The American Chamber of Commerce Journal

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Part of The American Chamber of Commerce Journal

Title: The American Chamber of Commerce Journal
Issue Date: Volume XIV (Issue No.4) April 1934
Year: 1934
Language: English
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extracted text: Practicability of Cyanide Leach ing Plants For Some of Our Gold Projects Del Mundo’s Pottery Work Enigmas of Fire Insurance in the Philippines American Guardian Association: Its Work Carl Werntz’s Appreciation of the Islands The Philippines in the Movies New Ways of Pleasing Tourists Editorial: The Outlook • Other Features and the Usual Expert Reviews of Commerce We are still on the popular GOLD STANDARD’ in cigar Quality CCKCNAS I SI I < IAI l \ EXCELEMTES EAVCRITCS These, and others, made by TABACALECA ORIGINATORS OF HIGH GRADE PHILIPPINE TOBACCO PRODUCTS Get the facts before, not after, you buy Here are a few questions worth asking about any mechanical refrigerator.... Cost of operation; cost of repairs; depend ability of operation; quietness; food stor age space; temperature control; ease of removing ice cube trays; non-stop defrost ing; bottle storage space; sliding shelves; modern refinements. There is only ONE known refrigerator which combines all these and more; it has swept the American market like a storm and is now available in the Philippines. It is the NEW AIR-COOLED ELECTROLUX THE Gas REFRIGERATOR Manila Gas Corporation IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1934 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 1 TIIE MANILA HOTEL LEADING HOTEL IN THE ORIENT Designed and constructed to secure coolness, sanitation and comfort under tropic climatic conditions J I Provides every Western convenience combined with every Oriental luxury , Finest Dance Orchestra in the Far East I Management — HUBERT C. ANDERSON | I Here’s how to [ get Manilas! Car Interior Exterior Dash $910 EWWWK-TtL 5« M fg SMOKE GOLF Cards Back of Fare BQRRTtb g Signs Bumper Receipts Signs Managers are constantly striving to increase the volume Business of sales. Street-car Advertising is considered by many to be the best medium in the city of Manila for achieving this end. Include an appropriation for Street-car Adver tising when preparing your next annual budget. For rates and full particulars—call up A. B. Tigh, Advertising Manager Manila Electric Company 134 San Marcelino Telephone 2-19-11 upon re quest to— C. A. Bond Genuine Manila Long Filler Cigars in cellophane are obtain able in your city or nearby! List of Distributors furPhilippine Tobacco Agent: 15 Williams Street, New York City Collector of Internal Revenue Manila, P. I. MA NILAS made under sanitary conditions will satisfy your taste I (Health Bulletin No. 28) Rules and Regulations for the Sanitary Control of the Factories of Tobacco Products. “Section 15. Insanitary Acts.—No person engaged in the handling, preparation, processing, manufacture, or packing of tobacco product or supervising such employment, shall perform, cause, permit, or suffer to be permitted any insanitary act during such employment, nor shall any such 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; ....”. IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1934 Jill AILIH AIM IBRA CIGARS continue to be the recognized leaders in] QUALITY cigars Always the First Order— and then the appetite is whetted to enjoy a wholesome meal— It is brewed by | San Miguel Brewery i CtDRtDMAS dsla < AILINAMIBRA 1 MONSERRAT ENTERPRISES CO., LTD. SOLE DISTRIBUTORS 550-554 San Luis P. O. Box 3188 Tel. 5-72-51 Ermita • • • Manila IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL The Blow Is Falling The great solicitude of an overwhelming majority of congress for the welfare and aspirations of the Filipino people is more manifest every day. Two years ago, congress passed, over the President’s veto, the HawesCutting bill. This bill was not accepted by the Philip pine legislature. Now we have the Tydings-McDuffie bill, which is nothing more nor less than a revamp of the Hawes-Cutting bill. If congress had stopped there our predicament would have been bad but not hopeless. Unfortunately, congress did not stop there. It has not only gone on to nullify the trade provisions of the Tyd ings-McDuffie bill, but is cutting down on the amount of our sugar that may enter the United States, and both houses have approved bills which place an excise tax on our copra and coconut oil that will bar these products from the United States market and react ruinously upon our planters, oil mills, and about 4 million persons dependent upon the coconut in dustry for their daily bread. The latest move of the in fluenced al truists in con gress is to ad vance the date forabsolute inde pendence from 10 to 3 years. Senator Tydi n g s ’ proposals are for a recipro cal trade treaty mutually benefi cial to the Philip pines and the United States. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Re ceipt develop U. S. IMPORTS REFINED SUGAR ments show us what we may expect. We are like the little boy who was given by his older brother his choice of 2 apples. The big brother told him, he could take the little one or none. What chance have we to protect ourselves? Our present governor general has fought our cause as no other gov ernor general ever did. He has taken off his coat and entered the fray without regard to what his co-party leaders might say or how his political future might be affected. His acts and words have been dictated by a sense of fair play and justice only. Even the President of the United States, a confidant of Governor Murphy, is our ally; but is he strong enough himself to save the day ? It is high time now that all elements who have the mu tual welfare of the people of these islands at heart, work in earnest for our future welfare. We are victims of politicians, not statesmen, on both sides of the Pacific. Those who cause the Amer icans of the Philippines to put their faith in the sense of justice of the fu ture administra tor of the Philip pine government fail to realize the fact that both Filipinos and Americans will be on the outside looking in. Compadres, let us join now and be ho nest, at least with ourselves. J. R. WILSON Secretary American Chamber of Commerce. 4 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1$34 Cyanide Leaching Process for Certain Types of Gold Ore Operated at much less cost than the complete cyanidation plant, this oldtime mining method is practical with lowgrade ores The cut on this page shows the mine, plant and employes’ quarters of the Benguet Exploration company, at Baguio. The plant is the type commonly called a leaching plant. It is reported to be the largest such plant now in operation in the Philippines, though Antamok Goldfields, at Baguio, and IXL, at Masbate, have similar plants. Benguet ex ploration produced 2,564 ounces of gold bullion last year, valued at 1*137,951.50 at the standard value of gold, $20.67 a fine ounce. It is because the leaching plant seems adapt able to much ore in the gold region ranging from Ipo and Salacot around to Balete, if not to much ore even in the Baguio district, that it is discussed here. C.M.Eye, former su perintendent of Benguet Consolidat ed, says the process is the old, the first, cyani dation pro cess used in gold mining in the Unit ed States— more speci fically, in Montana. Plants of this type cost only a frac tion as much as plants in volving the complete cyanidation process. The le ac hi n g plant, too, handles ore at a cost of about 75 or 80 cents a ton. The complete cyanidation process needs, for assured profit, ore running average values of at least $6 a ton; but the leaching plant handles $2 and $3 ore nicely. It is only a question of quantity and convenient supply. Observing the cut from top to bottom, in its longer section, main parts of the plant can be identified. First, the mine— a mere open cut. Second, the ore dump. Third, the ore chute running to the crusher, this crusher reducing the rock to diameters of no more than 2 inches. Fourth, the ball mill in which the rock is reduced to maximum diameters of 1/2 inch. Fifth, a battery of leaching tanks in which cyanide solution leaches out the gold recoverable by this process. (Complete cyanidation goes on from this point; it is the process for higher grade ores which it is profitable to reduce to fine powder). Below the leaching tanks are the recovery plant, where the gold is recovered from solution by use of zinc shavings; and below the recovery plant is the refinery. A capital of 1*200,000 suffices for such a plant, and various American com panies in Manila .can provide equipment for such plants. Density of ore determines the cost of milling it, a main factor of cost in its extraction with cyanide. Much recent exploration of the ore region at Ipo and Salacot and north ward has exposed friable ore that mills at low cost. It is possible that throughout this whole field, apparently a very large one, there are many locations to which the leaching plant is ideally adapted. The same factor seems a determining one at Aroroy, Masbate. There the old Syndicate company disposed of its property when values subsided below the operating cost; but the purchaser simplified the process, cut costs and has steadily made very generous pr o fi t s . N e a r b y, again with friable, easi ly accessible lowgrade ore, IXL is having similar good fortune; it produced bullion to the value of 1* 175,000 last year. If your explorations discover ore enough, but of low grade, Benguet Exploration’s Leaching Plant at Baguio don’t abandon hope; a competent engineer may be able to install a leaching plant for you that will make the mine disgorge fortunes. The Ipo Mining Company’s first 6 weeks’ output was P123.000 of bullion at the new price of about $35 an ounce. The mill of 150 tons daily capacity runs 10 to 20 tons over capacity daily, an illustration of the plenitude of friability of the Ipo ore deposits. While the operations began on secondary enrichments, depth indicates the possibility of prima ry enrichment. Such a discovery would add much interest to this new field. Balatoc’s January output was 10,868.68 ounces of gold valued at P760,807.60 and 7,737.64 ounces of silver valued at P9,904.04; total, P770,711.78. February, 6,985.04 ounces of gold valued at P648,952.80 and 6,310.74 ounces of silver valued at P8,077.73; total, P637,130.53. March, 11,861.38 ounces of gold valued at P830,296.60 and 7,366.13 ounces of silver valued at Pl 1,428.65; total, P839,725.25. Total quarter year, P2,247,467.56. Benguet Consolidated’s January output was 8,546.66 ounces of gold valued at P598,266.20 and 4,970.63 ounces of silver valued at P6,362.41; total, P604.628.61. February, 6,837.45 ounces of gold valued at P478.621.50 and 4,156.27 ounces of silver valued at P5,320.02; total, P483.941.52. March, 9,748.55 ounces of gold valued at P682.398.50 and 4,377 ounces of silver valued at P5,602.56; total, P688,001.96. Total quarter-year, Pl,776,571.19: grand total both mines during quarter-year, P4,024,038.75—gold values $35 an ounce and silver values $0.64 an ounce. April, 1934 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 5 Manila’s Debt to Some of Its Young People Departures from the usual in entertaining world travelers recently in Manila, made possible by society’s cooperation By James King Steele When the entertainment of passengers on the Canadian Pacific round the world cruise liner Empress of Britain was the problem of the Philippine Tourist Association at the middle of March, a brand new feature was introduced. At its suggestion, Joaquin Pardo de Tavera, popular young lawyer, organized a reception committee composed of a few of Manila’s popular young women, to greet the travelers on arrival at the Manila Hotel. Given the conservatism of the Philippine family, Tavera’s diplomacy in securing this cooperation shines the brighter. Neither is there anything else that could be done during an hour or two of an evening, for a group of 400 visitors, that would please them so much and give the Philippines such spontaneous praise in their subsequent letters and conversations as this beautiful recep tion by representative Manila people. Historic backgrounds, ancient buildings, the glories of the past, the accomplishments of the present, all pale in comparison with that most intriguing subject, the people themselves. Here then, by the courtesy of some of Manila’s wealthiest families, the visitors were received by young people, such as association arranged for through the help of young Tavera, was exactly what would be most appropriate. The young ladies, who responded to Mr. Tavera’s request, to whom the tourist association and the whole Philippines are therefore indebted are: Pacita Madrigal, Carmeling del Rosario, Macaria Madrigal, Lily Pardo de Tavera, Chuchi del Rosario, Salud Hocson, Pacita de los Reyes, Tita Bayot, Pacita Roxas, Angelina Biunas, Eloisa Burgos, Maria Marta Albert, and Pacita Zabarte. The committee was introduced first as a group and then the members individually. As each one was announced, she made the round of the ballroom in order that guests might see the beautiful Philippine costume she wore. Lily Tavera, in balintawak dress, bore a large basket of sampaguita rosaries, which the others assisted her in distributing to the visitors. Although more than one rosary was the prize of others than the travelers, the best of good humor bore everything along very well. The sampaguita is the islands’ national flower and its scent, very costly, is one of the rarest in the world. When this ceremony was over, the young ladies joined their chaperones at the tables, where they met many of the guests. Philippines Herald Photo Manila Young Ladies Who Were "Empress of Britain" Hostesses Pacita Madrigal, Carmeling del Rosario, Macaria Madrigal, Lily Pardo de Tavera, Chuchi del Rosario, Salud Hocson, Pacita de los Reyes, Tita Bayot, Pacita Roxas, Angelina Biunas, Eloisa Burgos, Maria Marta Albert, and Pacita Zabarte they met nowhere else on their world cruise, and they appre ciated the honor. Besides being usually immured in the set conventions of society, the type is unique to these islands. Added to the.universal beauty of youth and the refinement of culture, were the colorful mestiza gowns and the bright display of jewels. Born of the east, yet nurtured in western culture, the young ladies who graciously consented to act as members of the reception committee for this memorable occasion, are as distinctive of Manila and the Philippines as are some of our flowers, the ilang-ilang or the sampaguita. Besides their culture in the arts, music above all, they are fluent masters of Spanish and English, if not French. The visitors who were given the opportunity of meeting these young people, of an exotic clime and culture, yet familiar with their own language, the ways and customs of their own lands were naturally much impressed. What the tourist On the occasion of the President Monroe's stayover in port, a few days later, the President Coolidge, the Kamo Maru (on the Australia run) and the Empress of Asia were also here. The tourist association invited the assistance of the students of the Torres high school, through Miss Maria Reyes, director of physical education, and was thus able to give to the lun cheon guests at the Manila Hotel an exhibition of Philippine folk dances by 12 couples of girls and boys, under the direction of Miss Carmen Cruz, one of the teachers. As interpretations of our folk dances, and the singing in chorus of the planting, harvest, courting and wedding songs, never fail to please whoever is privileged to witness them. Miss Cruz and her students merit the city’s thanks for their presentation of these dances for so many visitors here, all of whom will no doubt advertise their experience in Manila favorably when they meet other travelers and when they return to their homes. 