his war vintas. On the way to Ipolotc he martyred Sumilin by cutting off at 6-hour inter vals, his nose, lips, tongue, cars, hands and feet. As he still lived, they crucified his mutilated trunk. Such was the Moro at the height of his power. The warfleet swept in an arc of crime through the Bisayas down the eastern coast of Mindanao furling their sails at sunset one evening off the town of Caraga. The terrified inhabitants fled to the mountains, carrying with them what they could, the dreaded fleet tossing on the waves of the bar lending wings to their feet. The two friars hastily buried the church ornaments, knowing the remorseless fury of the Moro, and also took to flight. The younger, Fray Juan, became separated from • Fray Jose in the darkness and confusion. After two months of wandering in the mountains he was rescued and taken to Manila where, a hopeless maniac, he died in the convento of his order. Fray Jose, in worn serge cassock and belt, lost his sandals during the hasty departure. The last to leave the doomed town, the shouts of the scattered fugi tives became fainter and fainter to him in the jungle blackness. The jungle is (Please turn to page 11) April, 1931 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 9 Gomez Fills in For Aldanese The Damon and Pythias of Our Customs Service Just Will Stand by One Another and Delight in Damning Detractors. In March, Insular Collector of Cus toms Vicente Aldanese sailed from Manila with his wife for the United States, where, at Columbus, Ohio, Mrs. Aldanese will go under the care of a VICENTE ALDANESE Insular Collector of Customs specialist. After her health is assured, Collector Aldanese hopes to begin en joying his long-accrued leave of absence from active duty in the civil service. He has oldtime friends in America—and oldtime chiefs, too: ex-Collector Stanley, whom he succeeded, and ex-Intcrnal Revenue Collector J. J. Rafferty, who was customs, collector at Cebu when Aldanese was in the service there. Aldanese also plans to visit Europe. Collector Aldanese has been a muchinvestigated official, of late. It has seemed that as soon as one probe came to nothing, another was started; few things have been more annoying in the public prints than the blazoned reports of these repeated onslaughts on an of ficial known to value good repute above everything else in life. Some animus other than the weal of the public service has been manifest. When the last court of special inquiry threw out the last of the charges, Aldanese took leave that he deserves to enjoy to the full. The Aldanese family are a distin guished one, of Cebu. Collector Aldanese, then just an intelligent, robust young ster, began service with the American government as an interpreter for the military administration in Cebu; he soon qualified for the customs service, when the civil service was organized, and worked up from the lowliest posts without ever doing an injury to anyone above him that anyone ever reported. His is not an envious character. When the service was filipinized by Governor Harrison, Alda,nese was in line for the insular collectorship. He got it, but he and Stanley remain warm friends. The duties of a collector of customs arc onerous and manifold. First, the appraising and collecting; second, im migration; third, administration of the interisland marine; fourth, inspecting hulls and boilers; fifth, ex-officio duties as an American consul for the American merchant marine; sixth, enforcement of the anti-opium laws; seventh, the harbor board. And this by no means everything. With a few old tubs for coastguarders, Aldanese has been ex pected to keep the islands 100% free of illicit opium, nail every jewel smug gler and generally effect the impossible. Only of these impeccable standards has he fallen short. Some realization of this must have penetrated conscious authority when it named Guillermo Gomez y Windham to fill in as insular collector of customs during Aldanese’s absence abroad; the two are lifelong friends, as well as old colleagues in the customs service. Go mez is an under-secretary of finance. Gomez grew up in the customs service at Iloilo, where he had for years been the collector at the time of his promotion to the finance department in Manila, under which the customs bureau is administered. He is one of three gifted brothers: Jos6 Gomez, sugar planter and mill manager, is the inventor of a plowditchcr-cultivator for sugar fields that seems to have gone at least very far toward solving the power problem of Philippine sugar planters, to whom carabao power has been expensive. Another brother was, for many years, chief of police in Iloilo, and may be still. Acting Customs Collector Gom^z tall and physically po> . • ' ami:.l' and keenly intelligent. Hi m-’h-- quick decisions and acts upon ihem (tiAt as quickly; when he decide : i: wouiA' i, be bothered at the custom?house with, a graft-snooper who was ■ •' -.. barged and disgruntled employ^, ’ him a very few moments to g. *'■ t his 'i.Ch, (we have Shakespeare for it, not modern slang) his walking papers. He says he doesn’t care how much he and his bureau are watched, but they can’t be watched with that kind of men. Gomez does tall watching on his own account. It was from his friend Al danese that the Journal first learned of some of his Iloilo exploits. They include big opium hauls; one was a lot, seized on shipboard, being shipped to Manila as cases of milk. The-map is also a gifted writer; his Sn ish style is light, shot through with humor and human understanding, and his shor+ stories include the best vignettedm gsA" nocturnal Iloilo ever written No I s is Gomez a raconteur; w u icb. s briefly into his experiences ,^'"ifeujcal 3 ‘ and rascality, any dinner . *ble .7.11 ro> : with merriment. His fund of wfiilfieritss is as perennial as a living .pc ug. One of the reasons he does w 1 o . . that he never lets it worr him. lie is a distinct addition to Manila because he brings here from the provinces an unfailing sense of humor. —W. R. CAVENDER ASSUMES THE GAVEL President Paul A. Meyer of the Chamber of Commerce left Manila with Mrs. Meyer in March, to be in Europe and the United States for 9 or 10 months. He will be promoting the general business interests of the Philippines while away, as well as his own. As president of the tobacco association the cigar market will interest him; he also heads two of the larger factories. As a lumber manufacturer heading the Basilan Lumber Company, in the lumber association, he will be con cerned with the lumber market. Then there is the general importing and exporting business of another firm he heads, Kuenzle and Streiff, and his interest in banking. Vice President Howard M. Cavender assumes the active headship of the Chamber of Commerce directorate during President Meyer’s absence. A younger man, Vice President Cavender nevertheless represents large interests in the Philip pines as general agent of The Robert Dollar Company. Quite in keeping with this position, he heads the tourist bureau. He also has extensive personal business interests in the islands, ana is a diiector in a number of commercial companies. He is of course a driver for port improvements, roads, communi cations of every sort. A cosmopolitan reception at the Chamber of Commerce sped President and Mrs. Meyer on their way. Secretary John R. Wilson had everything appropriately arranged, and President and Mrs. Meyer were lavish hosts. WAS IT TUESDAY? It seems high time to inquire into what makes a country popular with tourists. But so far as we can see the answer is obvious: unique folk ways first, scenery second, tolerable accommodations being understood. Now the Philippines have ■ unique folk ways, observable in some of the fe.<; .one of the Manila and nearby provincial parishes. rVn especial v fertile field of unique folk ways is the parish oi ; vith its venerated figure of the Christ. When Qui -pu ^cessions are held, the holy object at their head, they '■ f* right worth beholding. The people believe, they fam. believe; they turn out en masse, they jam all the street and lanes; they crave a place at the ropes; they wish to :•' .ej, thoxarriage, to behold the image; they prostrate them[. ■ > . J psay;. . . yes, admitted, they fight their way for ward to where the procession will pass—they rudely thrust one another aside, even trample each other, that they may reach the image and be blessed through it. It is fanaticism, but how harmless. Let rationalists say what they please, believe as they will, or scoff; it remains a OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1931 fact that these practices in Quiapo do the votaries a great deal of good—because the votaries believe they do. Educa tional intervention may be advisable, but isn’t police inter vention intolerable? There is no district in the city where the energy of the community is more innocently wasted than in Quiapo by means of these frequent festivals; and it is a prin ciple of state that popular energy must be wasted, either in nocently or sinfully, because it overflows and can never be arbitrarily bottled up. Popular energy in Quiapo concen trates upon religious faith, it is dissipated in religious fervor. The presumption of the police in curbing it! What matter that one’s car is halted to let a procession pass whose oriflamme is the banner of peace and good will? Little enough. But the police think, very much—so much indeed that this year they set at nought Biblical tradition, if not history, and compelled Quiapo to celebrate Holy Thurs day on the preceding Tuesday! Of course there could be no heart in such a celebration: He who is Lord to the folk of Quiapo, who is the patron of their parish, believing in whom redeemed their forefathers from paganism, sat and counseled with his disciples—broke the bread, and said it was his body, poured the wine, and said it was his blood—the evening be fore he was seized and crucified, not three evenings before. The police, however, may intervene to set the festival forward in Quiapo so as not to delay someone going to see Whoopee or Love in the Rough? Well, that sort of thing is neither good government nor common sense. We could have Quiapo not only contented (as it surely will not be long, with such inter ference), but celebrated—as celebrated as Bali is for its pagan rites. Persons intolerant of Quiapo, eagerly seek Bali. Think of what Quiapo might be made, if it became the concern of the whole city to make it as much as possible. The festivals would be rationally secularized, perhaps, and soon celebrated as traditions too jolly to give up; the fana ticism would vanish, the merriment immeasurably increase— a wholesome leaven of toleration would permeate the cere monies. But can Manila think, save in the most set way? Is it too dull ever to make itself attractive? Pouncing the police on Quiapo would lead one to believe it is. HAUSSERMANN’S SUGGESTION Writing in the anniversary number of the Tribune, Judge John W. Haussermann suggests that better coordination of the American and Filipino communities could be secured by putting Americans into the legislature, and the mutual interests of the two communities promoted to the advantage of both. The Jones law (our organic act) gives the governor general two senatorships to fill, and nine seats in the lower house. Judge Haussermann cites the cordiality with which the binational directorates of the government companies func tion as an earnest of what might be expected of a binational legislature. Given Americans as highly esteemed and well qualified as legislators as the Americans on the company boards arc qualified in business, Judge Haussermann has reason on his side. April, 1931 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 11 A Martyr of the Cross (Continued from page 8) the haunt of the unknown; the humid heat, clouds of insects, vines, creepers and tangled windfalls make progress a veritable nightmare. When a forest giant falls, a few weeks and it is covered with a shroud of parasites, orchids and ferns feeding on the dead and rotting trunk. This decaying mass becomes the lair of the python and the wild boar. Fray Josd’s idea was to gain the high peaks and hope the Moros might tire of pursuit. To them night or day was equal provided it meant killing or cap ture. He had nothing but his frayed robe, his rosary and bone crucifix. Toiling steadily upward all night, his GORDON DRY GIN The heart of a good cocktail be sure you get Gordon at your club....... ROBERTSON Scotch Whisky for GOOD HIGHBALLS Kuenzle & Streiff IMPORTERS 343 T. Pinpin Tel. 2-39-36 Manila, P. I. feet bruised by the rocks, his flesh torn flew overhead with wild scredchings. by the thorny creepers, by dawn he had attained his objective. The yellow light of the burning town had long turned to a dull red glow. A low pall of smoke was all that indicated what was Caraga. Weak with age and climbing, Fray Jos6 entered the broken country lying behind the sharp peaks and emerged on a high plateau. One edge of this fell abruptly to a vast gorge-like crater, studded with sharp flinty pinnacles bereft of vegetation and whitened by bird-droppings—an up heaval of primitive nature that resem bled the fantastic valleys of the moon. Far below over the forest flats ran the river—a slender ribbon of silver. The near sound of Moro yells lent speed to the friar’s tired body. Hastily skirting the edge of the cleft, he missed his step and plunged into the abyss. His giddy fall was checked by his serge cassock. It had caught on one of the flinty spires whose base fell into the purple depths. His wrist felt dislocated; a dull pain told him he had broken a leg. New bruises racked his body. Far below, the points of other flinty spires told of almost certain death if his garment tore and prccipated him downward. For the moment