6 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1934 Del Mundo’s Modernization of Our Pottery Industry Centers of glazed pottery started, with initial steps taken in first rate tile work and other pioneering efforts It is a long way from the Royal Pottery Factory in Berlin, Germany, to Tiwi, Albay—and a superficial examination of affairs might indicate that it is just as much of a distance between the products of the two places, both of which go in for glazed pottery. The Royal Pottery Factory of Ger many has turned out some of the world’s finest wares, while the products of Tiwi are hardly in that class, artistically. But Tiwi products (and others from other towns on Luzon) are at least the best clay products that have been produced in the Philippine Islands, which is something. And, under the direction of young Sal vador del Mundo, of the Ceramics Deparetmnt of the Bureau of Science, even art is having a voice in local products, although so far, emphasis has been on the utilitarian value of the pottery made in the Philippines. Del Mun do, who has been at his present stand for about a year and a half, is one of the very few German speaking Filipinos we have met; the language is an accomplishment he acquir ed in Germany, where he studied the ceramic arts at said royal factory, as well as in various north ern Germany points, in Czecho-Slovakja, and so on. (Del Mundo will also tell you, with a certain justifiable pride, that the Germans taught him to I rink beer, which is also a not-so-common accom plishment among his race; and this perhaps accounts for the product which is— a beer stein, if you please, which represents a section of bamboo—made by him and his assistants, and a glazed pottery product with a Philippine twist.) Considering that he started from absolute scratch, del Mundo has accomplished much in the short time he has been on the job. W.e respect the young man for his intelligence, and for unbounded energy and enthusiasm,'and for imagination. He has perhaps been the spark which has started a new industry in the Philippines, a most useful one for the country, and one which promises possibilities for a bit of export trade as well. For example, one job he has done is to have designed a three-burner stove, to be made of glazed pottery, and to replace the inefficient, smoky little one-burner clay affairs which the peasants now use as their sole means of cooking. The stoves were designed, tested, and are now being made commercially—and sell for f*4 each, which puts them within reach of every native family. An excellent job. But he has gone further, and is making experiments to find a fuel which will replace wood, and perhaps add even more to the efficiency of h>s stoves, and to their cheapness of operation. He has taken coconut charcoal for his basic material—using coconut shells which are a waste by-product. This, when made into charcoal, becomes a sort of coarse powder, and hence must be made into briquettes. He tried clay, which worked fine, but wet weather washed the clay out—so that was out. Then he tried coal tar. That worked fine, too, but we import coal tar and that runs the cost up—so that was out. Now he is trying mo lasses, no less—also a waste by-product. So far his ex periments with molasses have proved very satis factory, and it looks as though from two waste materials he will succeed in producing a fuel cheap enough for native use, and much more efficient than wood. Coconut charcoal is hardly ceramics—which is one reason why we think del Mundo will go a long way in the development of this infant industry. Glazing adds more than 100% to the value of clay products, del Mundo tells us. For example, an unglazed flower pot which sells for 15 centavos, when glazed sells for 40. Very amusing is the story he tells about the enterprise of certain neigh boring Asiatic races. Del Mundo’s idea is to help develop this industry for his own people, which is natural enough, and laud able. But he noticed Ja panese and Chinese at his Carnival exhibition, and at other places where he was expounding on the art he has learned. Now two of the three principal pottery making establishments he has succeeded in starting are operated by them—Chinese at San Pedro Macati, and Japan ese at San Pedro Tunasan, Laguna. An Ilocano at Candon, Ilocos Sur, makes the stoves mentioned, and Tiwi is also a Filipino enterprise. These places go in so far only for articles of a commercial nature—pots, stoves, and so on. All glazed. The formula for the glazing material is not given out, being a bit on the chemical side and probably difficult for peasants to handle right. So he makes the glazes in his department, and sells them, cheap, to the pottery makers. And, of course, shows them how to use them. The art is confined, so far, to the department itself. This takes the form of glazed tiles, some of which are excellent {Please turn to page 17) Samples of tiles made by Salvador dr glazing is done excellently. Cost of such tile adaptation would be their use in serving table Mundo, chief of bureau. The d floors, but one April, 1934 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 7 You Take the High Rate and I'll Take the Low Rate Some aspects of fire insurance, from two viewpoints—those of insured and insurer; why there are so few arsonists in Bilibid and why you pay the rates you do for fire protection A Manila business man with some interest in the subject told us the other day, “For some years past my company has placed its fire insurance in London, direct, and we save about 50% of the cost of insurance if placed through a local agent”. When a business concern in these depression times can make a bona fide saving of 50% or anywhere near it, in an item as necessary as fire insurance, it is likely to jump at the chance. But there is an F.thopian in the kindling some place, for one finds that similar concerns prefer to place their insurance with local agents, and figure that it is, in the end, cheaper to do so. And better business, for other reasons which will short ly appear. If you step off of a rice paddy dike in flood time, you will find that the mud on one side is just as deep as on the other; and you may consider that the same is true of the fire insurance business in the Philippines. As seen by the group who place their insurance abroad, direct, (let us call these Group One, for convenience), the facts line up about as follows: 1. Lloyds of London, which is practically the only group with which local businesses place foreign insurance; do not here or any other place in the world belong to tariff fixing bodies nor do they maintain deposits or legal reserves. They fix their own rates, here as elsewhere—these rates being sometimes lower, sometimes the same, and sometimes higher, than existing rates in whatever locality the risk is under written. It so happens that the rates charged here on some risks have been lower than local rates; maintaining no offices outside of London, and putting up no deposits, their overhead expenses are much lower, which principally accounts for the difference. 2. If such a foreign group as Lloyds is willing to under write a risk in the Philippines for lower rates than those charged by local agents, why should not a local business man take the saving? That about sums up the case as seen by Group One; but, as can readily be seen, it takes no account of the problems of the local agent, and the factors which may affect rates locally quoted (if they are actuallyhigher, which is disputed bysome). It is only fair to mention here that if any member of Group One should have a fire loss, and the foreign group with which he places his insurance should dispute his claims, no suit to recover could be brought in local courts. Such a suit would have to be filed in London, which would involve additional expense and loss of time; and also, we are informed, there is wide variation between local insurance laws and British, which might figure to the disadvantage of local concerns in such an eventuality. So far as we can learn, such a thing has not yet occurred, but remains an ever-present possibility. Let us see what affects rates here. First factor of course is the losses due to fire, a figure which in the depression years has mounted steadily, and alarmingly. The more fires there are, the more losses the insurance companies have to pay, and the higher premiums they must charge—for, after all, there is only one place the money can come from with which to pay losses, and that is from premiums received 'and, if they aren’t enough, from reserves). Losses have increased greatly in the past few years. One prominent local agent says that for a large group of fire insurance com panies in 1931, the loss ratio was as much as 94% (later figures not available.) For the years 1920-’30, inclusive, the loss ratio was 49.94% of. total premiums received (average for all companies doing business in the P. I.) Yet during the same period, rates were lowered nearly 33%, taking into account better facilities for fire prevention, better construc tion of buildings, and so on. But what happened0 The rate line was going downward; then suddenly ihe los? lino started upward (depression), and the two lines met with a crash which sent many local agents reeling away, dripp pg red ink from many a business wound. It was terrible. Bai. no one was killed. Why? That’s another part ofil.t siorv from Group Two (those who prefer to deal with local The reason why no one was killed is because the insurance laws of the P. I. are the non-shatterable glass behind which _ the insuranc companies ride safely through the bumps. These provide, first of all, for a deposit, on call of the insurance commissioner at all times, of a fund of P100,000 for each foreign insurance company represented by a local agent (excepting that an agent representing more than one foreign insurance company of the same type, such as more than one fire insurance company, need not in some cases put up P100,000 for each of them.) Figures for 1931, for instance (no material change since), showed that foreign insurance com panies represented by local agents had a total of Pl,724,000 invested here in Philippine bonds; P3,804,000 in local banks in cash; and Pl,394,000 in U. S. bonds—nearly P7,000,000 actually invested here in the Philippines in that one item alone. This is a burden not borne by outside companies, and one reason why they may occasionally be able io quote lower rates than can local agents. As to the justice of the laws which permit Hit- placing of insurance outside the islands while penalizing local agents, there is perhaps a good bit to be said, and the local agents say it. But we won’t go into that. A second provision of the insurance laws, for safety, is the legal reserve. The law requires 33-1/3%; but we are informed that most companies carry 40% and some as high as 50%, of their premium income, in this item. Quite an item. Add it, too, to the cost of local agents’ doing business, for it has an important bearing on the discussion. Last, the cost of doing business in this fire insurance (sh( we say “game”?—it would seem to be a word that is not c; of place, as later paragraphs will show) figures out to average, they tell us, of 47% of premium income. Tha too, is a lot of many—all spent right here, of course. So, we take our pencil and begin to add a few of the figures together—a minimum of 33-1/3% for legal reserve plus 47% for cost of doing business; plus a certain percentage for interest on the P7,000,000 on deposit; plus a loss ratio of practically 50% of total premium income—and what is the total? 130-1/3%. Deduct your excess legal reserve at the end of the year, or deduct all of it—and it leaves you just about what the insurance companies which are lucky hope to make—3% of premium income. Or that is whnf they used to figure on, in the years 1920-’30, inclusive . > > .v that the loss ratio has mounted so much higher, they fig .ire on writing their profits in red ink—on loss rather than gain. What about the mounting fire losses? Much has been ~ written and said on this subject, and much of it is mislead ing. In the first place, it is by no means a local condition but a worldwide one, and is always a characteristic symp tom of depression times. Our loss rate, while high, is not the highest in the world (but comes too close to it for com fort, as we have seen). And it has apparently little to do with race, creed or color, for the losses mount in depression times among all peoples. (Please turn to page 18) THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1934 An American Artist’s Appreciation nt the Philippines Carl Werntz, of whose recent sketching visit to the Philippines this piece is written, is the founder of the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, which is to have most favorable reports of these islands as a field for artists and artist-writers Sunrise and Sunset in Manila* will, I hope, be on sale in every foreign branch of the American Express—or Thomas Cooks’, since the Britishers, showing a keener book appreciation than we commercial minded Americans, usually carry a .supply of small, informing travel books. Take a census of tourists just here in the Em press of Hritain or the Resolute and, as invariably when world chatterers chatter of beauty spots in the Far East, it will be those sunsets! that Manila is joyously remembered for, whether the chatterer be spinster, browser, booser, chattel wife, widow, tired business man, bored •outh or skeptical artist. It was sunsets, and memories of flower and ruit markets, and of strange little boats plying winding river and pretty women sinuously waying in native costumes, which are among the world's most picturesque, that beckoned our return to the Philippines. To the Philip pines from Jamaica, from Ceylon, from the Solomon Islands, even from Egypt—each boastful of their renowned sunsets. Of course, besides sunsets, there are zig-zag mountain roads that compare with those of the Alps and the Andes; there are rice terraces that cause jealousy in Japan, in Ceylon, in Sumatra and Bali; there are pink churches beneath blue mountains that are reminiscent of Italy; there are clusters of thatched roofs among green bamboo that might be Japan. Moonlight on the roof of the University Club can be Manila or the coast of the Mediterranean, depending upon the heart’s desire to be there or here. However, even Chioggi’s bronze sails in the hot midday of Italy’s sunny skies and upon c’ne ever billowous Adriatic cannot rival Zam boanga’s vintas, and where are fish markets so ♦Descriptivepieces originally written for and published in the Journal, that now, in a little volume convenient for mailing, lie uncalled for In the Journal’s office until writers and artists from abroad make demands for them. Carl Werntz ’SJ Shrine of Our Lady of the Pillar, at the old fortress at Zamboanga. Carl Werntz 'U New and Old Features of Walled City Architecture, Manila: through Juan Arellano's influence, building sub sequent to the fire of 2 years ago adheres to the older type. supplied with jewels as in Jolo? Jeweled Rajputana women; gay kimonoed Japanese in summer attire; many skirted goose girls of Bavaria; the eighty odd varieties of Brittany bonnets and their exquisite frocks; high hatted, velvet shoed Chola women; beautiful bodied Balinese; gracious little Javanese; sleek high coiffed Burmese feminines; coy Indochinese coquettes; the white daintiness of the Koreans; the grim coarseness of the Sumatrese—all vie in artistic intriguement with the peoples of the Philippines blessed with their inherited philosophy of the orient, graced with the dignity of the Spanish, the hustle of Americanism and the laughter of jazz kings. Yet, strangely enough, a Paris salon, a New York winter show, a Chicago international, a Venice biennial of international art rarely, if ever, shows a Philip pine subject, scene or protrait. Atmosphere, light, people of character and individuality, architecture old and new, ruins, landscapes of glorious trees, mountains and sea, vistas, river scenery, artists search the world over to find. The Philippines supply these in abundance. Even canvasses in the University art school exhibit show some entrancingly sunny, tropical compositions. To attain results, artists must work happily. They require sympathy and an understanding cooperation for their eyes see that which the camera fails to click. “Art is life interpreted through a personality.” Usually artists1 per sonalities carefully choose some entrancing view of a church, a woman carrying her baby, an old man selling gewgaws as seen only from the most impossible of places, to pause—very often in the middle of street car tracks on a two-way street, where the garbage can is stand ing or at the exact spot where the sun is hottest. Chauffeurs must at moments be confident they are driving about completely crazy people— menaces to the populace! And then the double disappointments they must suffer when, believ ing they have gotten the idea of driving their cars slowly—“as slow as is possible and not be arrested”—so slow it is a disgrace to their skill, and with souls on fire, they cordially explain, “I can drive in—I can get the car to the church door,” and the artist’s voice harshly commands, “Stop here—stop—here, here, here! Oh, you didn’t do it. Now back up, six inches, no more!” By which time their skill has all but entirely left them and they are in a broiling conversation with the crowd of natives who have gathered around to see what the shouting is for. Then we settle down to quiet work. Sometimes the sketching takes place along a shore or in native villages where no motor car can pass. It is then that the innate cordiality of peasant peoples is most appreciable. A gracious invitation may be extended to mount their ladders and work from within native homes which, in the Philippines have, with their great choice of local woods, been found to be excep tionally beautiful as well as unusually clean. In certain districts, seemingly their own crafts men’s problems in palm leaf plaitings have provided them with an understanding of the difficulties and uncertainties under which all artists are forever working. Often, too, provin cial peoples of any country are camera shy, but once they see a pencil or a brush putting down on paper before their eyes the doorway, the balcony or tree against which they, themselves, are standing, all reticence departs in face of curiosity. Or is it human vanity? Out from Zamboanga in a Moro village an old world charm was found in their reception of an artist working in their midst. The people themselves were very chatty, very gay but very camera shy. When they saw a composition coming on paper of three of four boat builders at work, their boat builders, shyness so complete ly left them that when an unheralded entrance was made into one of the native stores and one of their pretty women was an inspiration for sketching, no objections were voiced to her portrait being done. Proudly she stood, head up, out in the open, while a bossy man-abouttown swankily ordered everybody to keep their (Please turn to page 17) Carl Werntz Lilio Church, Lilio, Laguna April, 1934 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 9 The American Guardian Association: Aims and Achievements Treasurer John L. Headington of the directorate of the American chamber of commerce is the president this year of the American Guardian Association, succeeding C. S. Sal mon. The association, with Mrs. Flora N. Gregg as secretary, carries on an essential work in the care of a considerable group of boys and girls whose fathers or mothers were Amer icans. For want of money, the ranks of this group were not widened last year and it is not planned to widen them this year. The association enjoys no permanent endowment, the resources it is able to marshall from year to year can not be stretched by sentiment to cover more than a limited amount of practical work. This association was one of the last humanitarian efforts of one of America’s greatest humanitarians, Leonard Wood. Inaugurated governor general of the Philippines in October 1921, he had hardly been in office a month when, on November 18, 1921, the association was founded at his instance and was able to announce an initial capital of P9,977.81 derived from membership fees of 5*10 a year and from contributions. It was during trips through the provinces as the head of the Wood-Forbes probing commission that Gen eral Wood had come upon many appealing instances of children of American fathers growing up in bad environments or in straight ened poverty. Finding that the society loosely organized that then gave some attention to the problems these children presented was inadequate to its obligations, he suggested the organization of the guardian association. Gordon Johnston, close to Wood per sonally and a member of his advisory staff, took charge of the organization of the asso ciation and relied greatly on the American chamber of commerce for assistance. Wood’s name was joined to the association as hon orary president, by-laws of the association confer this office on governors general of the islands during their tenures of office— Governor General Frank Murphy, another exemplary humanitarian, is accordingly the present honorary president of the association. The treasury of the association has in it ; bout 5*18,000. Receipts during 1933 were 5*8,914.17 and disbursements 5*9,237. Administrative expense runs 5*290 a month and is about 1/3 of the yearly total outlay. It is low I "'cause of the low rent charged at the Fernandez building and the landlord’s donation of janitor’s services. Of trust funds t he association had in bank at the close of last year 5*53,060.M2. Largest trust is the Mary Rose Burgess fund; the Burgess legacy fell to her and her brother, who has since died, and at her majority she will come into the custody of the whole proceeds of her father’s estate less what the association has spent meanwhile for her support and education. The health of the association’s wards is carefully looked after, all receive thorough physical examination at the outset of each year. Doctors and dentists contribute their services. Mrs. Leo K. Cotterman and Mrs. A. S. Heyward comprise the, health committee. Last year, Dr. W. H. Waterous removed tonsils in nine cases of infection among the wards. Gordon Johnston Recently killed in a polo accident. He founded the American Guar dian Association at Leonard Wood’s behest. Dr. Venancio Afable at St. Luke’s performed one appendix operation. So did Dr. N. M. Saleeby, at Baguio. Mrs. H. M. Cavender, Mrs. Verne E. Miller, Mrs. A. S. Heyward, Mrs. A. P. Drakeford and Mrs. S.D. Rowlands are among the ladies appointed to the association’s committees this year, Mrs. Miller heading the education committee. Mrs. Hilton Carson has done a great deal of active work with the association, and the cooperation of the general commu nity has been praiseworthy. At the close of the year the association had 97 wards under its charge, 14 supported by the association, 36 by trust funds and 47 by generosity of the schools where they are being educated. Six wards, all girls, have reached the age of 18 and left the association’s care under its rule not to extend support beyond that age. Of the 97 wards in its care last year, 76 were girls, 21 boys; and 80, 69 girls and 11 boys, were cared for in Manila while 17, 7 girls and 10 boys, were cared for in the provinces. The main effort of the association is to find suitable homes for the children, after looking after their health and schooling. Thirty-six girls are in Santa Domitilla’s Vo cational School: 1 is 6, 1 is 7, 1 is 8, 2 are 9, 1 is 10, 3 are 11, 4 are 12, 3 are 13, 1 is 14, 2 are 15, 2 are 16, 3 are 17, 6 are 18, 3 are 19, 1 is 20 and 1 is 21. Sixteen wards, girls, are at Union Church Hall, the youngest 13. the oldest20. Four are at the House of the Holy Child, 1 is 8, 1 is 11, 1 is 15 and 1 is 17. Three are at St. Anthony's Institution, 1 is 4, 2 are 12. Two are at the Hospicio de San Jos6, 1 is 11 and 1 is 13. One, 18, is at Maryknoll convent. Two girls, sisters 12 and 15 years old, are at the School for the Deaf and Blind. One, 18, is at the girls’ training school. A boy, 13, is at the Philippine Junior College; by ones and twos the others are in other schools or in the care of good families where they are assured pleasant homes. Of last year's re ceipts, 5*3,460 was from membership dues, 5*4,666.50 from contributions, 2 of 1*1,000 each, and the remainder from interest and other miscella neous sources, making up the total of 5*8,914.17. More members will be sought this year. While the association is in a sound financial condition, this is because it limits its work and takes thought of the morrow for the children already in its care. It has suc cessfully pressed claims of children entitled to pensions, and in its capacity as guardian sees that this money goes to the welfare of the children for whom it is paid. It has established sound trusts, under the guidance of the careful business men who have managed its affairs. It is, in fact, in a position warranting endowment for its perma nent support from the increment of capital placed in its charge. President Headington’s influence will be especial ly valued because of his prominence in American-veteran activities. 10 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1934 The American Chamber of Commerce OF THE Philippine Islands (Member Chamber of Commerce of the United States) DIRECTORS ALTERNATE DIRECTORS H. M. Cavender, Presielcnt E. J. McSorley K. B. Day, Vice-President L. D. Lockwood John L. Headington. Treasurer S. R. Hawthorne J, R. Wilson, Secretary F. H. Hale C. S, Salmon J. C. Rockwell --------E. M. Grimm Paul A. Meyer Veme E. Miller E. E, Selph, General Counsel COMMITTEES EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE; H. M. Cavender, Chairman K. B. Day J. R. Wilson RELIEF COMMITTEE. J. R. Wilson. Chairman MANUFACTURING COMMITTEE: K. B. Day. Chairman F. H. Hale LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE: H. M. Cavender. Chairmt K. B. Day L. D. Lockwood E. E. Selph J. R. Wilson FINANCE COMMITTEE: Veme E. Miller. Chairman E. J. Deymek S. R. Hawthorne C. E. Casey FOREIGN TRADE COMMITTEE: H. B. Pond. Chairman E. E. Spellman Kenneth B. Day PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE: H. M. Cavender. Chairman K. B. Day R. C. Bennett J. R. Wilson BANKING COMMITTEE: C. M. Cotterman, Chairman N. E. Mullen J. R. Lloyd RECEPTION. ENTERTAINMENT & HOUSE COMMITTEE E. J. McSorley. Chairman J. R. Wilson LIBRARY COMMITTEE: S. A. Warner. Chairman SHIPPING COMMITTEE: E. M. Grimm. Chairman E. J. McSorley G. P. Bradford E. W. Latie INVESTMENT COMMITTEE: H. M. Cavender. Chairman K. B. Day J. L. Headington J. C. Rockwell THE OUTLOOK Looking toward the economic future of the Philippines as it is to be affected by the commonwealth-independence bill or by newer legislation by congress, now talked of, setting up independence much sooner, it would be fairly easy to amass statistics overwhelm ing any hope of success. It could be proved that the public debt could not be serviced, since it takes about Pl 1,000,000 a year and tax revenue might easily shrink to no more than P30,000,000 for all purposes. It could be proved that the public school system, even now far from adequate to the people needs, could not be sustained. It could be proved that the civil service would have to be scrapped. In fact, the situation as it might be outlined with statistics would be entirely dark. As soon as independence comes, no Philippine sugar can be sold in the United States; while Java, bagging sugar 2-1/2 times cheaper than we do, would have easy advantage in China and all other possible markets. What could substitute sugar, our great cash crop that sustains