he was as securely a prisoner as if in the power of Bigotillos. In a few minutes he bega:n to be con sumed with the intolerable thirst that comes to the fleeing and wounded. The sun beat fiercely down on his unprotected body, and his tonsured head which he vainly tried to shade with his uninjured hand. He tried to drown the pain by repeating a litany, but the excruciating torture caused him to disregard friend and enemy and call for succor. His cries for help were only answered by the scream of an eagle and the frightened plaints of a band of monkeys perched far below on the edge of the forested basin. His wounded hand and fractured leg hung helpless, yet he was forced to hold to the rock to keep from falling into the depths. All day long he suffered on his Calvary. The sun descended behind the peaks in a blaze of glory, the valley became shrouded in haze and the stars rushed out. With darkness breezes came up from the ocean, but they also brought clouds of fierce mosquitoes whose bite was torture. The insect chorus, loud and shrill, rose from the depths. From their leafy coverts came flying foxes, to volplane from tree to tree, and at intervals sounded the melancholy cry of the gecko. The long, long night passed for Fray Jos6, consumed by thirst, hunger and pain. To cast him self loose was voluntarily to commit suicide, forbidden by his spiritual train ing. ’ But the consolations of religion are not always proof against intolerable sufferings. The dawn came slowly; jungle fowl crew shrilly; a flock of green parrots Suddenly the sun shot up above the eastern horizon, its fiery rays falling on the prostrate friar and his torments began again. Presently a rushing of wings and dark shadows swept across the basin. The feathered scavengers of the air were gathering to the feast. A low moan came from the tortured man. The ungainly birds drew off and alighted heavily on the adjacent cliffs. They could wait. Late in the afternoon a party of wild Atas passed along the lip of the chasm. Looking over, their trained eyes spied the form of the impaled monk. They gathered together and spoke in whis pers. A few falling stones caused Fray Jose to lift his eyes and they hastily shrunk back into a thicket. The chief, placing a bone-barbed arrow to his bow, sent the missile towards the friar. It fell short. Fray Jose called to them for aid, but their only answer was a shower of arrows. Some of these reach ed his body, to penetrate only super ficially instead of giving him the mortal wound he prayed for. Tiring of their efforts and unable to retrieve their arrows, the pagans disappeared silently into the jungle. Some of their arrows he was able to withdraw, others defied his failing strength and remained in his flesh. Again the sun sank and disappeared. Again the jewelled dusk, and Fray Josh’s agonized moans for water tespaii (Please turn to page i '■ IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 12 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1931 Chaplin K The Artist Creighton Poet, motion picture critic, says of City Lights, Charlie Chaplin’s first picture in three years: “Many people are going to find it. as genuinely a tragic picture as they have seen. Technically this quality may be called pathos, but in this case it is a good deal stronger than that. Even Charlie’s most roaringly slapstick episodes end unhappily. Everything he tries goes wrong. Only for a brief moment is he victorious, and he is so superlatively convincing an actor, and such an old, old friend of the family, that City Lights is anything but a comedy. But as a dramatic creation interspersed with oc casional bursts of hillarity, a few wild and a few not so wild, City Lights is definitely something to get excited about. “Now as to the fact that the picture is a silent film and has only a musical score and sound effects: I don’t think that this will make a particle of difference in the film’s reception. City Lights is much too fine a piece of work to need any of the ‘back to silent films’ pub licity it has received. We arc not going back to silent films just because one of the few pantomimists in the world has done a first-rate job. Sound is just as necessary as sight. The old silent films swarmed with bad approximations of sound effects. Even in City Lights one of the funniest tricks depends upon sound for its effect.’’ Charlie in a scene from his new picture City Lights. City Lights brings Charlie Chaplin to the screen again, ryn his first picture in three years. A comedy that is real tragedy. Charlie Chaplin is at present in London on a visit, his first in ten years’ and in explaining why what the British interviewers class as the most, beautifully modulated voice in Hollywood will not be heard in the talkies or over the radio THE MANILA HOTEL LEADING HOTEL IN THE ORIENT Designed and constructed to secure coolness, sanitation and comfort under tropic climatic conditions Provides every Western convenience combined with every Oriental luxury Finest Dance Orchestra in the Far East Management - - ANTRIM, ANDERSON, Inc. says: “I am not given to speech because I am inarticulate. The charm of the silent film is for me. Silence leaves so much for the imagination. I am not championing the cause of the silent pictures against the talkies, but will not speak for myself. I will direct the voices of other people. The talkies offer such a scope for beautiful noises. Think of putting the sounds of China properly on the screen! “But I express my personal self much better on the silent screen. The little figure I have built up should not speak. It would limit him. I am as detached from that little figure as you are. To me he is a gentle satire on us human folk. The little mustache is a symbol of vanity; those great shoes are symbols of human impediment.’ He is a great responsibility to me. I do not always approve of him and sometimes I should like to offer him a cigarette. I think he is more human and less ethereal in my latest film. He is a little terror to analyze and sometimes I tremble for him’’. “Born in London in 1889 of theatrical parents, Chaplin came to America in 1910, appearing with Fred Karno vau deville troupe until 1912, when he joined the Keystone film company at $150 a week. Belying the claims of present-day intellectuals that they dis covered Chaplin, are tons of clippings from all over the world, proving that by 1915 his own public, his own low-down humble movie public was simply crazy about him. In 1916 he signed a contract with the Mutual Film Co. for $670,000 for one year’s work. At that time it was the largest sum paid one person for anything. Moviegoers thrilled clear down to the plush. The same year he lead Sousa’s band before a crowd of 6,000 in the Hippodrome in New York for an actors’ benefit. This year, also, he broke the news to reporters that his really-truly-sccret-inside ambition was to make a serious film of Hamlet, saying at the same time that he ‘particularly admired Lamb's Tales From Shakes peare.’ In 1916, also, newspapers [Please turn to page 19, col. 2) IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1931 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 13 | SCENES FROM COMING SHOWS I The quartet are Jimmie Gleason, Constance Bennett, Harry Richman, and Lilyn Tashman, in Puttin' on the Ritz, coining to the Lyric. The western trio are Myrna Lov, Ian Keith, and Dorothy MacKaill, in The Great Diride, which would seem to end in union rather than division. Up from the divide to the right upper corner: Marjorie Rainbeau, Marie Dressier, and Wallace Beery, in Min and Hill. It isn't funny and Marie has a part to do her best in—it s life in the raw and makes you want to be a part of it, if you're still young. It will be at the Ideal, while the Myrna Loy piece will be at the Lyric. Separate shots of Dressier and Berry also appear, flanking the fledglings, Grant Withers and Billie Dove, in The Other Tomorrow, coming to the Lyric. The nursie and the doughboy are June Walker and Robert Montgomery, in War Nurse, coming to the Ideal; and just below are Robert Ames and Marie Prevost, same picture. Reginald Denny seems to look down a lot on French girls, if he sees three together. The jeune filles are Yola d’ Avril, Fifi Dorsay, and Sandra Ravel, with whom Denny plays in Those Three French Girls, to be at the Ideal. Then we have Ralph Forbes and Marion Davies in The Bachelor Father, another Ideal prospect. Center, lower row: Blanche Sweet and Evelyn Brent in The Silver Horde, coming to the Radio. The illustrations of man-trapping technique are also from pictures coming to the Radio. Racquel Torres’ method is shown on the left, Aloha, Merna Kennedy’s way is the eyeful on the right. Worldly Goods. Min and Hill. We have been hearing about this play for months and at last, it is scheduled to come to the Ideal. Real drama is made up of the things that happen in the lives of ordinary folk, and with this in mind Lorna Moon wrote Dark Star while she was ill in the hospital with tuberculosis. Shortly after the book was published she died. The plot of the story is built around the two characters Min and Bill, and depicts the struggle of a foster mother to keep her adopted child. Two of the most popular personalities of the screen, Marie Dressier and Wallace Beery, play the stcller roles. Min, owner of a drab water front hotel in a fishing village, is left a baby called Nancy. Bill am,! Nancy are the two loves of Min’s life, and she dog gedly refuses to give up the child long enough for her to attend school until she notices a flirtation springing up between Nancy and Alec, one of Bill’s crew. She realizes that the girl is growing up and for the girl’s good, despite her tearful entreaties, sends her off to school Bella, Nancy’s derelict mother, appears. Min has told Nancy her mother was dead, and fearful that Bella The LYRIC offers you the utmost in mo tion pictures—as evidenced by the following list of superb Talking Productions to be exhibited soon “PUTTING ON THE RITZ” With HARRY RICHMAN 100% Talking—Singing—Dancing NIGHTS of NEW YORK 100% Talking and Singing John BARRYMORE “The Man From Blankley’s” 100% Talking “TAMING OF THE SHREW” FAIRBANKS-PICKFORD ALL-TALKING THE BEST IN SOUND MOTION PICTURES RADIO theatre COMING TALKING ATTRACTIONS EVELYN BRENT and LOUIS WOLHEIM in “SILVER HORDE” BENNY RUBIN and MARCELINE DAY “SIN TAKES A HOLIDAY” A Pathe Super-feature RAQUEL TORR and BEN J ON “A L O H CONSTANCE BE* in SUNNY KIT All-Talking a d IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 14 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1931 will try to claim the girl, Min tells her her daughter is dead. Three years later Bella returns. She has heard that Nancy is not dead, but engaged to marry Cameron, son of a wealthy man. Blackmail is her scheme. To save Nancy from knowing who her mother is, and the disgrace that will follow, Min kills the woman and goes to prison happy that the girl, now married, will never know the disgrace. The acting is excellent and the cast perfect. Marjorie Rambeau, Dorothy Jordan, Russel Hopton and Frank McGlynn complete the cast. Bachelor Fathers depicts Marion Davies as an east side waif who crashes society. It is good comedy as are most of Miss Davies’ plays. According to critics, this is Miss Davies’ funniest talkie and is said to be her best performance. Here is the story. Sir Basil Witherton, lamenting the errors of his past youth decides to gather his three children by as many mothers about him on his estate in England. Marie comes from Italy, Geoffry from Ireland and Tony, played by Miss Davies, from New York. Tony wins the old man’s heart and that of his young attorney, John. Every thing is lovely, but Sir Basil finds him self facing loneliness again for Marie and Geoffry must return to their mothers. Tony, his favorite is to stay, but it develops that she is not hi’s daughter at all. Both John and Sir Basil are outraged at the imposture. Heart broken Tony decides to leave with Dick Barney, a friend who is planning a trans oceanic flight. The two men realize how much she means to them and they dash off to prevent her. The plane leaves before they arrive, and as they watch it soar into the air, they are horrorfied to see it crash. Tony is hurt, but not seriously. It all ends very happily with Tony now a thorough Britisher. Those Three French Girls. P. G. Wodehouse makes his debut as a screen dialogue writer in this comedy of the hilarious adventures of an English lord’s son and two American ex-doughboys who have come to Paris to paint the town red. The three French girls do *1- ’• best to help them and although endeavors land them all in jail as in a number of other embarasthe conclusion finds them ?ach others arms. The cast inuiuu . Reginald Denny, Fifi Dorsay, Cliff Edwards, Yola d’Avril, Sandra Ravel, 3 . urge Gawthorne. War Nurse. We have had war-pic tures depicting feats of heroism, mo ments of pure funk experienced by the bravest of men, the futility of war and what not. War Nurse is the drama of women at the front and is taken from the no rel of the same name which caused so much comment when it ran serially in a national magazine not long ago. It shows the daily life of a group of girls who came from all classes of society to work in the hospitals and in the ambulance corps in France. The love interest centers around the two nurses, Joy and Babs and two dashing fliers of the Lafayette Escadrille. The cast includes Robert Montgomery, Robert Ames, June Walker, Broadway stage star, Anita Page, Zasu Pitts, Marie Prevost, Hedda Hopper and Edward Nugent. A Lady's Morals is a picture based on the life of Jenny Lind. Grace Moore as the Swedish Nightingale sings two operatic numbers made famous by Jenny Lind, the Casta Diva from Norma and an aria from The Daughter of the Regiment. The plot