such a large portion of our general commerce? Sugar growers giving up the unequal struggle and turning to food crops, would major in rice and soon close the market in the Bisayas for rice that Luzon rice growers now enjoy. How would anybody get any money, to buy anything? This is but one example of how black the statis tical picture of our economic future looks. The besieged coconut industry, sustaining a third of our pop ulation, is another equally dour example. The possibility is, as this is written, that coconut oil must bear a tax of at least 3 cents a pound in the United States regardless of provisions in the common wealth-independence act or of when independence comes. This seems ruin to that great industry; it seems to entail poverty verg ing on semifamine for some 4 or 5 million of our people. ’ With all the islands descending quickly from plenty to poverty, it is natural to surmise, and even to fear, an emotion that immolates all prop erty values, that domestic tranquility must inevitably be radically disturbed. In short, it is easy to vision a thoroughly demoralized, troubled and helpless country whose activities should be reduced to futile inadequate channels. Statistics show nothing but this. What, for instance, currently depresses the market for the proved bonanza shares of our two great gold mines, Benguet Consolidated and Balatoc; what but the conjecture that, revenue from other sources failing, the government will lay a heavy hand upon mines? This is one of the first symptoms of impending decline, that liquidation in flourishing industry begins. You hear it on the street; the least that may be said of it is this, it is uneasiness. But statistics are not, after all, a rounded index of human affairs. There is a destiny that shapes our ends, and of this des tiny most prophesies fail. Now let us go back, without statistics, over the facts just traced. Let us look at the soil’s adaptability, and sense the salubriousness of our climate. Both can sustain great shocks. If there should be real failure here, it would be the failure of men: the country itself will never be found wanting. So there is something to go on, the soil, the climate, their depend ability. There is also something more, an unspoiled peasantry. If the commonwealth-independence act prevails, we shall market another million-ton sugar crop duty free in the United States, and 10 more 850,000-ton crops during 10 years afterward. This is as much as we wanted, 2 or 3 years ago, and as much as we then sold: the industry at that limit fared quite well, and should again. If it can’t survive on a duty basis, essentially it is not an economical industry and its confinement to strict limits will do the country no ultimate harm. If coconut oil and copra must pay an excise tax in the United States, so long as this tax applies to competing foreign oils the soap trade there will probably continue buying our coconut oil and copra; and we can take chances with the 20% of the oil now taken by the margarine trade, since any general advance in the fats and oils market would favorably affect our coconuts in any case. The excise tax in itself would not determine the price of copra, a product in worldwide demand yielding the world’s prime oil for soap; so the tax would appear in the price of soap rather than in the price of copra, after the first shocks had spent themselves, when we should still have our coconut groves. Should added revenue be sought from mining, in lieu of revenue lost elsewhere, it is an even wager that levies would not be ruinous. The good repute of the new government would be at stake. Also, mining is developing here; at the existing rates it will yield increas ing revenue. There is no precedent that the Philippines have used the taxing power to destroy any substantial industry, men who make up the government don’t incline that way. Rice will always be widely grown in these islands. Bread of the people, it should be widely grown. If the general trend of future prices was so low that large plantations no longer yielded profit enough to hold them together, their division into smaller farms would not be at all adverse to the public weal. Such a level of prices, too, would be basic in sustaining other industries yielding reduced returns: cheaper bread would mean cheaper labor. Though the volume of overseas commerce must be measured by the islands’ ability to sell surplus products abroad, and there is therefore the prospect that a limited American market will cut this volume in two, or even fourth it, revised taxes might well save the public revenue from falling equally low. For a decade at least, the islands have the opportunity to make much revenue out of their customs charges. Supplementary to this, there is now oppor tunity to sell Philippine alcoholic products in the United States and build an industry in distilled and fermented liquors from which more revenue would come. How far manufacturing for a general export market may go in the Philippines hinges upon many factors, some of them inter related with conditions in other countries. But this field is filled with possibilities. A policy might be devised that would put Phil ippine ships on the seas: for a natural maritime country whose sailors are sober and capable to have no ships is highly artificial and irregular. Should ships come into being, overseas trade, the bulk of all trade the islands have, would soon be sustained by banks, insurance companies, merchants and manufacturers. The commonwealth-independence act cuts off immigration to the United States. This throws an increasing peasant popula tion back upon the islands themselves. The present public lands administration is too befuddled to meet the problems this situa tion presents to it, while the school system is in need of permanent revenue. An obvious solution of this dilemma would be to appro priate the public domain to the schools, in fee simple, ownership never to lapse. Then squatters might go on the public domain freely, and securely: they could be made to pay rent before their holdings were surveyed, and instead of being compelled to take up fixed minimum areas, as now, under the homestead law, they could take up only what they could put under the plow, and could pay rent accordingly. Beginning, the schools might have small revenue from the public lands; later it should be abundant. The squatter on the public domain would no longer be an offender of the law, but a public benefactor from the tithing of whose crops the schools would live. Philippine population will grow, and probably both by natural increase and substantial immigration. It is significant to note that Chinese now comprise two-fifths of the Dutch East Indies population, where too, the Caucasian population has mounted to 650,000. There are Philippine leaders and men of thought who are not disinclined toward Chinese immigration here, primarily to stimulate farming. It would influence industry no less. Peace is the open sesame for Chinese everywhere; give them but assurance of internal order in any country and only the most impregnable April, 1934 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 11 barrierskeep them out of it. In the Philippines there would prob ably be no such barriers, popular psychology and political leader ship not running in that direction. If in a few years, therefore, the Philippines should be domiciling 30 million people, among them a few million sturdy Chinese—and at least an industrial class of Japanese—realty values would return to tempting levels, certain ly in the metropolitan area, because of expanding business and industry. History gives the Philippines unstinted luck. It is at least possible that they will pass the present crisis and keep that luck. It is also not to be forgotten that if the immediate future rests on the commonwealth-independence act, the more remote future may be worked out in permanent association with the United States. In short, the present clouds may lift; the havoc of threat ening storm may pass with only slight and temporary harm done. Sanguine revision of the statistics may, after due trial, be in order. —W. R. Advertising the Philippines Through the Movies Fox “Magic Carpet” scouts shot more than 30 different subj’ects here: the ice broken, others must venture too Three visiting newspaper folk were in Manila at one time a month ago. At least one of them writes for a syndicate service used by the New York Times; and the other two specialize on feature news. All visited the walled city, took notes, will have filed stories: on the Clare nuns, on the Cathe dral, on the Agustinian church. Of course they found many other subjects. Their stories will bear Philippine date lines; besides being news, they will advertise the islands better than it could be done in paid space. Aside from what they write, what they say will be even more valuable in setting up fa vorable repute for the Philippines in the United States; what they say in conversations, perhaps in lectures^to just the class of people who travel. All are women, so talk enough is assured. One has an nounced plans to return to the islands next year and head of party of travelers who will make a somewhat extended visit here. This shows how the world is learning, slowly, that the Philippines abound in interest for visitors. Another paper in this issue of the Journal tells how the Philippines have wrought their strange spell on Carl Werntz, well known American artist, and on his wife, Milicent Werntz, who is a writer. Werntz has high repute among painters both from wide friendship among them because of his 25 years of art teaching in Chicago. For 3 years he and Mrs. Werntz have been on a sketching-writing trip, going where it pleases them to go, doing into pictures and stories only, what they like. The Philippines have so delighted them that they definitely plA,n coming back here in November, and after ward making visits here frequent events. Werntz thinks that for the artist there is no richer field in the world than the Philippines. He finds much talent among Philippine artists and intends enjoying the watching of its progress. Exhibitions of his Philippine sketches, in the United States and Europe, will do no end of good in exciting traveler-interest in the islands. Folk that come here upon such an invitation will tend to make long stays. (Three engravings of Werntz sketches appear in this issue of the Journal). Best of all, for a wide public, is the fact that the Philippines have come into world new enough of late to bring here, for a stay of 9 weeks, a fox movietone troupe. For the Fox Magic Carpel feature, more than 30 subjects were recorded here by this troupe. Such reels run to about 1,000 feet. Some have already been released in Manila. Fox news reel No. 36 carried shots of Governor General Frank Murphy signing the woman franchise bill in the presence of a woman’s delega tion. Reel No. 38 featured a review of scout troops at Fort Wm. McKinley by Major General Frank Parker, upon his arrival here as department commander. Fox news reel No. 40 pictured the fashion show at this year’s carnival, a big news break for the Philippine woman’s formal costume. This reel was on at the Metropolitan during the showing of Jimmie and Sallie featuring James Dunn and Claire Trevor. Other releases will follow throughout the year, while Fox plans recording the news of the islands more regularly from now on. Universal has taken many news subjects in the Philippines. Their news cameraman for the Far East is George Krainikov, stationed at Shanghai. He recorded Mayon’s latest eruption and has done many other subjects here that have gone into Universal’s news reels. Many events are in prospect here that should make more than the usual appeal to movie au diences, especially audiences in the United States. The session of the legislature accepting the Tydings-McDuffie bill will be one, and Governor Murphy’s confirmation of the act. Then the call for constitutional convention delegates, and the convention deliberating; and after that, things going by sche dule, soon the inauguration of the commonwealth government. Jack Wooster, The American Vagabond, who syndicates news features and dabbles at camera and recording work, was thrilled by the voice of a leper boy 12 years old, at San Lazaro hospital, singing The Last Round-Up. Jack wants that voice recorded, wagers it must be one of the big radio hits. Success ‘ to his effort. He plans it for a leper fund. As the Philippines rise in world attention, cameramen will discover that there are feature subjects here for the maximum footage they can induce their employers to let past. And hardly now, since Fox alone garners more than 30 subjects in a single expedition, can any of the newsreel agencies afford neglecting the Philippines. Now that Manchuria quiets down and political curiosity about the Far East shifts to the Philippines at least for a while, the islands win footage in the newsreels and, in a sense, reap where they have not sown. For they have given no particular attention to the business of getting into the newsreels; it is interest abroad, not here, that puts them there. But it will bring the islands visitors, who will bring money: in short, it is a fine beginning. When you order matches, call for SUNSET MATCHES On Sale Everywhere These and other brands, bearing the name Philippine Match Co. ----------------- Limited----------------will save you trouble. They light at any time, rain or no rain. You can throw them anywhere after lighting and the flame will be immediately extinguished, leaving no afterglow. They are, therefore, the SAFEST. (N RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 12 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1934 Philippine Economic Conditions—February, 1934 Trade with the principal countries was: "Ou".::::::::: :::::: ggg 'fefc........... ....................... +12,056,414 + 5,794,014 2.3457™ 148™°° ........... .... :....... ...................... - 484,883 - 575,133 M Ist.OM 1,989 1,141 664,273 243,539 ::::::::::::::::: J&l » ?,“2‘ 216,908 3,729,846 174,424 Total. April, 1934 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 13 Coconut oil: United States......... China........................ British East Indies. Hongkong................. Japan........................ Dutch East Indies. Total.................. to have been considered as trade values by the Statistical Division and so entered. Imports free of duty and those carrving specific duties were also converted at mint par and so entered by the Statistical Division. Arranging the trade by countries to show for the two years the source of both favorable and unfavorable balances: Desiccated coconut: United States. Hawaii........... Total. Oriental: Australia............................. British East Indies......... Netherland East Indies. Other Oriental countries. Millions of pesos 1933 1932 0 3 6 3 7 Oriental balance. - 32.3 - 26.1 Detailed exports of sugar, January 1934: Centrifugal: United States and total.............................................................. Kilos Pesos 143,018,854 16,508,640 Refined: United States and total............................................................... 2,940,201 480,946 Detailed exports of tobacco products, January 1934 : Leaf: Kilos Pesos European: Great Britain............................ Germany.................................... France....................................... Belgium........................................ Switzerland.............................. Other European countries (a) European balance.............. Other foreign balance.................. Total foreign balance................... United States balance.................. Overseas Trade Balance......... 6 2 4 31 0 1 2 0 Belgium . . . . Italy............. Netherlands. China........... 24,728 719 2.523 Japan............. Gibraltar....... French Africa. 5,670 150 1,415 450 147,094 3,000 2,780 Total 531,643 161,559 United States. Hawaii........... Great Britain. 17,749,967 369,570 46,200 10,000 12,080 13,200 561,263 19.101 1,994 480 284 827 35,958 Netherlands. Switzerland. China........... 2,840 71,600 1,829 Hongkong................. Australia.................... Gibraltar.................. Norway.................... Dutch East Indies. French East Indies. Port. East Indies. . Panama...................... 500 5,269 Total. CigarettesUnited States. . .. Hawaii................... Switzerland........... China..................... Hongkong.............» Fr. East Indies. .. Portuguese China. Total.................. Scraps, stripped filler and cigar ends: United States........... Netherlands............... China......................... Total 30,000 10,192 6.800 57.425 5.500 10,000 15,570 48 840 3,551 136 400 994 19,628,044 637.078 40,000 370 60,000 504 9.300 17 210,000 630 270,000 485 130,400 417 277,500 463 997,200 2,886 Kilos 53.287 515 420 16,614 130 150 54,222 16,894 Orcrseas trade, calendar year 1933^: The value of exports (.exclusive of gold) in calendar 1933 was p211,542,105 as com pared with P190.676.161 during 1932. Imports were P149,472.360 ft>) as against P158790.170. The resulting favorable visible balance of trade was P62.069 745 as compared with P31.885.991 for 1932. Trade values with the principal countries for 1933 compared with 1932 were: Millio 1933 PO'19l 87.10 (a) Includes Canada. The values of imports, on a basis of the medium classification, for 1933 and 1932 were: Pesos 1933 1932 39,590,115 41,977,700 18,897,390 20,860,713 11,224,690 11,594,700 4,770,357 4,901,256 615,421 758,830 4,082,257 3,862,189 26,210,367 27,213,822 7,561,820 7,013,107 (4.770,990) (4,903.878) (1,458,320) ( 998,698) (1,332,510) (1,110,541) 4,685.813 5,203,020 831,114 1,538,319 1,978,344 1,837,970 2,251,312 2,467,972 2,636,654 2,925,234 3,204,828 2,102,493 3,060,482 3,125,697 11,844,512 12,716,064 11,947,489 14,574,507 2,510,380 3,554,931 4,929,147 5,831,565 2,053,483 2,272,457 1,284,693 1,655,164 1,169,786 1,260,390 10,042,437 12,7',0,190 243,677 253,150 3,390,590 4,548,753 5,803,320 7.010.839 604,850 927,448 10,732,633 9,966,799 3,928,668 3,920,043 749,137 626,113 3,479,473 2,951,780 1,193,085 1,155,193 1,382,270 1,313,670 1933 PeS°S 1932 7,189,119 7,976,788 3,043,350 3,156,154 1,283,446 2,062,189 9,909 2,044 1,119,868 1,321,588 1,732,546 1,434,813 4,860,537 5,529,333 1,592,511 1,892,547 3,268,026 3.636,786 1,973,011 1,516,272 4,234,596 5,386,142 1,518,776 1,504,026 1,022,606 1,067,824 340,769 378,018 155,401 58,184 19,328,768 17,688,527 149,472,360 158,790,170 Textiles.................................................. Cotton piece goods........................ Cotton manufactures (a)...................... Silk and rayon, and manufactures.... Wool and manufactures......... Vegetable fibers and manufactures . . Foodstuffs...................................................... BreadstufTs................................................. Wheat flour........................................... Rice........................................... Other........................................................ Dairy products......................................... Eggs, natural ........................................... Fish and fish products........................... Fruits and nuts........................... ......... Meat products................... ................. Vegetables, fresh and preserved.......... Other foodstuffs (b)................................... Iron and steel goods (c).................................. Petroleum products.............................................. Gasoline..................................... Kerosene........................ Other........K................................... . Machinery................................................. Agricultural implements............................. Electrical machinery (d)........................ Industrial machinery (e).............................. Instruments and apparatus (f).................. Chemicals and products................................... Chemicals, drugs, dyes, and medicines.. Explosives....................................................... Fertilizers (g)................................................. Paints, pigments and varnishes............... Perfumery and cosmetics........................... Automotues..................... Cars............................... Trucks.......................... Motorcycles................. Parts and accessories. Tires.............................. Paper products................ Printed (h).................. Unprinted.................... Coal................................... Tobacco and manufacturt Footwear............................ Colton uppers............ Leather......................... Rubber........................... Other imports................... Total Imports.............. Quantities and values of exports, by medium classification, for 1933 and 1932 were: United States & Possessions China.......................................... Germany................................... Spain.......................................... Great Britain........................... British East Indies............... Netherland East Indies......... France......................................... French East Indies................. Australia................•................... Belgium...................................... Netherlands............................... Other countries...................... 5 3 8 7 0 5 7 3 7 9 2 7 8 2 3 2 3 0 0 2 Centrifugal..................................... Muscovado..................................... Refined........................................... Molasses......................................... Value in 1933 129,307,980 110,722,452 1,500 8,943,979 640,049 Quantity, metric tons 1933 1932 1,205,082 1,023,452 18 55,227 126,385 3 2 6 7 Total. 149 5 158 8 211,5 190.7 (a) Summation of Philippine Bureau of Customs Monthly Bulletins, January to December, 1933, inclusive. (b) Attention is invited to the fact that values for 1933, as well as for January 1934, are fictitious in so far as thej apply to imports from countries having depreciated cur rencies. Prior to 1933 the Philippine Bureau of Customs converted invoices covering foreign goods into pesos at current rates of exchange (fixed every week). With the passage of Act 4034, commonly known as the "Philippine Parity Law”, the Bureau of Customs was required for the purpose of levying ad valorem duties to convert invoices covering foreign goods into pesos at the mint par of exchange as listed in said law rather than at the current rate of exchange. Due to reductions in staff of the Bureau of Cus toms' Statistical Division, there was not sufficient personnel to handle two types of con versions: one for customs purposes and the other for purposes of trade statistics. As a consequence the arbitrary and artificial conversions of the Appraisers Division appear 1,121,552 959,181 261 57,126 104,974 (a) Except cotton shoes. (b) Includes cocoa, coffee, confectionery, starch, sugar, molasses, and tea. (c) Includes hardware, cutlery and tools. (d) Includes electrical apparatus and appliances. (e) Includes rice threshers and mills, eugar central and oil-expresser machinery, and tractors. (f) All non-eloctrical instruments and apparatus. (g) Chemical and natural. (h) Includes books. Coconut products................................... Coconut oil....................................... Copra cake and meal..................... Desiccated coconut.......................... Hard fibers, raw................................... Abaca.................................................. Buntal................................................. Other raw fibers (a)....................... Value in pesos 1933 1932 41,731,338 17,912,057 18,339,645 2,114,027 3,365,609 30,909,476 10,266,454 15,302,287 2,107,333 3,233,402 Quantity, metric tons 1933 1932 14,904,850 10,688,492 13,747,719 10,031,204 417,841 105,735 739,290 531,553 586,173 308,753 159,621 99,872 17,927 343,335 137,241 114,673 75,848 16,073 164,258 115,090 152,151 105,785 129 46 11,978 9,259 14 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1934 Hard fiber manufactures...................... Cordage.............................................. Knotted abaca.................................. Hats (b)............................................. Cloth................................................... Other manufactures......................... 3,887,368 1,813,536 428,648 3,031,910 1,318,093 457,433 1,532,111 3,822 49,247 1,187,176 5,294 63,914 5,855 3,833 314 306 (Quantity, thousands) 988 745 (Quantity, eq. meters) 14,313 3,094 Estimated stocks, Manila, end of month, metric Prices, drums, Manila, pesos per kilo: High....................................................................... 20,427 20,902 0.10 0.095 0.105 0.095 0.12 0.11 Embroideries........................................... 3,798,716 6,"00,667 Cotton................................................. 3,661,337 6,534,088 Silk...................................................... 137,294 165,561 Laces................................................... 85 1,018 Tobacco................................................... Ixjaf..................................................... Cigarettes.............. ......................... Other tobacco (c)............................ 10,355,787 3,685,105 6,315,866 62,421 292,395 19,800,1 IS 5,644,466 16,897 21,620 (Quantity, thousands) 6,462,436 196,141 182,575 58,859 21,580 24,870 (Quantity, metric tons) 634,357 909 1,502 Copra cake and meal Estimated exports, metric tons: All countries........................................................ United States...................................................... Estimated stocks, Manila, end of month, metric Prices, f. o. b. Manila, pesos per metric ton: High....................................................................... Low........................................................................ 8,870 1,689 2,511 18.50 18.30 10,974 1,576 18.75 18.30 8,225 495 5,320 25.00 23.50 Wood......................... Timber and logs. Sawed lumber. .. Veneers................ Other exports........... Total Exports. .. 8,546,764 875,767 1,661,447 9,550 5,069,306 1,677,750 (Quantity, cu. meters) 744,410 126,939 86,061 925,040 62.318 33,345 (Quantity, sq. meters) 8,300 116,253 30,622 Desiccated coconut Estimated exports, metric tons: United States...................................................... 1,946 Abaca (Manila hemp) February abaca opened slightly weaker than January close but remained fairly con stant throughout the month. Receipts were heavy and exports, espMally to the United States, were much heavier than either January or February a year ago. Salecby’s statistics, in bales, follow: 1,030 1,715 (a) Includes canton, maguey, sisal and others. (b) Includes abaca, bamboo, buntal, buri, cotton, straw, and others. (d) Includes scraps, stripped filler, cigar ends, smoking, and others. Exchange Market for U. S. T.T. opened with sellers at 3/4 per cent premium, buyers offering 3/8 per cent premium, 60-days sight at 5/8 per cent discount. By end of first week, market sagged to sellers 3/8 per cent premium, buyers at 1/8 per cent premium. Owing to cash shortage in foreign banks, the weakness became more pronounced to close at -sellers 1/8 per cent discount, buyers 1/2 per cent discount , 60-days sight at 1-1/8 per cent discount. The decline continued to March 15 when sellers were 1/4 percent discount and buyers 5/8 per cent discount. Total exchange sold by the Insular Treasurer for February were $4,000 of demand and $950,000 of telegraphic transfers. Estimated receipts......................... Estimated exports: All countries............................... United States and Canada. . . United Kingdom and Europe. Estimated stocks, P. I. ports. Feb. 1934 103,997 Jan. 1934 82,124 Feb. 1933 85,727 February banking registered further increases in total resources, time and demand -deposits with considerable decreases in loans, discounts and overdrafts as woll as invest ments and net working capital of foreign banks. The Insular Auditor’s report for February 24 showed the following in millions of pesos: Total resources............................................................................... Loans, discounts and overdrafts............................................... Investments.................................................................................... Time and demand deposits........................................................ Net working capital, foreign banks......................................... Average daily debits to individual accounts, four weeks ending ....................................................................................... Total circulation............................................................................ Feb. 84 1934 240 102 40 132 7 4.2 127 119,856 94,108 37,162 19,924 52,944 43,499 25,715 27,626 123,514 124,176 84,291 12,164 35,011 Week-end prices, f.a.s. buyer’s godown, Manila, pesos per picul: Feb. 17 5 50 5.00 4.50 33,848 149,783 Jan. 87 Feb. 85 1934 1933 234 221 106 113 49 55 130 117 11 19 3.4 117 •Credits and collections Credits were extremely difficult with banks declining extensions or new commitments •on either agricultural or urban real estate. Both bank and store collections in Manila •and provinces were reported satisfactory. * February sugar opened firm with transactions at P7.40 which advanced to P8.00 about mid-month at which point heavy shipments were made. Thereafter prices receded sharply due to renewed weakness in the United States, closing at approximately the opening levels. Weather conditions in Negros weie reported slightly improved but Warner Barnes export data follows: U. S. Atlantic: Centrifugal... Refined.......... Long Tons Not. 1, 1933 to Nor. 1, 1938 to Feb. 88, 1934 Feb. 88, 1933 489.554 403,920 4,275 V. S. Pacific: Centrifugal...................................................................................... Refined............................................................................................. Totals: Centrifugal. Refined.. .. 507,357 420,425 30,115 20,588 'Centrifugal and refined.................................................................... 537,472 441,013 Coconut products The February copra and oil markets were practically demoralized due to pending action of the Uniteci States Congress on the proposed excise tax. All interests lead by the Governor-General were rushing radiograms to Washington in an effort to bolt or modify action. Many local factors openly presumed the impossibility of the proposal being seriously considered but with its passage by a large majority in the House on February 21, the situation changed to one of very active opposition. Prices broke as both exporters and millers were reluctant to buy against inability to sell on future de livery. Large transactions were limited to covering of short sales. Exports of copra, above last year were below January. Oil to the United States was heavier than in both January and February 1933. Copra receipts exceeded either comparison by approximately 20 per cent. The copra cake market was dull with mills unable to effect commitments on future Data from Leo Schnurmacher, Inc., follows: Estimated arrivals: Manila, sacks...................................................... Cebu, sacks......................................................... Estimated exports, metric tons: All countries....................................................... United States.................................................... Feb. 1934 Jan. 1934 Feb. 1933 312,584 215,193 224,680 206,216 232,336 213,921 18,817 12,497 Feb. 1934 Jan. 1934 Estimated stocks, Manila, end of month, metric Prices, resecada, buyer's godown, Manila, pesos per 100 kilos: High.................................................................. Feb. 1933 71,520 66,9X6 28,420 4.20 4.00 5.60 5.00 Coconut oil Estimated exports, metric tons: AU countries............................... United States............................. 14,584 14,324 11,792 711,647 13,066 12,857 The outlook for the coming crop in the Cagayan Valley is very promising with weather conditions considered ideal. Transactions in the local market were insignificant. How ever, there were large shipments to the Monopolies of Spain and Japan. Alhambra's export data covering rawleaf, stripped filler and scraps follow: Australia............................. China.................................. Gibraltar............................. Germany............................. Japan and Korea.......... North Africa..................... North Atlantic (Europe). Spain................................... Straits Settlements.......... United States.................... Total........................................................................... 3,037.323 Cigar shipments to the United States were steady at 20,000.000 compared to 19,628,044 (Customs final) for January and 12,316,659 (Customs final) for February 1933. The February rice market was steady and moderately active at gradually increasing quotations, reaching the peak during the third week on account of inquiries from the southern islands and for export to the United States. However, prices receded due to heavy arrivals and the market closed at slightly above the opening. New crop harvest practically completed by early March. New paddy quotations ranged from Pl.55 to P2.10 per sack of 44 kilos, cars, Cabanatuan. Rice arrivals in Manila totaled 214,000 sacks as compared with 221,000 sacks in January and 165,000 in February 1933. Lumber Lumber production in January was reported at 16,120,600 board feet as against 9,709,200 board feel for the same month in 1933. Inventories at the end of January showed 25,458,000 board feet compared to 25,402,000 board feet on the corresponding date in 1933. Car and truck sales, white under January, were much better than in February of the past year. Substantial stocks were available towards the end of the month but at least one line in heavy demand suffered from delayed arrivals. The second-hand market was satisfactory with stocks light. Parts and accessories moved in normal seasonal volume. Collections both in Manila and the provinces were good. Comparative import and registration data follows: Registrations: Trucks........ Trucks. Feb. 1934 Jan. 1934 Feb. 1933 224 338 177 125 232 82 . 225 183 49 330 306 101 Tires Following the previous month's heavy sales, tire demand slumped in February. Ar rivals were average and stocks normal. Market sustained January price increase and further upward adjustment expected in April. Collections were good. Demand for shoes—seasonal, pre-Easter and school graduations—brought heavy demand and heavy arrivals. Stocks at'close were on heavy side. Foodstuffs The December-January seasonally good demand for imported foodstuffs was followed by a decline in February with prospects for little improvement until near end of the rainy season (May-June). Flour.—The market was decidedly quiet. The six weeks ending March 15 showed an apparent decline in consumption of not less than 25 per cent. In spite of light arrivals, dealers consider stocks ample until demand picks up. Arrivals and local prices were: United States. Patents.... Cut-offs... . Straights... Canada........... Australia........ Japan............. China............. . Sacks 194,500 30,060 17,481 4,000 9.50—10.00 8.00— 8.80 7.40— 8.00 9.20—10.00 7.00— 8.50 6.60— 6.80 6.60— 6.80 Sardines.—Demand fair; U.S. stocks heavy at P5.40 to P6.20; Japanese light at >5.40 to P5.60. Mackerel.—Demand light; U.S. stocks ample at P5.60. April, 1934 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 15 Bromural "Knoir* BONDS Firearm Ammunition Judicial Contractors Customs Internal Revenue Fidelity and other Bonds INSURANCE Fire Marine Earthquake Typhoon Workman’s Compensation and other Insurance Call or Write for Particulars FIDELITY AND SURETY COMPANY of the PHILIPPINE ISLANDS is the remedy — it is quite harmless, soothes the nerves and induces healthy and invigoarating sleep. Obtainable from all chemists in lubes of 20 tablets. Knoll A.-G., Chemical Works, Ludwigshafen-on-Rhine. FORMULA: Urotropina 0-051 —Benzoato litico 0-028—Sales piperacinicas 0-046—Fosfato disddico 0-023—Escipiente efervescente q. s. para 1 orGeo. C. Dankwerth President P. M. POBLETE Sec.-Treasurer E. B. Ford Vice-President A. Santwico Asst. Sec.-Treasurer MONTE DE PIEDAD BUILDING Plaza Gold Tel. 2-12-55 Manila, P. I. IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 16 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1934 Carl Hess Falls from Oldtimers’ Ranks: Death Sudden Caul Hess Carl Hess died Friday morning, April 6, at, his home, of a heart attack of which there had been no warning save slight discomfort in the ACETYLENE Dissolved Acetylene for all purposes OXYGEN Compressed Oxygen 99.5% pure HYDROGEN Compressed Hydrogen 99.8% pure WELDING Fully Equip ped Oxy-Acetylene Weld ing Shops. ^'BATTERIES . r.; Prest-O-Lite I •' I • Electric Stor• age Batteries Philippine Acetylene Co. 281 CALLE CRISTOBAL, PACO MANILA, P. I. altitudes at Baguio when he had visited there a few days prior to his death. He had break fasted the morning he died, and was preparing to go to his office. But feeling a bit tired, he had said he would lie down for a while. Death came to him in sleep. Next morning at 9 at the National Funeral Parlors Dr. George W. Wright, over a bier buried in floral offerings, eulogized Carl Hess’s life. The room was crowd ed with bereaved friends from all communities in Manila. Many were standing. Final serv ices occurred at Ccmenterio del Norte, where the body was interred. Mrs. Hess and a son, Carl Hess, Jr., survive. The son had recently been associated with his father in the Hess & Zeitlin brokerage offices on the Escolta, which continue under the same firm name. Carl Hess died a week prior to his 60th birth day, which he. had invited friends to celebrate with him. He came to Manila a civilian quarter master lemploye in 1S99 and upon leaving the government service launched into the broker age and contracting business in which he became prosperous. Three years ago he undertook development of the Salacot group of gold claims, across the gulch from the Ipo mine in the Angat district: the new goldfield 30 miles from Manila on a modern motor road. The property was developed conservatively, and the company had been reorganized and was amassing capital for a mill when Carl Hess died. This work will go on without interruption. In earlier years Carl Hess was on the director ate of the American chamber of commerce. He was a member of many clubs and had many sincere friends both in business and social life. In business he was able, in life, charitable. His passing is widely mourned. It thins once more the dwindling ranks of the American oldtimers in the islands. A death that shocked Manila greatly was that, of Joseph E. Mills, finance adviser to GovernorGeneral Frank Murphy and one of his closest personal friends. It was caused by typhoid fever, and occurred at Sternberg General Hos pital where Mr. Mills had been treated after the malady was somewhat advanced. Death came at 12 minutes past midnight, Satur day, April 7, with Governor Murphy at the bedside to the last. Overwhelming to him was this parting with his able friend and associate, whose aid had meant so much of his own suc cess. Mr. Mills was 39 years old. Funeral services at the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. John, where Bishop Gouvernor Mosher read the service for the dead, filled the cathedral with friends Mr. Mills had made in official and social life since his arrival in the islands with Governor Murphy last June: so much had he won wide spread respect and friendship in 9 short months. “He was the best executive I ever knew,’’ said Governor Murphy, “and the best public servant.” The body will be interred at Detroit, the Mills’ home city. Mrs. Mills and the daughter, Betty Lou, return to Detroit soon. In Detroit Mills had gone with Governor Murphy when the latter left the bench to assume office as mayor; he had first reorganized the city’s purchasing depart ment, then administered the Detroit Street Railway—in each instance, tactful success and remarkable economies. Here he had headed the railroad, represented the governor general at the bank and in the government companies, and had placed the provinces on a sound budget basis. He was working on the budget system and monthly statements for the towns at the time he fell ill. His unassuming manner and universal courtesy were remarkable. Systematic to the last degree, he discharged a large volume of work with apparent ease; yet he did so much that it must have undermined his resistance. C. M. Cotterman temporarily fills his place at the Philippine National Bank, while Governor Murphy has selected his permanent successor and cabled for him to come to Manila. —From Judge. He.—What a parade! It took us six hours to pass a given point! She.—It must have been a saloon! GORDON DRY heart T XT °f a gOOd IjllN cocktail MARCHAT’S OLD HIGHLAND Scotch Whisky for Good Highballs Kuenzle & Streiff SOLE AGENTS Main Office: Branch Office: 343 T. Pinpin 44-48 Isaac Peral Tel. 2-39-36 Tel. 2-17-62 Branches: Cebu, Iloilo and Zamboanga Also distributors for Alhambra Cigars IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1934 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 17 An American Artist’s... (Continued from page 8) distance, and not only that, but complete silence while work was in operation. So simpatico and orderly was everything that the artist quite forgot how very long he was keeping his model in one position when one of the village Valentinos, who spoke English, vouchsafed the information, “Sne say she get tired,” and that was the end—no more could silence or pose be regained. Contrary was the experience in Navotas, near Manila. There everyone not only talked continuously but gathered in mobs about the artist and kept up a ribaldry of jests, possibly due to the gay evening hour approaching, and the glory of a Philippine sunset; whereas in Zamboanga, work was carried on in the dignified midmorning’s glow. At Jolo, though the women swimmers chasing pennies in that port are veritable Gaugin south sea canvasses come to life, it was the men who caught the artist’s eye. Amid another re spectful silent crowd in the market, he enthu siastically did a sketch of a handsome youth richly costumed; and upon completion, in offering a fee in payment of the posing, he was informed that the young sitter was a datu! The self possessed young man most graciously bowed us goodbye. There is an old adage that implies artists are often hungry; usuallj’ from lack of funds, though modernly, it sometimes is from lack of cooks’ artistry, for a connoisseur in beauty is frequently a connoisseur in foods as well. Wherever are found artists’ groups, Greenwich Village, Soho, Montmarte, Montparnasse, the Balearics, there will be found good restaurants—amusing sur roundings as well as artistic food are half the life of an artist—and will you believe it when world gourmets tell you that they eat joyously in the Philippines? Were the Hotel Plaza of Zamboanga plumped down on the Mediterranean coast, it would be famous for its menus. So too would the little hotel in Pagsanhan, whose fried chicken and salad are the creations of artists. In Manila, old world amusement that belongs in the life of an artist when eating is supplied by La Palma de Mallorca, theOriente, Delmonicos,the Arcade, Sukiyaki, and the little afternoon coffee group that gathers in the Crystal Arcade: so many times this winter, that group might easily, in our thought, have been Montparnasse de Paris. Manila’s Restaurant de Paris is verit able frantjaise. Dining there, one may choose their own world atmosphere and be in Fez, Morocco, in Saigon, in Noumea, New Caledonia; or, if dear to the heart, in Marsailles on Friday when boulebaisse is served; or within the cordial portals of the famed Napoleon house of Hotel du Nord, in Arles. As our old professors, encouraging our study of languages, used to say, “not until you speak another language do you appreciate your own,” so, too, perhaps, it is in seeing artists’ subjects. Not until many artists’ haunts have become known does indigenous man appreciate the beauties at hand. So the roadway from Taytay to Pagsanhan with its old churches and spots as lovely as Venice; and from Mahayhay and Lilio to Los Banos; old walled and batt lcmentedCavite, mangos and bananas in Manila markets, the pottery section of the Yangco market, and Paco cemetery at twilight, with its delightful sexton who proclaims himself St. Peter, and slyly waggles a colossal key as though it were a duelist's sword— these are but a few of the sunset joys that the Philippines haVen to artists: that they have proffered us in these few months, and that offer an intriguemcnt for returning to the islands next winter. And why shouldn’t American artists return year after year to the Philippines, instead of shivering and doing again and again the subjects that for centuries have been done in southern Italy, Greece and Egypt, since all this oriental occidental beauty lies peacefully encompassed in the world’s most gorgeous sunsets, amid an understanding people?