opens with the singer at the height of her career in Europe, then comes her sensational appearance in New York under the auspices of P. T. Barnum and the romance between the singer and a blind young song composer. Reginald Denny, Wallace Beery, George F. Marion com plete the cast. This picture is well worth seeing for its beauty and the splendid manner with which Miss Moore, prima donna of the Metropolitan opera, sings the songs of yesterday. The Silver Horde. Back in the days of the silent pictures this novel of Rex Beach was a favorite. A story of two fisted men who fought for gold and the fishing rights in the crude new country along Alaska s frozen waterways. Now it has been made into a talkie, a bigger and better picture than before for those who like action ahd beautiful settings. Evelyn Brent, Louis Wolheim and Gavin Gordon star in the film. Sin Takes a Holiday but only in the film for the pretty stenographer becomes the lawful wife of the boss and tumbles into millions and millions and gives not a thing in return. You know, just like so many of the stenographers you have known. Constance Bennett plays Tilly the Toiler, Kenneth MacKenna, Basil Rathbone give their support. Sunnu Skies. Benny Krantz, the ex-delicatessen cnap learned just as soon as he entered college that age doesn’t count as long as you stay young in ideas and actions. He was a gentle, simple, unsophisticated soul with a dialect you wouldn’t believe, but he soon learned the modem, jazzy, pepful manner of living up-to-date youth affects, and he became the wildest of them all. Benny Rubin, Marceline Day, Rex Lease, Marjorie Kane and Wesley Barry, remember him years ago as the freckled face youth, contri bute pep and energy to this picture of college life and days. Aloha. All her life she had lived unhampered by the clothes and conventions of society. A wild and willful primitive little halfcast from sunny tropical Hawaii. Then she married Jimmy Bradford and went home with him. She upset his smug aristocratic world and shocked all his family and friends. She could not un derstand them and they were bewildered at her actions. Not meaning to be bad, she just did not know the meaning of the word don’t. Life was made for fun even if the jokes were on someone else. It brought trouble and misunderstandings, but finally love and readjustment. Raquel Torres, Ben Lyons and an all star cast. Worldly Goods brings back to the screen James Kirkwood, a long time favorite, who has been gone from the screen too long. He plays the part of the war time profiteer whose greed for money brought death and destruction to many a flier at the front. He thought money could buy most of the things in this world. Mary, believing her sweetheart dead, married him for his wealth and position as a substitute for love, and then they both found that Worldly Goods could not buy happiness. Merna Kennedy and Shannon Day play opposite James Kirk wood in this singing and talking picture Caught Cheating. Charlie Murray and George Sidney in a comedy of gangsters. Sam Harris made the big mistake of making love to a gang ster’s wife, and the irate husband swears to put the gay Harris on the spot. Mac, Harris’ friend, declares that the gunman’s threat is not going to spoil their fun at the artists’ masked ball, the danger will just add zest to the frolic. Harris is not so sure, but he goes believing the place to be well policed. It is, but all the police officers are members of the gang dressed up for the occasion. We have had crook dramas, this is the first comedy of gangsters and gunmen. Puttin’ On The Ritz brings Harry Richman, Broadway star, and Jimmy Gleason, one of the screen’s best comedy actors, together in a picture of back-stage life. Harry and Jim were vaude ville players down and out, their act was a flop. Harry was conceited and brassy but he could sing. The two men ran into two girls likewise out of jobs and the four combine their acts and get a booking. Harry’s unreasonableness gets them into a hole and the team breaks up. Jim my and Goldie staying in vaudeville and Harry and Dolores going to New York. There Harry loses his head, deserts Dolores who loves him, for a society woman in search of a thrill. Drink ruins him and Dolores ic made a star. A blind actor without money is a pathetic figure, but it all ends happily. Harry Richman sings the songs of Irving Berlin in a manner to remember. James Glea son and Lilyan Tashman furnish the comedy and do it well. Joan Bennett plays the sweet Dolores and sings, With you, the song hit of the picture. The Great Divide. Those who remember the Great Divide as a play will find the talkie of interest. Dorothy Mackaill plays the smart sophisticated young modern who is the life of a party on a westbound train She is kidnapped by a fake caballero in Mexico. After wandering with him for many days through the beautiful Arizona country she learns to love him. Later she protectshim from the law that has pursued them through the mountains and the desert. .. The plot is a bit trite, but the settings and the singing done by Ian Kieth and Myrna Loy make it worth seeing. The Other Tomorrow. Octavus Roy Cohen, writer of so many negro stories, departed from his usual comedy vein in this story and made it a charming and poignant romance, with the feud between two men over the love of a girl as the central theme. Billy Dove plays the part of a southern girl who in a moment of anger at her sweetheart marries a man whom she does not love. Why will women do these things and then act hurt and surprised at the results? These southern gentlemen are touchy about their womenfolk, it is part of the tradition. Grant Withers and Kenneth Thompson play the southerns who feel they must shoot it out to save their honor. Not bad for warm weather. Cimarron is a film that is a credit to its makers. Once in a long while a picture comes along that makes all the adjectives applicable to a film like this sound trite. Edna Ferber’s novel of the opening of the Oklahoma territory—the last American frontier—in the late 1880’s has been handled flawlessly in every detail. Admirers of Richard Dix will be glad to see their favorite get the rdle of Yancey Cravat, man of wisdom and of action, idealist and gun fighter. Irene Dunne is remarkable as Sabra Cravat, the wife who builds up her character from a young and helpless wife to the white-haired congresswoman of the state. Estelle Taylor is gorgeous as Dixie Lee,.the new town’s madam, more sinned against than sinning. The picture opens with a thrilling picture of the great crowd of settlers waiting on the prairie for the crack of the army officer’s gun that will open the territory to settlement. Into this Rufftown, Yancey Cravat, editor, lawyer, re spected gun fighter, brings his wife and small son to put up presses and print the Osage Wigwam. The picture follows his career and that of his wife who takes up his duties finally. Her life has many sorrows. Her son marries an Indian; her daughter sets her cap for Osage’s richest oil man; and Sabra is chosen to represent her state at Washington. The dialogue is superb. The actors play their parts to perfection and we predict that Cimarron will become one the screen’s masterpieces to remember. Coming to the Radio. April, 1931 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 15 A Martyr of the Cross (Continued from page 11) of earthly aid and beginning to lose his senses, the unfortunate friar resolved to commend his soul to God and cast himself to death rather than linger in torture. A friendly darkness would screen his passing and his sepulchre would be the abyss below. With a last prayer on his parched lips he worked on the remaining strip of his cassock that held him. The rent tore. With a rush his body disappeared into the chasm. Again fate intervened. We cannot say it was kind to him. A bush caromed him off in a series of dreadful bounds till he finally came to rest in the trickle of a tiny rivulet. Later, emerging into consciousness, his body felt like one vast ache; but he lived. Water, precious water was at hand. Writhing over, he drank in long copious drafts and tried to bathe his fevered wounds. A ravenous hunger possessed him; painfully crawling from rock to rock in the mountain torrent, some of the pools he could reach held crawfish which he caught and ate. Leeches with their slow measuring tread attached themselves to him, to fall off like ripe plums when gorged with blood. Trail ing vines impeded his progress, but he kept on advancing, as he imagined, toward human aid. At dawn he found himself on a level bank underneath a calumpit tree. Its acid fruit covered the ground. He ate and felt refreshed. He removed the remaining arrows, bathed his wounds and made a rude splint for his leg, after which he fell asleep in the shade. Above him noisy flocks of wood-pigeons and other birds feasted on the fruit provided by a bountiful nature. Still the friar slumbered. About 10 o’clock the pi geon’s cries were stilled. Some flew away with a sudden rush of wings. Across the torrent came a file of armed Moros led by a datu, his teeth sanguine from betel-nut. At once the Moros’ gaze fell on the prostrate friar. “Ala, Ala!” They surrounded the sleeping Fray Jos6 and stripped off his torn robe. His rosary and crucifix went to the repulsive datu, and his scanty under garments to the slave who carried the siri-box. The yelling horde danced about in triumph; they were returning from a fruitless search, and here was the quarry they sought. With vines and leaves they scantily covered his body. Half led, half dragged, he was taken to the river, thrown into a dug out and paddled down to the mass of smoking ruins that had been Caraga. Some of the captives made here were roped together, others labored under the lash. In the river lay the Moro fleet, loaded with loot and whimpering captives. At dawn the flotilla of Bigotillos left the ravaged spot, with the clash of arms and roar of gongs and drums. CHARTERED BANK OF ,NADiAo Capital and Reserve Fund...............................................£7,000,000 Reserve Liability of Proprietor..................................... 3,000,000 MANILA BRANCH ESTABLISHED 1872 SUB-BRANCHES AT CEBU, ILOILO AND ZAMBOANGA Every description of banking business transacted. Branches in every important town throughout India, China, Japan, Java, Straits Settlements, Federated Malay States, French Indo-China, Siam, and Borneo; also in New York. Head Office: 38 Bishopsgate, London, E. C. C. E. STEWART, Acting Manager. Manila Pennons torn from church vestments flapped in the wind. In the craft were crowded the women and children for the slave market or plantations. The men were securely roped to the oars. Fray Jos6? sunk in a lethargy of pain, lay crushed in amongst the captives, to whom he repeated the litany of the Virgin of Socorros. His fractured leg was healing in such a manner as to be a mere useless appendage; his hand and (Please turn to page 17) HAWAII ON Canadian Pacific Steamships The opportunity has come to travel to Honolulu on a WHITE EMPRESS Commencing with the EMPRESS OF CANADA April 20th and EMPRESS OF JAPAN May 18th, these modern largest and fastest ships on the Pacific will call at Honolulu en route to Victoria and Vancouver. INTERCHANGE PRIVILEGES First Cabin through tickets carry the privilege of travelling from Honolulu by the following lines: (a) To Victoria and Vancouver by Canadian Australasian Royal Mail Line. (b) To San Francisco by Matson Navigation Co. (c) To Los Angeles by Los Angeles S. S. Co. *' Second Cabin tickets to Victoria and Vancouver n I changeable at Honolulu with the Canadian Australasia ni || Mail Line. j| ! THE WHITE EMPRESS ROUTE TO AMERICA_______________ '! CANADIAN-PACIFIC WORLD'S GREATEST TRAVEL SYSTEM IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 16 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1931 AN UNCOMFORTABLE GIFT AND AN UNEASY VIRTUE The rest of the animal kingdom lives for today; man alone takes thought of tomorrow. The robin awakes on his branch, takes his head from beneath his wing, feels the call of today’s appetite in his small insides and begins to look in his first season will store nuts like a veteran. Without the experience of a winter’s scarcity, he will heed the command of that mysterious something called Instinct and get. ready for conditions that he does not know ab >ut.. lint man is wise enough to worry, if that be wisdom. lie cannot be carefree like his fellow creatures for he is blessed with a memory—or perhaps the word should be “cursed”; at all events, he has it. 1 Ie cannot forget his yesterdays. the minds of the people whom you pass on the street, you would find that most, of them are busily engaged in planning ahead. Probably you are doing so, yourself. Oh, this condition has its advantages. It has given us our civilization, such as it is. It has enabled us to pile up and classify the ex perience of human history. It has led us into experiment and enterprise and has made a brave show that we like to call Progress. Doubtless, The West Coast Life Insurance Company offers a full line of modern life insurance contracts designed to meet every need ! of business or personal protection. | For particulars and quotations consult the J Philippine Branch Office I West Coast Life Insurance Co. I Kneedler Building Manila, P. I. | Telephone 2-36-74 Man is always dreaming of a happier, safer tomorrow for the early worm. The spider spreads his web and has not long to wait. The cow finds the meadow grass almost asking to be pulled. Nature is bounteous. There is always a today. Why look ahead? Yes, we were coming to that—the squirrel does store up nuts for winter. Unquestionably, this looks like foresight, but it is the foresight of the race, not of the individual. We cannot believe that he deliberately