—J/..UJP. Our Humble Apologies By one of those errors that forever remain inexplicable, something the mind seems sure of when it is merely taking night for day, we recent ly attributed The Index to a bank that does not publish it, instead of to the New York Trust Company, that does publish it, very competently, under the editorship of Dudley L. Parsons. In the correspondence thus provoked, Mr. Parsons has been very generous about the slip. “I believe,” he writes, “that the best answer to the charges made in your open letter would be contained in a brief statement of the policy followed in preparing articles for The Index. We attempt to prepare concise authoritative and unbiased presentation of a topic of current interest. The necessity of keeping articles at length suitable for reading by busy men makes it imperative that only the major features of a subject be treated in any detail. An attempt to single out any minor features could only result in disproportionate emphasis, and a lack of balance for the whole article. ... To give adequate treatment of the Philippine market in an article devoted to a domestic situation in which the foreign aspects must be summed up in about 50 to 100 words would, at best, be in consistent.” Editor Parsons pays the Journal praise it will not be modest enough to withhold from its readers: “Finally, we appreciate your generous praise of The Index, and hope, with an understanding of our position, that you will continue to find it of value. For our part, although we receive a great volume of regional economic journals, I can frankly state that very few achieve the high standards usually maintained bv The American Chamber of Commerce Journal.” The italics are ours, and if our embarrassing slip has been the means of bringing us another occasional correspondent on matters of economics, we take it as providential after all.—IF. R. Del Mundo’s Modernization... (Continued from page 6) (see illustrations'); vases, decorative bric-a-brac, and statuary. He has developed a glazed tile out of clay, which is jvery inexpensive—two tiles for one centavo—and could be very effectively used for walls or floors. Then he ’has worked out larger, white tiles, which are about six inches square, and which are decorated with Philippine scenes, handpainted. These are beautiful things. Another young man, one of del Mundo’s assistants, whose name is Leon A. Sangalang (a pupil of Amorsolo), works on these tiles and has produced designs for table tops which, typically Philippine as they are, should find a ready market. Perhaps del Munao’s most radical introduction here is the use of molds instead of the old potter's wheel. This eliminates the necessity for skilled labor, is much cheaper and faster. He uses 100% Philippine materials. Felspar is still scarce here, so his production of refined porcelain is limited. There is plenty of kaolin, and he gets flint in sufficient quantities from Pasukin, Ilocos Norte. The ceramics industry is moving along. It would go faster and do more for the country with a bit of money to do with. We suggest that it would be an excellent thing for the government to set aside a little money—1*1,000 would do nicely—to help the cause along. Del Mundo would make it pay dividends._______ U. S. PENSIONS IN P. I. On January 31, 1933, the annual payments the United States was mak ing in the Philippines on account of pensions, service benefits, etc., sum med P3,200,000 or SI,600,000. The number of beneficiaries was then 7,053. This included veterans, their widows and minor children and sundry other beneficiaries. Eight hundred American veterans were in this number, and 1,400 American veterans’ widows and minor children or other dependents; Filipino veterans numbering 4,811 were included, of whom some 100 were in the Philippine division of troops organized for the World War'and federalized after the armistice from November 20, to December 19, 1918. Other Filipino pensioners, of the 4,811, are about equally divided between scouts of peacetime service and scouts of the insurrection period. The Economy Act of March 20, 1933, cut off 1,400 pensions that were being paid in the Philippines, including those of 400 Americans. It is believed that the pension legislation of March 28 this year, passed over President Roosevelt’s veto, restores all these pensions less a 25% reduction, and that individual undeserving cases will be taken up one by one and eliminated on their merits. The new legislation makes November 11, 1918, the date of the closing of World War service and therefore eliminates pensioners of the federal period of the existence of the Philippine division, save such as establish presumptive disability. Many details are to be worked out, but this year’s pension payments will far exceed last year’s in the Philippines. General Manufacturing Co. --------INCORPORATED-------Offices: Factory: 129 Juan Luna 900, Int. Inverness Tel. 4-90-68 Tel. 6-72-42 P. O. Box 718, Manila, P. I. Manufacturers of: Pure Manila Rope Dry White Twine Binder Twine Rope, Yam, Etc. IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNA 18 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1934 CHARTERED BANK OF inadJad cahuintaralia Capital and Reserve Fund........................................ £6,000,000 Reserve Liability of Proprietors............................... 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, Manager, LUZON BROKERAGE CO., INC. Derham Building P. O. Box 591 Port Area Tel. 2-24-21 ▼ Licensed Customs Brokers Foreign Freight Forwarders Heavy Trucking Contractors Warehousemen The Philippine Guaranty Company, Inc. (Established in 1917) SURETY BONDS— We execute Bonds of various kinds, specially CUSTOMS BONDS, FIRE ARMS BONDS, INTERNAL REVENUE BONDS, PUBLIC WORKS BONDS for Contractors, COURT BONDS for Executors, Administrators and Receivers and BAIL BONDS in criminal cases. FIRE INSURANCE— In the Philippine Islands. LOANS— Secured by first mortgage on improved properties in the City of Manila on the monthly amortization plan. Second Floor Phone 2-41-11 p o Box 12g INSULAR LIFE BLDG. MANILA You Take the High Rate... {Continued from page 7) Now, it is perfectly obvious to everyone that if losses suddenly mount when times are hard, the reason therefor is not an act of God, but incendiarism. A good fire can make a man a lot of money, and has made many a man a lot of money in these last few years, not only here, but elsewhere. We have an excellent arson law in the Philip pines. If we could only convict anyone under that law, we would certainly have them dead to rights. But convictions are next to impossible under our laws of evidence. As a recent Bul letin editorial puts it, unless a man announces to the whole community that he is going to commit arson on his property, and then lets the whole community see him do it, a convic tion can’t be had. Any insurance agent will tell you that a huge percentage of fires lately are incen diary, yet insurance companies have, except in exceedingly rare cases, had to pay such claims along with the legitimate ones; although they have often taken cases to court first. Take two stores, each selling bicycles of the same make, imported from the same manu facturer. One, let us say, is required to pay import duties, income taxes, and what not, to run up his cost of business; the other is required to pay none of these items. Naturally the fellow who has no expenses to pay out can give you the bicycle for less money than the other one—if he will. But is it fair? The local agents say no; but on the other hand, the man who is buying insurance says, “Let me buy where I can get most value for my money.” There is much to be said on both sides of the question. On the whole, it appears that this much is true: no local agent wants to hold rates up any higher than necessary to cover the costs of doing business and leave him a small profit. If he did, he would lose out, for although there is an association which attempts to fix rates for all companies, there is actually quite a va riation in rales even among members of the asso ciation. That constitutes one form of com petition, and tends to keep down rates. It also appears that there may be some actual dis crimination on which works out in favor of foreign companies unrepresented in the islands. There is a slightly higher tax rate charged on such insurance; but this apparently is not sufficient to offset the higher cost of doing business in curred by local agents, as shown elsewhere in this story. Undoubtedly the most serious situation at present is the high loss ratio. The one sure way to normalize this figure is to find a cure for the depression; legislation alone, even if en acted, would not do it. If this figure could be flattened out to normal, it would bring a lot of insurance companies out of the red, and pos sibly bring down rates somewhat too; though this latter is by no means a sure thing, according to others. It appears also that the only reason why any Philippine business man would place fire in surance direct with a foreign company is to save money; if the rates were the same, obviously the proper course would be to keep the business at home. At least, the helpful thing is to keep all business of this kind at home. How to do it? Legislate to prevent the placing of insurance direct with foreign companies? Increase the tax penalty for doing so? Legis late to try to minimize losses through arson, thus perhaps making possible a reduction in local agents rates? Or appeal to patriotism at the expense of the pocketbook? It would be a fine thing for business if all insurance premiums were paid in to local com panies or agents, instead of to outside companies. This can not happen until rates are equalized in all risks. Whether this will be accomplished by an upward revision of foreign rates, artificially brought about or by a downward revision of local rates, only possible by a decided change in conditions mentioned, is still a question. It remains perfectly true, even in times of depression, that some business men are better IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL MISSING PAGE/PAGES April, 1934 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 23 and 29% more than January, 1933. Prices, however, continued to be the same. The following statements show the lumber and timber exports, by countries, and the mill production and lumber inventories for the month of January, 1934, as compared with the corresponding month of the previous year. Lumber and Timber Exports for January 1934 1933 Customs Destination Board Feet Declared Value Japan........................ .. *5,460,696 P 84,252 United States.............. 1,742,640 143,462 Great Britain............ 225,144 19,618 British Africa............ 47,912 2,488 China........................ 13,376 2,119 Hawaii...................... 4,664 734 Australia................... 41 Hongkong................. 38 Portuguese Africa... Total............... .. 7,512,432 1933 P 252,752 CustomsDestination Board Feet Declared Value Japan........................ .. 2,300,200 P 36,734 United States.......... 592,328 29,576 Great Britain.......... 307,400 22,340 British Africa.......... 161,968 11,211 China........................ 36,040 1,335 Hawaii...................... Australia................... Hongkong................. Portuguese Africa... 5,936 376 Total............... 3,403,872 P101.572 Note: *This represents mostly solid log scale, that is, 424 board feet to a cubic meter. For 49 Mills for the month of January Lumber Deliveries from Month Mills 1934 1933 January........................... 12,633,915 9,791,746 Month Lumber Inventory 1934 1933 January........................... 25,458,048 25,401,948 Month Mill Production 1934 1933 January........................ 