and thoughtfully prepares for barren tomorrows in the memory of hungry yesterdays, because a young squirrel A Monthly Pension is guaranteed your family until the youngest child is educated, then the Face Value of the Contract is paid your wife with out any deduction. This new contract does the work of sev eral insurance policies—but with the premium of one policy. It is the new Family Income Contract, exclusively with the INSULAR LIFE. C. S. SALMON General Agent P. O. Box 734, Manila V. SINGSON ENCARNACION J. McMICKING President Manager Insular Life Assurance Company, Limited (This Company makes Loans on improved Manila Real Estate) He remembers that he was in distress three years ago when business was bad and is afraid that it may be bad next year. Therefore he must get ahead. He broke his leg once and was laid up for several weeks. Perhaps he will do so again—who knows? -lie must take precau tions. He feels strong and well and is sure of his next three meals. Nevertheless, he goes to his office and works like mad, instead of playing golf or fishing as he would be glad to do, in the fear lest he may become old ami penniless like some man he remembers having seen. Because he possesses an uncomfortable gift called Mem ory he lives under the scourge of that uneasy virtue, Forethought. If von could look into the animals are happier on the whole than we, but they leave the world practically as they find it and this we cannot do, for we are constitu tional meddlers. After all, argument is useless; we are as we are, doomed to progress. Man lives in a world of uncertainties and dangers. This sounds like the beginning of an old-fashioned exhortation instead of a study of practical affairs. Still it is true. The men aces of Nature have been measurably reduced, partly held in check, but Man has given himself a whole new collection of artificial hazards. Instead of merely freezing, starving or drowning in an orthodox way, he blows himself up, burns himself down or gets himself run over by an automobile. If the world becomes too dull, he starts a war. If ordinary work grows too mono tonous, he plays the stock market and has a few interesting days—to remember later on. He is as restless as a mosquito on the outside of a screen. But man is always dreaming of a happier, safer tomorrow. W hether driven by the rod of fear or lured with the carrot of hope he keeps his eye fixed on the future. In spite of his diligent creation of insecurity, he holds before his mind an ideal of security and ever strives to attain it. (To he continued) SERVICE COLUMN J. W. Ferrier announces the removal of his law offices from No. 12 Escolta, to Rooms Nos. 702-706, Insular Life Build ing. Take the Plaza Cervantes ele vator. The University Club offers 10-year notes in values of I* 500 with prior redemption privilege, to draw 9% pay able semiannually, to liquidate an overdraft and make improvements the directors deem advisable. The issue is offered to members. IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1931 THE 'AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 17 A Martyr of the Cross (Continued from page 15) other wounds were a dreadful sight. The Moros paid not the slightest notice. The fleet sailed for some days, hugging the shores in company, for the stormiest seas of the archipelago are those found off Cape San Agustin. As night fell and they swung over the surges, miserable and foreboding, a young moon seemed to follow them, the sign of the Moslem. It would dodge behind each craggy hill, suddenly emerging and hiding again. At last, rounding a wavelashed promontory, a wolf-like peak sprang between them and the sky, blotting out the moon altogether— leaving them in a darkness only relieved by the fire of their phosphorescent wake. After days of voyaging, the captives all the time in their cramped quarters, they landed at the pirates’ stronghold. New troubles began. The women, re wards of the kris and kampilan, were divided between the datus and the men; and, as gambling was a prime virtue, they and the crying children changed hands many times. Those destined for the harems were at last taken away. Others were sent to the slave market, still others were put to work on planta tions of rice and yams; or gathering beeswax or resin; or, deep in the sago swamps, made food for their masters. At night they were huddled in corrals and driven forth at dawn under the lash. The bitter food of captives was theirs—tears and blows. The mortality was terrific, but new arrivals constantly came in. It was indeed the century of the Moro. Fray Jose, an emaciated skeleton in rags and leaves, was kept a close prisoner in the congested corral, cuffed and kicked by all who chose. Kindness to captives was no virtue of the Moro. The food apportioned him was often so vile that he ate grass to still the pangs of hunger and sustain a flicker of life. Suffering had turned his hair completely white. Remnants of his flock came to him for consolation. Moslem pandits viewed this with wrath and ordered him to recant, with his people, or they would subject him to further torture. He refused, for while the body was weak the spirit was still stronger—the spirit of the soldier of the cross. A't last came his crucifixion. He was spread-eagled to stakes and his face turned to the sky; burning bamboo splinters were driven between the nails and the flesh; then he was stripped and buried in an ant hill where the ants bit formic acid into his tortured body. He suffered in silence, would neither deny Christ nor so counsel his flock. Bigotillos and his datus were frantic at his obstinacy. If he would not accept Islam, then his fate should be that of Gcsu—he should be crucified. A murmured prayer was the only answer to this threat. Came the day threatened by the pan ditas. On a level space in the open two bamboos were lashed together in the form of a Saint Andrew’s cross. To the ends of these Fray Jose’s frac tured limbs were securely lashed. Upon his snowy locks they derisively pressed a crown of spiny rattan, and the blood covered his head as with a scarlet nimbus. In the foreground squatted the crowd of Moros, stolidly chewing betel-nut. Their gaudy garments cover ed a multitude of skin diseases. To them suffering was of little moment and a thirst for human life had always been a factor with them. One more of the despised Cast Has, unbelievers in Islam, to meet his death, Fray Jos6’s very existence seemed to annoy them. The gigantic cross was raised, yells of deep satisfaction greeted it. The afternoon breeze gently bowed the cogon grass and from a distant thicket came the piping of birds. The Moros mocked the agonized friar derisively; some threw stones and great clubs at the drooping form on the cross. A few of his ancient converts silently prayed for him. Tears are not an easy thing to force from the Malay, but they wept silently as well. A great sigh escaped at last from his tortured form; he had reached the end of his resistance; his head fell forward on his breast; as the sun set across lake Lanao, he died. The martyrdom of Fray Jose de la Santisima Trinidad was not an isolated case. The annals of the orders arc full of such. The friar was a zealot who thoroughly believed in the mission of preaching the gospel to every creature. Individually he may have had human faults, but in the mass he laid his life down willingly for the faith of his fathers. Fray Jose was only one of the many who in the dark isle of Minda nao found that the martyr’s crown awaited those who followed the cross. The chronicles pro vide the harrowing details that inspired many an artist among the friars in Manila, many of whose pain t ings hang in the patios of the conventos in Manila, where visi tors may study the Moro’s ingenuity in methods of torture and the friar’s forti tude in defying the Moslem to do his worst. LUZON BROKERAGE CO. INCORPORATED Muelle de San Francisco PORT AREA MANILA Customs Brokers, Warehousing Heavy Trucking Foreign Freight Forwarders VALUABLE NEW ROAD Fort Santiago announces its purpose to com plete the highway through Olongapo naval re servation from Olongapo to Dinalupihan, the end of the government road in that direction from Manila. The military road will put Subic bay within 3 hours of Manila by automobile and make week-end places on that bay conve niences of health and recreation to Manilans, Better look up weather reports, land data, etc., and take time by the forelock. OVERHEARD CONVERSATION Male Citizen.— I think Gloria Swanson in The Trespasser is great! Female Citizen.—Says you' The, (IcictTjut What more exacting test can there be of dictionary leadership than the judgment of the educational world 1 Every State that has adopted an unabridged dictionary for use in its schools has chosen exclusively WEBSTER’S NEW INTERNATIONAL DICTIONARY The Colleges voted overwhelmingly in favor of Webster as the standard of pronunciation, in answer to ques tions submitted by the Chicago Woman’s Club. Nearly 100% of all schoolbooks are based on the New International for pronunciation, spelling, compound ing, and division of words. The New International has been nniversally accepted by those best dtted to judge. It is in accord with the best modem practice. Use it in your own schools. Write for our free booklets of interesting ways to teach the use of the dictionary. G. &. C. MERRIAM COMPANY SPRINGFIELD, MASS. PHILIPPINE EDUCATION CO., INC., Distributors IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 18 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1931 New Aspects .... (Continued from page 4) of the fiber is accomplished by a beating pro cess. The structure of the sisal leaf is adapt ed to such a process, in that its pulp is somewhat brittle and uniformly distributed, and its fiber is uniform in color and strength. The abacd leaf-sheath, however, is made up of three layers varying in texture and fiber context, and its pulp adheres more tenaciously to the fibers thus ren dering their clean separation more difficult. This undoubtedly explains why the small quan tities of abaci cleaned by sisal machines now operating in Davao produce an untidy looking fiber to which some pulp remains adhering, thus lowering its color and dulling its luster. The tensile strength is also somewhat interior to the general average of Davao owing to the presence of secondary fibers from the middle layer of the leaf-sheaths. In the ordinary method of clean ing, such secondary fibers are eliminated by the operation of tuxying. This defect, however, M >T?> dACT.----- f And adds to the patron’s pleasure by serving— WHYTE & MACKAY Scotch Whisky Sold Everywhere Smith, Bell & Co., Ltd. IMPORTERS may not be irremediable and may be largely if not entirely remedied by certain readjustments in the machines and by the employment of combing and washing processes. In the addition to the elimination of waste, there are other advantages obtained by the use of fiber-extracting machinery, chief of which are: (1) Solution of the labor problem, especially in sparsely populated districts, which will enable tne planter to devote more labor to the necessary operations of cultivation and to increase his planting to the limit of his financial resources and Recommended By Leading Doctors Drink It for Your Health’s Sake TEL. 5-73-06 Nature's Best Mineral Water of his available land; (2) material reduction in the actual cost of fiberAextraction; and (3) the production of fewer qualities and a more uniform type of fiber, which would greatly simplify the operations of grading and marketing. All these advantages may be summed up in one term—lower cost of production which is an es sential factor in the development of the abaci industry to its fullest extent. It is a well known fact that its generally high price since the world war has deprived abaci of its minor uses and of some of its major ones; “ and if these are to be regained, and if other uses are to be encour aged to take care of the increased production, a lower cost of produc tion must prevail. It is an unfortunate fact that the course of industrial development and growth in the Phil ippine Islands is in variably slow. Hence it follows that for some years to come we will remain confronted with prevailing methods and practices which afford ample room for im provements. Among such improvements we will limit comment to three;namely: (1) Pre liminary sorting or grading of the fiber at the production point. (2) Standardization of the standard of the stripping knife proper (blade;. (3) Simplifi cation of the standard commercial grades by amalgamating some of the higher grades and by eliminating some of the coarser groups. A visitor to any grading establishment is iinmediately'inipressed by the number of men and women employed in opening practically every hank of fiber, in resorting the different grades mixed in each i hank, and in retying the resorted fiber. Other men and women will be seen cutting off the digny or dirty tips, reknotting the hanks in the proper way and to the proper size, or removing towy or tangled fibers. Such labor costs about 50 centavos per bale, or a total cost of about 1’700,000 per annum, in addition to a loss of from 1 to 2 per cent of the fiber due to such handling. This inexcusable waste can be easily remedied in the field with little or no extra effort on the part of the producers. The tuxics, or fibrous strips, from the outer, middle, and inner leaf-sheaths should be sorted separate ly, and the dried ends of each tuxy should be clipped off. In this condition the separate bundles of tuxies should be taken to the strip ping apparatus, and the stripper should clean each bundle separately. When fiber of each class of tuxy has been cleaned in sufficient quan tity to make up a hank of the required size, the hank should be removed from the fork and im mediately spread on the drying line or pole. In this manner the fiber can be so produced as The Taste Always the Same! QUALITY never varies! Brewed by SAN MIGUEL BREWERY JN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1931 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 19 to meet all grading and baling requirements, without its being subjected to any unnecessary handling at the grading establishment. The direct annual saving from such a simple reform would probably be not less than a million and a half pesos; while at the same time an indirect saving of an equal or even larger sum would be effected by reducing to a minimum the prevalent abnormal production of the so-called depre ciated grades. Among the difficulties encountered in the operation of grading abacd is the production of considerable quantities of fiber of irregular cleaning. This irregularity is caused by the use of improper knives on the part of the pro ducers. Some producers use knives of improper serrations, while others use knives with inter mediate serrations. It is evident that the pro ducer gains nothing by producing a mixed or an intermediate quality, such as fiber of a quality mixed of, or between, J2 and JI, because a product of this type would be graded as J2. The simplification of the commercial grades of abac;! has on various occasions, both locally and abroad, been the subject of strong contro versy. Of course opinions varied, not only as between manufacturers and exporters or between exporters and producers, but also as among the different members of each group. Every time a change is contemplated, controversy and debate arise; and this situation will probably continue until a more general use of machinery shall have destroyed the causes which lead to such divergence of opinion. Chaplin The Artist (Continued from page 12) began talking about the ‘art of Charlie Chaplin,’ and club ladies and ministers rushed into print to say that ‘only low grade persons like to see Chaplin and Pickford.’ In 1917 he became known as Chariot to enraptured worshipers, and the Firstl National offered him $1,000,000 for twelve films, whereupon he agreed to do eight for the same amount. By 1917 the country was seeing re-issues of his earlier films, made way back in 1914-15. In 1918, perched on Doug Fairbanks’ shoulders, he urged a vast crowd in front of the Sub-Treasury Building in New York to buy Liberty Bonds. By 1919 Mrs. Fisk got around to saying, ‘Chaplin is a great artist.’ In 1921 he was ‘discovered’ with his first full-page portrait in Vanity Fair. Nowadays even dramatic critics go to see his pictures. City Lights cost $1,500,000 and before Chaplin would allow it to be released he demanded a guarantee of $4,000,000 from exhibitors, an extre mely handsome and unusual sum for an unseen picture. —From Outlook, Feb. 18, 1931. Of Interest to Automobile Owners NEW AUTOMOBILE BOX GAR Specially Built for Transportation of Automobiles Very Convenient for Auto-Owners Going to BAGUIO by RAILROAD CAPACITY: 3 5-passenger automobiles IMPORTANT FEATURES OF THE BOX CAR Closed on all sides Equipped with Anchorage and Chain Fastenings, Auto mobile enters and leaves Box Car on its own power. No covering needed. Protected from Sun and Rain. Safe from Scratches or Damage while in transit. AUTOMOBILES ACCEPT ED AS BAGGAGE IN BOX CAR Automobiles intended for personal use and not for sale, will be transported in the BOX CAR at baggage rates when taken on same train by bona fide owner holding a first-class ticket for each automobile. To Damortis P18.00 for each 5-passenger automobile, and P20.00 for automobile of greater capacity. To BauangorSan Fernando, Union, rates are P20.00 and P22.00 per automobile respectively. 36 HOURS’ NOTICE required when pas---------------------------------------- senger desires to take his automobile as baggage in this Box Car. Auto mobile must be at the Ramp 30 minutes before scheduled leaving time of Train. Automobile not transported beyond destination of owner as shown on ticket MANILA RAILROAD COMPANY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS BUREAU OF POSTS «iTFT.assr5w>““",“:N”" Walter J. Robb. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 27th of March 1931, the declarant having exhibited his cedula No. F-30415 issued at Manila, P. I., on Feb. 20, 1931. J. V. Jasmines, Notary Public. My Commission expires Dec. 31, 1931. UROMIL Powerful Urenic Dissolvent ASTONISHING CURES OF THE MOST RE BELLIOUS CASE1 G O U T Rheumatism Arthrit ; Agents for the Philippines BOTICA BOIE IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 20 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1931 SHIPPING REVIEW By H. M. CAVENDER General Agent, The Robert Dollar Company During March both export s and import s were good. The foreign trade of the Philippines, de spite Worldwide depres sion, can be termed better than fair. There is a noticeable increase in the movement of some commodities, par ticularly sugar, while other exports are on the decline but not to a point where there is cause for worry. Japan bought briskly in the local hemp market, judg ing from the substantial movement during March, with indications of a continuation during April. Freight rates remain firm but with a downward tendency. Reports regarding the European berth are encouraging, hemp shipments being fairly good and copra cake moving in good volume. There is also a movement of coconut oil, and lumber shipments continue steady. From statistics compiled by the Associated Steamship Lines there were expoited from the Philippines during the month of February 1931 to China and Japan ports 8641 tons with a total of 43 sailings of which 2422 tons were earned in THE YOKOHAMA SPECIE BANK = LTD. -(ESTABLISHED 1880) HEAD OFFICE: YOKOHAMA, JAPAN y®n Capital (Paid Up) - - - - 100,000,000.00 Reserve Fund - . . . 115,000,000.00 Undivided Profits - . . - 6,436,138.84 MANILA BRANCH 34 PLAZA CERVANTES, MANILA S. DAZAI Manager PHONE 2-37-59—MANAGER PHONE 2-37-55—Accountant, Remittance PHONE 2-37-58—Export, Import, Current Account, Caahier American bottoms with 9 sailings; to Pacific ('oast for I>ocal Delivery 26,110 tons with a total of 11 sailings of which 21,612 tons were carried in American bottoms with 9 sailings; to Pacific Coast for Overland Delivery 199 tons with a total of 6 sailings of which 179 tons were cairied in American bottoms with 5 sailings; to Pacific Coast for Intercoastal 2463 tons with a total of 7 sailings of which 1413 tons were carried in American bottoms with 6 sailings; to Atlantic Coast 100,725 tons with a total of 24 sailings of which 30,751 tons were carried in American bottoms with 6 sailings; to Australian ports 376 tons with 5 sailings of which none wore carried in American bottoms. A grand total of 15S,175 tons with a total of 75 sailings of which 56,562 tons weie carried in American bottoms with 16 sailings. The following figures show the number of passengers departing from the Philippine Islands during the month of March 1931 (first figure represents first-class, s third figure steerage); ;ec6nd figure second-class, China and Japan. . . . ........ 235 123 383 Honolulu.................... ........ 16 504 Pacific Coast.............. ........ 163 10 374 Singapore and Strait.tlement................... s Set........ 9 10 ! Meditcnancan Ports. ........ 23 14 Europe via America. 11 Totals................... ........ 446 168 1262 MARCH SUGAR REVIEW By George H. Fairchild New Yohk Mauket: The trend of the New York market during the first week of the month under review changed abruptly from that of steadiness to one of weakness. Quotations on the Exchange dec lined 9 points in all positions while actual sugar likewise suffered a decline of approx imately 12 points as compared with prices of a week previously, there being sellers but no buyers of prompt shipment sugar at 3.20 cents l.t. At the beginning of this week the premia recently paid for distant shipment Philippine sugar were no longer obtainable, prices for which declined to approximately the level of futures quotations on the Exchange. A parcel of 2000 tons June-July shipment was sold on the 5th, however, at 3.42 cents, five points above the equivalent of September delivery. The price of refined sugar was reduced to 4.40 cents per lb. on the 5th. During the second week, business improved and prices were better, but the course of the market was very uncertain. The price of near by sugar again rose to the level of 3.30 cents duty paid but after transactions had been ef fected at this price on the 10th and 11th, buyers retired from the market, as a result of which large quantities were offering thereafter to the close of the week on the 14th with no buyers at 3 25 cents. (Please turn to page 22, col. /) INFORMATION FOR INVESTORS Expert, confidential reports made on Philippine projects ENGINEERING, MINING, AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY, LUMBER, ETC. Hydroelectric projects OTHER COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISES BRYAN, LANDON GO. Cebu, P. I. Cable address: “YPIL,“ Cebu. IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1931 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 21 REVIEW OF THE HEMP MARKET By L. L. Spellman International Harvester Company of Philippine! t This report covers Manila hemp market for the month of March with statistics up to and including March 30th. 1931. U. S. Grades. The first of the month found the consuming market quiet with an indica tion that U. S. buyers might be interested in Davao hemp at the following prices: F, 61 4 cents; I, 5-1/8 cents; JI, 4-3/4 cents Notwithstanding the fact that there were sellers of Davao hemp at F, 6-1/4 cents; G, 4-5 8 cents; I, 5-1/8 cents; JI, 4-3/4 cents; SI, 6-9 16 cents; S2, 5-1/4 cents; S2, 4-3 4 cents; J2, 4-1/2 cents; K, 4-1/2 cents, very little business was done and buyers were indicating that they would not be in terested unless at about 1 8 of a cent less. There were sellers of hemp from other provinces at F, 6-1 8 cents; G, 4-3/8 cents; I, 5-1/8 cents; Jl, 5 cents; S2, 5-1 4 cents; J2, 4-1/8 cents; K, 4 cents; LI, 3-7/8 cents. Some sales were made of Davao F, at 6-1 8 cents; and Davao I, at 5 cents; but almost immediately prices iirn«.u up due to news from the U. K. ana exporters offered less hemp for sale -nd at the same time increased their asking prices. By the middle of the month there were sellers of Davao hemp at F, 6-3 4 cents; G, 4-3 4 cents; H. 4-1/4 cents; 1,5-3 4 cents; J1, 5-1 / 8 cents; S2, 5-1/2 cents; S3, 4-7/8 cents; J2,4-3/4 cents; K, 4-1/4 cents. Hemp from other provinces was offered for sale at F, 6-5/8 cents; G, 4-1/2 cents; I, 5-1/2 cents; Jl, 5 cents; S2, 5-1/2 cents; S3, 4-7/8 cents; J2, 4-3 8 cents. This slight improvement in hemp prices was due to a rumor of a drought in the Davao hemp district, a temporarily better market in the U. K., and to slight indications of more interest being shown by U. S. rope ma kers. The month closed quiet with exporters offering sparingly there being a few sellers of Davao hemp at F, 6-3/4; I, 5-3/4; Jl, 5-1/8; with other grades being offered at equivalent prices. In Manila shippers were paying at the begin ning of the month E, 1’16.75; F, P12.75; G, 1*7.00; II, 1*6.75; I. 1*9.25; Jl, 1’8.75; SI, 1*12.75;S2, I’9.50;S3, 1*8.50. The Manila market was firm with few sellers and by the middle of the month prices had increased slightly to E, P16.75; F, 1*13.00; G, 1’7.50; II, 1*7.00; I, 1’9.75; Jl, P9.00; SI, 1’13.00; S2, 1’9.75; S3, 1’8.50. Larger arrivals of hemp during the month had a slight depressing effect on the market but this was only temporary as arrivals did not continue as large as expected. The month closed with a firm though quiet market at the following quotations: E, 1’18.00; F, 1’14.00; G, P7.75; II, 1’7.50; I, 1’10.75; Jl, 1’9.75; SI, 1’14.00; S2, P10:75; S3, 1’9.50. U. K. Grades. The London mprket opened quiet but steady at. slightly better prices as follows: .12, £18; K, £17/10; LI, £16/5; L2, £16/; Ml, £16/5; M2, £15/5. The demand for Davao hemp was very limited. The market was irregular and by the middle of the month there were sellers at J2, £17/15; K, £17/10; LI, £16/5; L2, £16/, Ml, £16/5; M2, £15/10. Due to rumors of drought in Davao and reported scarcity of hemp in other districts, exporters were only making small offers and these at higher prices. The higher prices tended to check business and the month closed with a report from London that buyers had retired from the market and that in any event the buying was chiefly by speculators. At the end of the month the following prices were quoted: J2, £19/; K, £18/10; G, £17/10; L2, £17/; Ml, £17/10; M2, £16 10. In Manila at the beginning of the month the market was firm at the following prices: .12, P6.75; K, 1’6.25; LI, 1’6.00; L2, P5.75; Ml, 1’5.75; M2, 1’5.50; DL, 1’5.25; DM, 1’5.00. The Manila market was encouraged by a better demand from the consuming market and by the middle of the month prices had advanced to .12, 1’7.00; K, P6.75; LI, P6.25; L2, P6.00; Ml, 1’6.00; M2, 1’5.75; DL, 1’5.50; DM, P5.00. During the beginning of the month production had increased but later on declined and this fact together with a better demand from the U. K. and Japan forced prices up and the month closed at the following prices: J2, P7.50; K, 1’7.00; LI, P6.75; L2, P6.25; Ml, P6.50; M2, 1’6.00; DL, 1’5.75; DM, 1’5.25. Japan. The month opened with a better demand for prompt shipment owing to orders for rope having been placed by Russia with Japanese Mills together with a better demand for trawl twine. There was a temporary spe culative demand by Japanese dealers in Davao at the beginning of the month owing to report of drought in that district, but as there has since been sufficient rainfall for present needs the market has quieted down and may be called steady but quiet.. Maguey. There was a very slight interest shown in Cebu maguey but none whatsoever in Manila maguey. Production. Receipts have increased and averaged about 27,000 or 28,000 bales per week. Freight Rates. There has been no change in freight rates on hemp since last report. Statistics. The figures below are for the period ending March 30th, 1931: On January 1st.............. 112,802 195,035 Receipts to date.............. 309,409 376,976 n. 1931 1930 Mamla Hemp Bal(s Bale> 422,211 572,011 Shipments to— U. K....................... ......... 86,161 108,260 Continent............... ........ 65,943 61,780 U. S........................ ........ 57,685 139,865 Japan...................... ........ 71,267 65,125 Elsewhere............... ........ 6,658 12,769 287,714 387,799 THE PRESIDENT LINER FLE £ T FINEST_________________________ NEWEST_________________ LARGEST AMERICAN MAIL LINE 19 DAYS TO SEATTLE Fastest Time from Manila via China, Japan and Victoria Pres. Jefferson - Apr. 16 Pres. Lincoln- - Apr. 30 Pres. Madison - May 14 Pres. Taft - - - May 28 Pres. Jefferson - Jun. 11 Pres. Lincoln- - Jun. 25 9 23 Pres. Madison - Jul. Pres. Taft - - - Jul. THE Telephone 2-24-41 DOLLAR STEAMSHIP LINES EAST OR WEST TO NEW YORK Via China-Japan, Honolulu San Francisco Panama Canal Pres. McKinley - Apr. 11 Pres. Grant- - - Apr. 25 Pres. Cleveland - May 9 Pres. Pierce- - - May 23 Pres. Johnson - Jun. 6 Pres. Wilson - - Jun. 20 Pres. Jackson- -Jul. 4 Pres. McKinley - Jul. 18 Via Suez Canal and Europe PHILIPPINE INTER-ISLAND STEAMSHIP CO. SUPERIOR INTER-ISLAND SERVICE S. S. “MAYON” Sails Wednesdays from MANILA TO ILOILO ZAMBOANGA CEBU TO CEBU ZAMB ANGA ILC LO April 15 ■ - April 29 May 13 May May 27 June 10 Jun > / .? June 24 / ■ ■ FOR BOOKINGS AND INFORMATION APPLY TO: ROBERT HOLLA General Agents MANILA 20 3 Pres. Monroe- -Jun. 17 Pres. Van Buren Jul. 1 Pres. Garfield - - Jul. 15 Pres. Polk - - - Apr. Pres. Adams - - Apr. Pres. Harrison - May Pres. Hayes- - - May Pres. Fillmore - Jun. 24 Calle David IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 22 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1931 MARCH SUGAR REVIEW {Continued from page 20) The market was very active during the third week and large sales of both actual sugar and on the Exchange were made at advancing prices. A substantial business in prompt shipment Cubas was done on the 19th at 1.30 cents and 1.32 cents c. and f. as against 1.20 cents c. and f. at the beginning of the week, while Philippine sugar {Please turn to page 25) TOBACCO REVIEW By P. A. Meyer Alhambra Cigar and Cigarette Manufacturing Co. the 1931 crop had already data for March exports Rawleaf: The market in local and export grades con tinued firm during March. The Cze choslovak Tobacco Regie issued invita tions to bid for their 1931 requirements of Philippine tobac co. Unfortunately, the rains early in the month in Ysabcla and Cagayan were too short to sufficiently benefit the growing crops. In the Union prov ince the purchase of started. Comparative are as follows: Rawleaf, Stripped Tobacco and Scraps Kilos 480 8,188 12,777 274.338 3,400 270.338 12,044 1,965,841 Australia........................... China............................... Hongkong......................... Japan............................... Java.................................. North Africa.................... North Atlantic (Europe) Spain................................. Straits Settlements............................ 1,010 United States..................................... 240,606 March................................................... 2,789,022 January-March, 1931........................ 6,389,145 January-March, 1930........................ 4,457,317 Cigars: Conditions for the sale in the United States show no improvement, the de crease in shipments during the first 3 months of 1931 against the corresponding 1930 period being about 15%. Comparative figures for the trade with the United States arc as follows: Period Cioars March 1931, about............................ 11,780,000 January-March 1931, about.......... 30,586,000 January-March 1930, about.......... 35.916,769 THE RICE INDUSTRY By Percy A. Hill of MufloZs Nueva Ecija Director, Rice Producer's Association Rice and pa are practically ed since our last report; according to grade rice is bringing 1*4.30 to 1*5.30 a sack and palay according to class from 1*1.70 to Pl.90 a cavan, primary market prices for palay being 1*0.20 below these quotations. The outlook for higher prices is slim, though im portations are n«"!:ftiole; Saigon rice c. i. f. Manila brought 1*5.47 at the time of the latest reports at hand. Inability to mobilize cash to tide over the weak demand is a peculiar problem facing the industry; but for the adverse exchange rates, capital might be transferred here from China for that purpose. Meanwhile, Asiatic capital continues to flow into the country undei its own tenns; commercial companies rely on their ability to hold what they have in the face of future combinations. In the Philippines we are in the Golden Age of words and the Stone Age of economics; it is not unique that ignorance of the fundamentals of the rice industry is profound; a few grandilo quent words dismiss all problems concerning it; that the industry goes on adjusting itself to act ualities makes lit tie difference, the platitudes of misinformation are repeated decade after decade. Just now, there is some effort exerted to organize the industry along cooperative lines; and of suc cess predicated by the organizers on funda mentals of a generation ago there seems little hope. There is no escaping the effects of world markets and prices; or the danger of a selfsufficiency that would depress prices to the minimum; or the problem of adequate credits and what goes with them, and the task of or ganizing into an effective unit the subnormal producer—even if aided by legal privileges and a dozen other stimuli from totally wrong pre mises. The industry will come out of this movement but little changed, we believe; most of the past efforts in the same direction lie dead under the appealing epitaph, Pioneering Don’t Pay* In the Philippines, particularly in the rice industry, there are entirely too many farms where the profit is represented by what the producer and his family get along without. Instead of crops making him a living, they keep merely existing. He knows little of his costs, he is what, for want of a better term, we call the subnormal grower; and it would be almost imp: ..ilblo to teach him what production costs are and how to reckon them. Nor do the larger producers take the t:,ne to learn how to grow rice at a profit; they waste their time in trying to solve the problem from the top down. These efforts are manifest in times of depression, unknown in times of prosperity. * Mr. Hill han been growing rice at Muffoz. NuevaEcija, 24 years; lie took up the raw land about 1907, obtained share-tenants are farmed in the way his neighbors did— as they and he still do—with this difference: he kept an account of his costB, hence on the right side of the ledger. Our readers know his philosophic turn of mind: it is philosophic with him that the pioneer, like the woman in the Btory, always pays. . . is never repai4.—Ed. Built by Filipino Craftsmen DISTINCTIVE STYLES /or those men who want just a dash of snap in keeping with their sport attire. Hike dealers throughout the provinces have for you. • ||| . l%on the nearest iealer. ATLANTIC GULF AND PACIFIC CO. OF MANILA ENGINEERS MANUFACTURERS CONTRACTORS HIKE SHOE FACTORY STYLE CREATORS 286 San Marcelino MANILA 71-77 Muelle de la Industria MANILA, P. I. IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1931 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 23 REAL ESTATE By P. D. Carman San Juan Heights Addition March, always a good month in the Manila real estate business, is this year practically the same as in 1929 both months being far ahead of March in any other years from 1919 to date. Last month in dividual sales of over P50.000 were as fol lows; Tondo P80.000, San Miguel P85.000, Binondo Pl,340.000, 1*85,000, P60.000, Ermita P145,016, San Mi guel P62.000. Even deducting these large individual transactions from the March total, the balance of Pl,298,199 would constitute a very fair aver age month’s business. It will be noted below that the first quarter of 1931 far exceeds that of any recentlyears! This is particularly favor able in view of the growing practice of register ing sales as of nominal values of one peso in stead of the actual selling prices. January Feb. and Mar. March Only 1927 ............................... P3,543,539 Pl,733,105 1928 ............................... 4,485,875 1,216,515 1929 ............................... 5,778,385 3,160,865 1930 ............................... 5,278,654 2,115,873 1931 ............................... 8,828,977 3,155,215 Salee City of Manila Feb. 1931 Mar. 1931 Sta. Cruz..................... 131,545 . 235,539 Binondo........................ 103,400 1,485,000 San Nicolas.................. 50,000 12,877 Tondo............................ 31,813 191,553 Sampaloc...................... 88,677 348,657 San Miguel.................. 85,053 207,394 Quiapo.......................... 40,797 Intramuros................... 21,000 111,500 Ermita.......................... 102,558 237,985 Malate................. 274,676 91,022 Paco.............................. 60,307 95,691 Santa Ana................... 1,979 92,203 Pandacan..................... 3,659 4,997 Santa Mesa................ 12,000__________ P 966,667 P3,155,215 REVIEW OF THE EXCHANGE MARKET By Richard E. Shaw Manager, National City Bank Throughout the mont h of March the underly ing tone of the market has been firm with sel ling rates for US$ TT fluctuating within nar row limits of 1-1/8% premium to 1% prem ium. There were keen buyers of US$ TT for ready and forward delivery at 3/4% prem ium, while O/D bills were contracted for at. 3/8% premium and 60 d s D/P paper was set tled at 1/4% discount. (Juiciness prevailed dining the entire period under review. The following purchases of USS TT have been made from the Insular Treasurer since last report: Week ending: •Januarv 24, 1931.............. US 8350,000 Januarv 31, 1931............ 600,000 February 7, 1931................US $550,000 February 14, 1931.......... 530,000 February 23, 1931................US $1,150,000 March 7, 1931......................US $350,000 There was very little movement in the month’s sterling quotations which were held pegged with sellers of TT at 2/-3/S and buyers at 2/-1/2. Closing at 485.78 on February 28th the New York London cross-rate dropped to a low of 485.65 on March 4th, touched a high of 485.98 on March 23rd and closed on the last business day of the month at 485.85. London Bar Silver was quoted at 12-7/16 and 12-3/8 on February 28th from which points it rose steadily to a high of 14-1/2 and 14-7/16 on March 17th and afterwards weakened and closed at 13-3/16 and 13-1/4 on March 31st. The low limit registered was 12-5/8 and 12-1/2 on March 4th. On February 28th New York Bar Silver was quoted at 27 and on March 2nd and 3rd again stood at the same level which was the low point for the latter month. By March 17th the white metal had risen to a high of 31-3/8 from which point it receded to 28-3/4 on March 31 st. Telegraphic transfers on other points were quoted as follows on the last day of March: Paris, 12.35; Madrid, 112-1/4; Singapore, 114-1/2; Japan, 100-1/2; Shanghai, 152-1/2; Hongkong, 51-1/4; India, 136; Java, 122-3/8. The Insular Treasurer’s report of March 14 gives P139,664,181.95 as the total circulation, a decrease of 1/3 million in a week.—Ed. LUMBER REVIEW By Arthur F. Fischer Director of Forestry At least from a statis tical standpoint the ex port trade of the Philip pine Lumber Industry fared better during Jan uary, 1931, as compared with the corresponding month in 1930. The total lumber and timber export during the month under review was 6,960,384 board feet, with customs-declared value of 1*364,878.00 as against 6,038,608 board feet, with customs-declared value of f*549,850.00, shipped during January of last year, which rep resents an increase of 15.2%. The shipments to China showed an increase of 22.7%; to Japan, 52.2% increase; and to the United Kingdom, 18% increase. The exports to the United States, however, declined 54.1%, and there was no shipment made to Australia, which prior to the passage of the emergency tariff bill of that country in July, 1930, was a good market for Philippine lumber. A spirit of optimism prevails among lumber men as some hopeful signs for the recovery of trade in foreign markets are seen. In the United States activity in residential building has in creased. In Japan, although the general eco nomic situation remains the same, improved lumber sales arc anticipated for the year 1931 although prices are expected to remain low. In Shanghai, the real estate market and building construction continue active. In the United Kingdom, although other fields of business are seriously depressed, the building industry is maintaining a fairly nigh level of activity. Some mills that had shut-down arc now resum ing operations, while some others are beginning to operate with increased activity. The local trade is nicking un as the dry season is aoproachThis ParkeDavis ger micidal soap is a wise pre_ ___ caution aSSSS&s gainst skin infections of all kinds. Here’s how to get Manilas! Genuine Manila Hand Made Long Filler Cigars are obtainable in your city or nearby! List of Distributors furnished upon request to— C. A. BOND Philippine Tobacco Agent: 15 Williams Street New York City Collector of Internal Revenue Manila, P. I. MAN I L A S made under sanitary conditions will satisfy your taste! (Health Bulletin No. 28) Rules and Regulations for the Sanitary Control of the Factories of Tobacco Products. “Section IS. Insanitary Acts.