16,120,628 9,709,184 Note: Board feet should be used. REVIEW OF THE HEMP MARKETS By L. L. Spellman International Harvester Company of Philippines This report covers the various hemp markets for the month of March with statistics up to and including April 2nd, 1934. Manila Market: The market opened with buyers in Manila, Cebu and the Bicol rather indifferent but the Davao market was strong and several exporters were anxious buyers. The average prices being paid for the various grades were as follows: E, P12.00; F, P10.50; G, P5.75; H, 1*5.25; I, 1*7.50; Jl, P6.25; S2, P7.50; S3, P6.50; J2, P5.50: K, P5.00; LI, P4.25; L2, P4.00; Ml, P4.25; M2, P3.75; DL, P3.75; DM, P3.25. In Davao the grades Jl, J2 and G were particularly sought after and buyers were paying P6.75 for Jl and 1*6.50 for J2 and G for the loose fiber. This being equivalent to at least P1.00 a picul premium. By the J 5th of the month buyers in general were keeping their purchases as low as possible due to lack of in terest from the consuming markets and were inclined to drop prices from 1 to 2 reals on various grades. By tne end of the month there was a slightly better feeling due to a limited amount of buying in the U. K. and prices were again equal to those being paid during the first of the month and two buyers in Cebu and several Chinese dealers in the Bicol were paying slightly better prices. In Davao the market remained firm throughout the entire month and prices paid were higher than the prices that could be obtained for the hemp in either New York or London. This condition will continue until the shorts are covered which should be sometime during April. In covering Jl, J2 and G there will undoubtedly be an accumulation of higher grades which may seriously affect the market later on. Receipts continued to run full and any increase in price would be immediately reflected in increased production. U. K. Market: The first of the month found sellers rather than buyers in the London market at J2, £15.5; K, £14.5; LI, £12.15; L2, £12.5; Ml, £12.10; M2, £12; DL, £12; DM, £11.5. With shippers offering a considerable quantity of hemp and manufacturers not operating, prices slowly declined and by the middle of the month the nominal prices were: J2, £15; K, £13.15; LI, £12.10; L2, £12; Ml, £12.10; M2, £11.15; DL, £11.10; DM, £11. The market remained dull for the balance of the month and closed with shippers offering to sell at: J2, £15; K, £13.15; LI, £12.5; L2, £11.15; Ml, £12.10; M2, £11.10; DL, £11.10; DM, £10.10. Un doubtedly hemp could be purchased from 5/- to 10/- a ton under the nominal quotations. The heavy receipts no doubt affected the U. K. market. U. S. Market: The first of the month found the New York market weak with sellers offering freely and anxious to get on with business. Nominal asking prices were: E, 5-7/8 cents; F, 5-1/8 cents; I, 4-1/8 cents; Jl, 3-5/8 cents; G, 3-1/2 cents. Several ot the exporters were offering to sell Davao hemp for as late as JulySeptember shipment but were asKing prices from 1/8 cents to 1/4 cents over the prices for GOLD MONEY REPORT UROMIL Powerful Urenic Dissolvent Astonishing cures of the most rebellious ca ses of Gout Rheumatism Arthritis Agents for the Philippines BOTICA BOIE Vroiroplna 0.0S1: Benzoato llllco 0.028; Sales plpcracfnlcis 0.04S; Posfato dlsodlco 0.028; Esclplcnte ofervescent* q. a. para 1 gr n. Under President Roosevelt’s call for United States gold coins and gold certificates to be turned into the federal treasury through the National City banK in Manila, 2,575 persons, counting banks and other entities as such, turned in $173,012 up to March 31 at the close of business: $125,672 in gold coins and $47,340 in gold certificates. This was a remarkable showing; most of the holders of these coins and cer tificates were Filipinos, obviously of the middle class, and at the same time they were standing in line at the banK, sometimes for hours, to turn in their gold money for Philippine pesos at the rate of 2 pesos to 1 dollar, speculators were offering to buy the money at very substan tial premium. Reports from the provinces are not in, but it is clear that the United States will get back, in the Philippines, only a fraction of the gold coins that have been sold here. One bank alone for about 20 years, until America embargoed gold, brought gold coins out on regular orders and sold them in this market. It is estimated that this business averaged not less than $250,000 a year; and another bank, during about 10 years, did this same business to about the same amount a year. A con servative estimate is that in this way some 7 or 8 million dollars in gold coins were taken in this market during the past 20 years. This shows the little the government is now getting back. The people have valued gold coins for their fixed value, for ornaments, such as watch fobs and coat buttons, and for concealing money in the home where the absence of banks, as in most provincial towns, has habituated the people to keeping money for business purposes in cash, also to hoarding cash. A good deal of such gold money has got into the hands of Chinese merchants in the provinces and it is problemat ical how much of it remains in the islands because it has been con sidered a commodity and has been bought and sold like other com modities. Gold coins from China have been similarly imported, and bought and sold. IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 24 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1934 Forbes, Munn & Co., Ltd. Insurance Agents Telephone (Ins. Dept.) 4-97-44 113 M. de Binondo Manila Time To Plan For Your Vacation For HEALTH For PLEASURE For RELAXATION BAGUIO is the ideal place When going to BAGUIO, make it a point to travel by the MANILA RAILROAD. It will pay you to investigate what the Company has to offer in the way of comfort, safety and service. Always buy a round trip ticket. It saves you trouble and money. FIRST CLASS FARE now reduced During your stay in Baguio, remember our TAXI SERVICE For trips in the City and to the Mines Our fleet of BANTAM TAXICABS offers the most econ omical and convenient means of transportation within the City and to the Mining districts. Look for SMALL TAXICABS when in need of motor trans portation to the Mines or for City travels. These SMALL TAXICABS have been tested and proven to make the heaviest grades on roads to Mines with the efficiency of big cars. early shipment. A few sales were made and on the 15th nominal prices were: E, 5-7/8 cents; F, 5-1/4 cents: I, 4 cents; Jl, 3-5/8 cents; G, 3-1/2 cents. Sales were made of Davao F at 5 cents and Davao Jl at 3-3/4 cents. The low price on the F would indicate an accu mulation of stock. The last fortnight was slightly better so far as business was concerned and quite a little hemp was sold but prices did not improve and the market closed with nominal prices as follows: E, 5-3/4 cents; F, 5-1 /8 cents; I, 4 cents; Jl, 3-1/2 cents; G, 3-1/2 cents. Se veral heavy sales of Davao hemp were reported as having been made to one of the Western Prisons. The total was probably in excess of 5,000 bales, the grades being principally Jl and J2, and 1,600 bales of Davao 1 and J1, were sold to the U. S. Navy for delivery to the Charleston Navy Yard. Japanese Market: Japanese buyers con tinued to pick up small quantities of distressed fiber and refused to pay prices that would enable the sellers to come out even. It is quite evident they still have considerable hemp in store in Japan and are therefore able to get along with what distressed fiber they can buy. There seems to be little hope of much improvement in our market until Japanese buyers are again active at competitive prices. Maguey: This fiber continues to be neg lected and so long as the lower grades of Abaca are so cheap, production will remain small. Freight Rates: There was no change in freight rates during the past month. General: There was nothing gained but on the other hand very little lost during the month. Receipts were full but all hemp found a market and net stocks in the hands of the exporters at the close of the month were 132,479 bales which certainly is not excessive. Province stocks are probably much heavier than they were a year ago but on the other hand manufac turers in the U. S., U. K. and on the Continent probably have less stocks than they did a year ago. There does not seem to be any prospect of an increased consumption sufficient to mate rially advance prices. Neither do we see how prices can decline to any extent. Statistics: The figures below are for the period ending April 2, 1934. SIGHTSEEING AND EXCURSIONS Enjoy to the full your vacation by making a trip to Bontoc and from there to Banaue and Kiangan through the Ifugao country of striking contrasts. Don’t fail to see the famous rice terraces which are classed among the wonders of the world. Besides there are lots of wonderful things to see on the way. Don’t hurry, if time is not an essential element in your trip. Stop at beautiful Mt. Data Lodge, Km. 105, for a good rest and excellent meals. New, safe and comfortable cars with experienced drivers for moun tain tours arp always available at reasonable rates. For information concerning travel and service, please apply to BENGUET AUTO LINE, either at Central Office near Government Center, or at Baguio Station across the street from PINES HOTEL, Telephones Nos. 250 and 901. Manila Railroad Company 943 Azcarraga, Manila Telephone 4-98-61 Manila Hemp 1934 1933 Bales Bales On January 1st.......... 155,357 167,007 Receipts to date......... 332,321 260,903 Shipments to— U. K......................... 95,954 60,405 Continent................. 51,635 47,749 U. S.......................... 102,495 48,089 Japan........................ 85,780 103,563 Australia................... 6,586 3,649 Elsewhere................. 6,249 7,264 Local Consumption. 6,500 6,500 355,199 277,219 THE RICE INDUSTRY By Percy A. Hill of Mufioz, Nueva Ecija Director, Rice Producer's Association Palay, cavans of 44 kilos, is bringing from P2 to P2.10 a cavan in the primary markets for luxury grades, Pl.80 to Pl.85 for ordinary grades of macans which supply the greater por tion of the shipments. Rice, sacks of 57 kilos, brings from P4.90 to P5.10 a sack for elonelons, P4.65 to P4.85 for inapostol, P4.25 to P4.45 for macans. It should always be understood that macans make up the bulk of the supply; other grades are luxury rices for a limited market, and the names are generally misnomers. The high peak of daily rail and water shipments IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1934 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 25 into Manila rose to 14,000 sacks under the rise of prices last month, but shipments are now running about 5,000 sacks a day. Provincial and terminal warehouses are much better supplied than they were last year at this time, due to the failure to force high prices by with holding supply. However, there would seem to be no need of importing; demand is slightly off and supply apparently ample. There is a large supply still held in local warehouses for later requirements. The proposed tax on copra and oil (the U.S. proposed excise tax) and the limitation of sugar exports duty free to the United States will have the effect of turning coconut and sugar regions to subsistence crops and will therefore affect the rice industry seriously. Rice exports are, of course, negligible in spite of inquiries. They will ever be thus while we remain a tariff protected country. Lack of any program or plan for the future will be felt daily, in the rice industry. What makes matters worse is the total inability of most people to realize that year after year there must be a stepping down to lower scales of living—something inevitable and inexorable. This is due to long neglect of economic factors, which bids fair to continue indefinitely, changes coming only from the exigencies of the producers themselves. They no longer trouble even to read plans of how to lift themselves by their bootstraps; all the paper data to data have not solved a single one of their problems. INSURANCE For Every Need and Purpose FIRE WORKMEN’S COMPENSATION AUTOMOBILE MARINE ACCIDENT BAGGAGE PLATE GLASS Atlas Assurance Co., Ltd. The Employers’ Liability Continental Insurance Co. Assurance Corporation Ltd. Orient Insurance Company General Agent E. E. ELSER Telephone 2-24-28 • • Kneedler Building MARCH SUGAR REVIEW By Geo. H. Fairchild New York Market: At the opening of the month under review the market developed a slightly firmer tone and small sales of Puerto Ricos were effected at 3.34 cents on the 1st, against prices of 3.27 cents-3.30 cents which prevailed during the last few days of the previous month. This advance, however, was not maintained on ac count of the selling pressure of Puerto Rico sugar, resulting in marked decline in values during the second week, from 3.30 cents to 3.20 cents. Quotations on the Exchange declined 4 to 5 points on the 6th, as the result of the tense situation in Cuba and the anticipated delay in the enactment of the sugar control bill, but at the close of the week all losses were not only recovered but gains were recorded in more distant deliveries. The third week saw further recessions in actual sugar values, selling pressure on the part of holders of Puerto Rico sugar having been maintained, with the result that after small sales of Puerto Ricos were made on the 12th at 3.20 cents, prices gradually sagged to the close of the week when there were sellers but no buyers at 3.08 cents for duty-free sugars, while prices of Cuban sugar declined from 1.50 cents to 1.42 cents c. and f. Quotations on the Exchange remained practically unchanged during the week. In face of large offerings of raw sugar and the poor demand for refined sugar, refiners showed little interest during the fourth week, resulting in prices for duty-free sugars declining to 2.95 cents, while Cuban sugar sellers offered on the 22nd without finding buyers at 1.33 cents, although at the close of the week, after indications were made by holders that they were going to resist further declines, small sales of Cubas were made to refiners at 1.42 cents. This improvement was also reflected in “futures” quotations on the 23rd when after losing 7 to 9 points, these again approached the levels at the opening of the week. The last week of the month saw no new feature in the market, both the prices for actual sugar and quotations for future deliveries remaining practically stationary. The market closed on the 29th with a slightly THE YOKOHAMA SPECIE BANK — r— = LTD.-------------- — --------(ESTABLISHED 1880) HEAD OFFICE: YOKOHAMA, JAPAN Yen Capital (Paid Up) - - - - 100,000,000.00 Reserve Fund - 121,250,000.00 Undivided Profits - - - - 6,869,038.82 MANILA BRANCH 34 PLAZA CERVANTES, MANILA S. DAZAI Manager Telephone 23759—Manager Telephone 23755—Account 4 Cashier Telephone 23758—Export 4 Import Dept. Telephone 23768—Deposit 4 Remittance Dept. R U B B E R Superior Qualify Dependable Service RING CP 2-18-01 the next time you need a Rubber Stamp and our Salesman will do the rest 71/f'e£2LL7_Z_OLZZZ / ■/> P R I N TING COMPANY Lf-L O JL/ 2-/ VX Sales Office: 2nd Floor IOI Escolfa T A M P S IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 26 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1934 firmer tone in anticipation of Congressional consideration of the Sugar Control Bill. Futures: Quotations for future deliveries on the Exchange fluctuated during the month as follows: May............................... July............................... September..................... December...................... (1935) January......................... March........................... High Low Latest 1.64 1.44 1.53 1.68 1.52 1.58 1.71 1.56 1.62 1.76 1.62 1.68 1.77 1.64 1.69 1.80 1.67 1.72 Stocks: Stocks in the United Kingdom, United States, Cuba, Java and European statistical countries as report March 28th