—No person engaged in the Vandling, preparation, processing, man.ufactui or packing of toiacco prodit supervising such t.r iloyment. } perform, cause, pern;:’ or ..i-h be permitted any insan such employment. shall Tty su. h person touch or contaminate any tobacco products with filthy hands or permit the same to be brought into contact with the tongue or lips, or use saliva, impure water, or other unwholesome substances as a moist ening agent;...’*. JL IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 24 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1931 ing and the stocks in lumber yards are being replenished. The total mill production for January, 1031, was 9,555,019 board feet as against 19,059,088 board feet last year, or a decline of 49.8%. This however, represented an increase in production of 10% over that, of December, 1930. In general, although improved sales for the year 1931 are most probable, it is believed that lumbermen should proceed with care in their plans for resuming full activities so that pro duction may be kept as eioselv as possible within the range of demand and thus avoid a surplus in the lumber markets. The following statements show the lumber and timber exports, by countries, and mill pro duction and lumber inventory for the month of January, 1931, as compared with the correspond ing month the previous year: J a n u a i< y Destination Board Feet Value China............................... 3,608,664 1*193,200 Japan............................... 1,475,944 38,396 We Have The Largest and Most Complete Stock of Drygoods in the Philippines If you need silks, linens, cottons, or notions you can serve yourself best by choosing from our large stocks We also carry haberdashery, and make men’s suits and shirts Manuel Pellicer & Co., Inc. 44 Escolta Manila Shirt Factory Phone 2-11-06 BOIE’S EMULSION OF COD-LIVER OIL PI at Drug Stores Will Regenerate Your Children Infallibly The first thing to do with children under-weight is to vitalize their bodies and invigorate their ap petites with the vitamins of cod-liver oil (double quantity, and the hypophosphites, 3 instead of the 2 in most emulsions) of Boie’s Emulsion. Then, if you wish to add milk to the chil dren’s diet, they will digest it and it will not constipate them. Give a teaspoofull of Boie’s Emulsion night and morning in a spoon rubbed with lemon, and follow with a sup of warm chocolate or milk or fruit juice. One Manila Girl Gained 12 Pounds on 3 Bottles BOTICA BOIE • ESCOLTA Total. . .... . . . .... 6,960,384 1*364,878 United Kingdom......... 445,200 42,729 British Africa............... 59,784 9,310 Canada........................... 10,176 1,354 Hawaii........................... 3,816 585 Guam ........................... Australia........................ Netherlands................... Portuguese Africa......... Germany........................ 3,392 600 103° Chinn............................... Hoard Feet 1,101,976 Value 1* 77,891 Japan............................... 970,112 57,122 United States.................. 2,950,192 314,641 United Kingdom............. 23,320 2,700 British Africa.................. 99,6-10 12,786 Canada ........................... 50,880 4,540 Hawaii............................. Guam..................... 13,992 3,362 Australia........................... 736,061 67,373 Netherlands..................... 67,810 6,000 Portuguese Africa........... 19,504 2,955 Germany.......................... 5,088 480 Totai................................... 6,038.608 1*519,850 Foil 43 Mills for the month of Januahy Lumber Deliveries from Month Mille 1931 1930 January .......... 15,018,135 19,999,762 Lumber Inventory 1931 1930 January „ . . „ . . . 30,013,436 38,536,834 Mill Production 1931 1930 January ; ■ ■ 9,555,919 19,059,088 Note:--Board Feel should be used. COPRA AND ITS PRODUCTS By E. A. SEIDENSP1NNER Manila Export Corporation During the early part of March, the local copra market continued weak. However, due to lack of offerings, the mar ket st rengt hened con siderably under heavy buyers’ inquiry, and prices at primary points reached thehighest levels recorded this year. The upward movement, it seems, was caused by the European strength coupled with the reluct ance of sellers to take on further business in view of their already short position. Reports were received that trades were put thru to Europe at £14-17-6 for 1-. M. M. and £15-2-6 for Sundried. During the last, half of the month, the Pacific Coast market of the United States firmed considerably in sympathy with European conditions. Bids were received for lots in bags at 2.90 c. i. f. Pacific Coast ports. Locally, prices advanced due to heavy buying pressure in primary points by approximately 1*1.00 per pici 1 over opening figures. Total manifested arrivals at Manila during the month of March were 244.41(> as compared with 162,448 bags for March, 1930. Latest cable advices follow: London, ]-. M. M........£14-7-6 Sundried.......................... £14-12-6 San Francisco............... 2.75 cents per pound c.i.f. Manila Buen-Corriente. P5.00 per picul Resccada........................ P5.75 to P6.00 per picul Coconut Oil.—In sympathy with improved copra prices during the. month the U. S. Coconut Oil market presented considerably more activity than during Febiuary. A number of parcels of oil were placed on the Atlantic Coast at prices ranging from 4-1/2 to 4-3/4 cents c. i. f. On the Pacific Coast, sellers held firmly for 4-1/2 to 4-5/8 cents with a fair volume of trading reported. Latest cable advices follow’: San Francisco............... 4-1.2 cents to 4-5 8 cents 1 . O. B. tank cars New York.....................4-3/4 cents per pound c. i. f. London...........................Unquoted Manila........................... 22 centavos per kilo ex tank Coi’UA Cake.—Trading in copra cake was a decided disappointment during the month of March as compared with the active inquiry that prevailed during the month of l ebruarx. From a high of £5-2-6 prices dropped to £4-13-0 at which level the month closed. Latest cable advices follow: Hamburg, April - May shipment.................... £4-13-0 Hamburg, Julv-Decembcr shipment.............£4-15-0 San Francisco...............S19.50 per ton of 2,000 lbs. Manila, buyers..............1’27.50 per metric ton ex godown Sellers............................. P29.00 to P30.00 per metric ton dependent upon position IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April. 1931 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 25 MARCH SUGAR REVIEW (Continued from page. 22) for May-June shipment was sold on the basis of 3.46 cents as compared with 3.38 cents of a few days previously. This improvement in the market was believed due to the broadcasting of information to the effect that the statistical outlook of sugar justified an increase in prices. The advance was further encouraged bv the news that Java had accepted the Chadbournc plan, although it could not be ascertained whe ther this country had agreed to the plan in toto. Transactions were carried on a large scale up to the close on the 19th when the market showed signs of weakness and there were sellers but no buyers of prompt shipment Cubas at 1.28 cents c. and f. at the close of the week on the 21st. The price of refined sugar was advanced to 4.50 cents per lb. on the 19th, but was reduced again on the following day to 4.35 cents. With the exception of a slight decline early in the week, the improvement of the market was maintained throughout the last week of the month and large transactions of the previous week were duplicated at improved prices. The market was very firm and prices remained un changed from the 24th to the close on the 28th on the basis of 3.35 cents duty paid. European buyers continued to show interest in Cuba sugar and large sales were made to them early in the week at 1.23 cents and 1.25 cents f. o. b. and most likely 1.26 cents. The price of refined sugar was again advanced to 4.50 cents during this week, as a result of which it was estimated purchases by refiners had been sufficiently large to take care of 30 days’ requirements. The market was dull during the last two days of the month and only insignificant transactions were made in nearby sugar at 1.33 cents c. and f. Futures: Quotations on the Sugar Exchange during March fluctuated as follows: High 1.20 1.36 1.44 1.51 1.60 1.62 1.68 Low Latest 1 20 1.20 1.20 1.32 1.29 1.40 1.36 1.48 1.44 1.56 1.46 1.57 1.52 1 64 1931— March....................... May.......................... July........................... September................ December................. 1932— January’.................... March....................... Philippine Sales: During the month of March, sales and resales of Philippine centrifugals on the Atlantic Coast were reported as follows, afloats, nearby consignments and future ship ments: 161,80() tons at prices ranging from 3.20 cents to 3.53 cents 1. t. as compared with sales amounting to 122.600 tons at prices ranging from 3.49 cents to 3.71 cents 1. t. during the same period last year. Stocks: The latest statistics of world stocks were 8,212,0(X> tons as compared with 6,903,000 tons at the same time last year and 6,293,000 tons at the same time in 1929. Local Market: The local market was very dull during the first week of the month, and transactions were insignificant. In view of the discouraging advices from New York, it was estimated that the maximum the sellers would obtain for their sugar was 1’7.75 per picul. The second week saw much activity in the market and fairly large transactions were done on the basis of 1*8.00' picul. Exporters’ ideas were reduced, however, before the end of the second week to 1’7.90, pending advices from New York. Activity was resumed during the third week at 1*8.00 per picul. The market was very firm and attractive parcels commanded a slight premium over the latter price. Influenced by the ad vancing prices fn New York, buyers were willing to pay 1*8.15 per picul. The advance in prices, however, did not result in as much business being done as would have been the case earlier in the season since stocks available for purchase were quite limited. Crop Prospects: We are reproducing here with the following article published in the Sugar News for April which gives a most reliable picture of the prospects for the crop 1930-1931: While final returns are not yet available ex cept in a few instances, the crop is rapidly draw ing to a close, and the total outturn can be estimated fairly closely. The figures will show that production in the Philippines as compared with last, year has remained almost, stationary, and the expected variation with last year’s figures may not exceed 10,000 tons. Last year’s outturn amounted to 786,000 metric tons and the figures for this \car are now calculated to be slightly under that, figure. There is an actual decline in production in Luzon with practically every central reporting figures below those of the last. crop. Final figures are available for the following centrals and comparative figures are quoted as follows: Metric 7'ons Sugar 1020-30 1030-31 Central Carmen, Calatagan... 4,874 4,751 Central Luzon Milling Co.... . 20,569 17,029 Centra! Azucarcra de Tarlac . . 40,206 33,019 Mount Ararat. Sugar Com pany ..................................... 6,325 5,205 Pampanga Sugar Develop ment Company... 56,234 46,000* The estimated total outturn for Luzon, giving ♦Approximately correct final report not yet received. NOW NEWEST TRANSCONTINENTAL TRAIN Only BUSINESS DAYSSeattle TO Chicago A Northern Pacific Railway representative meets all steamships from the Orient at Victoria, Vancouver and Seattle. He will gladly assist you with baggage and make sleeping car reservations to all points in the United States C L. Tc rAfi FROM effect, to the. above mentioned actual returns, is now 230,000 tons as against 264,900 tons for 1929-30 and therefore the Luzon crop will be between 12 per cent and 15 per cent below last year’s production. This result was not un locked for, due to the unfavorable weather con ditions experienced during the growing season, and the cane was very light, though this was compensated to some extent by the higher sucrose content. For Negros the latest available figures show an estimated outturn of 485,000 tons as against 470,500 tons last year or an increase of approx imately 3 per cent. Negros generally experienc ed favorable growing weather, and tne only set-back was t he damage due to typhoon, which was estimated to have reduced the outturn of some of the centrals in Northern Negros. Cane tonnages have been heavy, though in many cases the sucrose content has been lower than is customary in Negros. From the other sugar producing islands, whose production is still relatively small, no final figures are available. NEWEST and Finest sleeping cars—coil spring mattresses ROLLER BEARINGS "Famously Good Meals" OBSERVATION —lounge cor—barber, valet, maid, baths, card room, library, ladies' lounge, radio, buffet and roomy observation p ' : NO EXTRA A. C. Stiekley, Get. ft] ~ ' OrwoldCrowfo i J A<)« 3 IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 26 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1931 Luzon Stevedoring Co., Inc. Lightering, Marine Contractors Towboats, Launches, Waterboats Shipbuilders and Provisions SIMMIE & GRILK Phone 2-16-61 Port Area Quality Printing is as essential to your business as welltailored clothes are to the successful salesman. Attractive letterheads, bill heads, cards, envelopes, labels, etc., are silent but powerful salesman. Why not let them carry your message in the most effective way? The McCullough Imprint ensures quality printing and all that it implies. McCullough service means expert supervision and the intelligent handling of your printing problems. Whatever your printing needs may be, you are assured the utmost satisfaction when McCullough does the job. May we serve you? McCullough printing co. Division of Philippine Education Co., Inc. 101 ESCOLTA Phone 21801 MANILA, P. I. RAIL COMMODITY MOVEMENTS By M. D. Royer Traffic Manager, Manila Railroad Company The volume of commodities received in Ma nila during the month of Mandi 1931 via Manila Hailroad are us follows: Rice, cavans............................... 275,018 Sugar, piculs............................... 426,134 Coprax, piculs............................. 127,462 Desiccated coconuts, cases....... 18,766 Tobacco, bales............................ 490 Lumber and Timber, B. F....... 1,039,114 The freight revenue err loading statistics for four weeks ending March 14, 1931 as compared with the same period for the year 1930 are given below: FREIGHT REVENUE CAR LOADINGS COMMODITY NUMBER OF FREIGHT CARS FREIGHT TONNAGE INCREASE OR DECREASE 1931 1930 1931 Cars Tonnage Rice................................. Palay............................... Sugar............................... Sugar Cane.................... Copra............................. Coconuts......................... Hemp............................. Tobacco.......................... Livestock....................... Mineral Products.......... Lumber and Timber... Other Forest Products . Manufactures................. All Others including LCL Molasses......................... 803 263 1,378 5,741 435 346 18 2 62 458 211 40 278 3,121 141 Note:—Figures in parenthesis indicate decrease. Total..................... 13,344 13,297 189,383 214,423 47 (25,040) SUMMARY Week ending Saturday, February 21............... Week ending Saturday, February 2S............... Week ending Saturday, March 7..................... ‘Week ending Saturday, March 14.................... Total..................... 4,074 3,605 3,078 2,587 3,525 3,902 3,603 2,267 61,278 51,967 41,991 34,147 56,624 64,477 58,564 34,758 549 (297) (525) 320 4,654 (12,510) (16.573) (611) 13,344 13,297 189,383 214,423 47 >'25,010) The production for last crop and estimated production of current crop are US follows: Metric Tone 1999-30 1930-31 Panay............................. 35,902 43,524 Mindoro............................. 9,553 11,400 Cebu................................... 4,044 5,500 Leyte................................. 1,201 2,530 With two additional small centrals operating having a total production of 4,500 tons, Panay is expected to show about a 20 per cent increase. The others are also estimated to show some increase, which however will be unimportant. To sum up, the Philippine sugar industry has marked time during the past year, and shows no sign of any rapid increase in production. Improve ment in methods and cane varieties will in all probability gradually increase crops and lower costs of production, but there is no evidence whatsoever that the production of sugar is being pushed ahead, or that development is in any way abnormal. The big change here was to modernize the industry, and the results of that modernization are now being fully realized. Philippine Exports: Export statistics for the month of March, 1931, as reported to us showed that 108,022 metric tons of centrifugals, and 1,956 metric tons of refined were exported during the month. Exports of all grades of sugar for the first five months of the crop year 1930-31 are as follows: Metric Tons Centrifugals........................... 413,360 Refined.................................. 18,061 total............................... 431,421 Java Market: It was reported during the early part of the month under review that the Java Trust had sold new-crop Superior sugar for June-July shipment at Gs. 8l A, which represented an advance of % Guilder over the price of their last sale reported on the 14th of January. No infor mation was received, however, as to the quantity sold. No further advices were received from Java as to market values of sugar, although the news to the effect that the ordinance restricting the Javan crop had been passed was telegraphed to Manila correspondents. The first estimate of the new Javan crop was placed at 3,025,000 metric tons as compared with 2,969,000 metric tons produced during the last crop. IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1931 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 27 Commodities Coconut Oil.......................................... Cigar (Number)................................... Embroidery........................................... Maguey.................................................. Leaf Tobacco......................................... Desiccated and Shredded Coconuts. Hats (Number)..................................... Lumber (Cubic Meters)...................... Copra Meal............................................ Cordage................................................... Knotted Hemp...................................... Pearl Buttons (Gross)......................... Canton (low grade cordage fiber).. . All Other Products............................... Total Domestic Products. . . United States Products........ Foreign Countries Products. Grand Total. Cotton Cloths................... Other Cotton Goods. . .. Iron and Steel, Except Machinery..................... Rice..................................... Wheat Flour..................... Machinery and Parts of.. Dairy Products................ Gasoline.............................. Silk Goode......................... Automobiles....................... Vegetable Fiber Goods. . Meat Products................. Illuminating Oil............... Fish and Fish Products... Crude Oil........................... Coal................................... Chemicals, Dyes, Drugs, Etc.................................. Fertilizers........................... Vegetables.......................... Paper Goode, Except Books.............................. Tobacco ^and ManufacElectrical Machinery.... Books and Other Printed Cars and Carriages......... Automobile Tires............. Fruits and Nuts............... Woolen Goode.................. Leather Goods.................. Shoes and Other FootCoffee.................................. Breadstuff. Except Wheat Flour............................... Eggs.......................... Perfumery and Other Toilet Goode................ Lubricating Oil................ Cacao Manufactures, Ex cept Candy................... Glass and Glassware. ... Paints, Pigments, Var nishes, Etc..................... Oils not separately listed. Earthern Stones and Chinaware..................... Automobile Accessories.. Diamond and Other Pre cious Stones U nset.. . Wood, Reed, Bamboo, Rattan............................ India Rubber Goods.... Matches.............................. Cattle................................. Explosives.......................... Cement............................... Sugar and Molasses........ Motion Picture Films. .. Other imports................... Total. PRINCIPAL EXPORTS January, 1931 Quantity Value 62 7 10 6 9 6 9 5 5 5 P24.079.094 100.( January, 1930 Quantity 95,816,797 16,829,784 12,094,548 11,711,856 10,352,487 Note.—All quantities are in kilos except where otherwise indicated. PRINCIPAL IMPORTS January, 1931 Value % 232. J18 5 188,205 461,099 125.598 49,969 79,183 129,954 71,911 155,608 59,545 110,455 97,737 54,507 82,760 88,420 Value 0 2 0 5 8 0 5 1 7 5 2 1 6 7 1 0 0 6 0 6 1 0 0 5 8 0 0 8 0 0 6 6 0 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 I 8 6 Monthly average for 12 months previous to January, 1931 % 51 14 11 4 7 4 4 5 0 9 1 5 2 8 2 3 6 P27.675.525 100.0 CARRYING TRADE Quantity 1 0 0 3 2 9 6 5 5 9 9 8 3 1*21729,694 100.0 Monthly average for January, 1930 12 months previous to January, 1931 IMPORTS Value 396,105 414,267 207,768 218,827 186,209 110,684 159,242 46,611 % 7.3 2.1 2.2 0.7 0.7 .7 1.5 3.1 1.4 2.3 1.6 0.8 0.8 0.7 0.4 0^6 0.1 0^8 0.6 0^6 0.7 0.8 0.2 0.8 0.4 1.3 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.4 0.2 0 2 9.8 Value % 227,194 321,878 263,270 242,812 129,264 215,696 126,584 182,968 89,748 137,674 149,942 134,334 47,108 TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES Porte January, 1931 9.0 5.0 1.9 0.7 0.6 0.8 0.8 0.7 1.0 0.5 0.7 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.8 8.5 Monthly average for January, 1930 12 months previous to January, 1931 Nationality of Vessels January, 1931 Monthly average for January, 1930 12 months previous to January, 1931 Iloilo!’ .' Cebu.......... Zamboanga. Davao .' i Value % 2 2 0 Value Total. 0 American. . British........ Japanese.. . Dutch........ German... . Norwegian. Philippines. Spanish.... Swedish.. .. Danish........ French........ Panaman... Total. Nationality of Vessels American. . British........ Japanese.. . German.. .. SpanisS!*!?. Dutch........ Philippines. Chinese.. .. Swedish.. .. Danish........ Panaman... By Freight. By Mail. .. Value 12,368 576,813 48 22 2 2 8 0.9 0.4 2.0 0.‘ ..8 Value % Value 47 22 4 2 7 5 0 0 0 1.2 % .2 40 24 7 0 0 0 0 2 P12,977,341 97.8 P26.364.931 98.4 P19.441.103 96.9 251,585 2.2 424,334 1.6 402,739 ’ ’ 1'6 3.1 EXPORTS January, 193’ Value 299,023 % 29.6 21.4 1.2 0.< 0.3 6.0 2.7 Monthly average for January, 1930 12 months previous to January, 1931 Value Value 194,286 35,552 200,239 90,000 575,517 1.4 5.7 0.8 P 8,491,505 5,316,629 3,991.261 495,205 1,442,288 23,150 123,978 18,800 36,352 484,604 455.327 296,982 7,031 38 24 18 2 6 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 P24.079.094 100.0 P27,675,525 100.0 P21.728.860 100.0 0.3 0.7 0.6 Total. TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES January, 1931 Mom i>iv a', eragefor January, 1930 12 rmnths previous Countries to J'.auary, 1931 Value % Value % Value % United States........... United Kingdom.. . Japan.......................... China........................ French East Indies. Germany.................. Spain......................... Australia.................. British East Indies. Dutch East Indies.. Netherlands............ Italy.......................... Hongkong................ Belgium.................... Switzerland.............. Japanese-China........ Canada............... Norway.............. Denmark............ Other Countries. Totnl. 9 1 0 2 '2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 P54.464.790 100 ’..108,026 2,773,633 1,220,597 108,104 1,(>40,703 86.MJ78 26<?518 66‘»,)26 533,873 459,594 182,401 462.981 107,099 rfl2 387. 185..-.. ; 25.7*6 m.OSt 99,585 70,841 56,037 10,659 32,910 227.202 73.5 3.4. 6.6 2.8 012 i .3 0/2 0.1 0 0 0 28 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1931 BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY Kerr Steamship Co., Inc. General Agents “SILVER FLEET” Express Freight Services Philippines-New York-Boston Philippines-San Francisco (Direct) Roosevelt Steamship Agency Agents Chaco Bldg. Phone 2-14-20 Manila, P. I. Myers-Buck Co., Inc. Surveying and Mapping PRIVATE MINERAL AND PUBLIC LAND 316 Carriedo Tel. 2-16-10 Iagarcia^ STA. POTENCIANA 32 TEL. 22715 GjT«S COLOR PLATES . HALF-TONES faziNC-ETCHINGjj WEANDSCO Western Equipment and Supply Co. Distributers in the Philippines for Western Electric Co. Graybar Electric Co. Westinghouse 119 Calle T. Pinpin P. O. Box 2985 Manila, P. I. Manila Wine Merchants LIMITED 174 Juan Luna Manila, P. I. P. O. Box 403 Phones 2-25-67 and 2-25-68 PHILIPPINES COLD STORES Wholesale and Retail Dealers in American and Australian Refrigerated Produce STORES AND OFFICES Calle Echague Manila, P. I. « « M CHINA BANKING CORPORATION MANILA, P. I. Domestic and Foreign Banking of Every Description HANSON & ORTH, Inc. Manila, P. I. Buyers and Exporters of Hemp and Other Fibers 612-613 Pacific Bldg. Tel. 2-24-18 BRANCHES: New York—London—Merida—Davao SALEEBY FIBER CO., INC. Fiber Merchants P. O. Boz 1423 Manila, P. I. Room 318, Pacific Building Cable Address: "SALRFIBER” Internationa! Harvester Co. of Philippines formerly MACLEOD & COMPANY Manila—Cebu—Vigan—Davao—Iloilo Exporters of Hemp and Maguey Agents for INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER CO. Agricultural Machinery MADRIGAL & CO. 8 Muelle del Banco Nacional Manila, P. I. Coal Contractors and Coconut Oil Manufacturers MILL LOCATED AT CEBU P. O. Boz 1394 Telephone 22070 J. A. STIVER Attomey-At-Law-Notary Public Certified Public Accountant Administration of Estates Receiverships Investments Collections Income Tax 121 Real, Intramuros Manila, P. I. “LA URBANA’’ (Sociedad MOtua de Construcci6n y PrCstamos) Prestamos Hi pot ecarios Ipversiones de Capital Paterno Building, Calle Helios MANILA, P. I. A. K. SPIELBERGER SUN LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY OF CANADA The Earnshaws Docks and Honolulu Iron Works Sugar Machinery Slipways Machine Shops Port Area Manila, P. I. IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL FOR JADED APPETITESSERVED at many a fiesta . s . wellseasoned .... savory .... a fine lechon de leche who has not tasted this typical Philippine delicacy? This delicious viand gives satisfaction to jaded appetites. MOBILOIL also gives satisfaction in the lubrication of your car. It gives longer life and more pep to your engine, spe cially if it has had a continuous diet of low grade oil. It brings back that “first-year-feel” to overworked motors. TRY MOBILOIL TODAY and experience the contentment that is associated with correct lubrication. 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COMPLETE DETAILS ON APPLICATION THE NATIONAL CITY BANK OF HEAD OFFICE: 55 WALL ST., NEW YORK CITY Manila Office: NATIONAL CITY BANK BUILDING NEW YORK Cebu Office: GOTIACO BUILDING IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL Made only by LA INSULAR They now carry a guaranty band TN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL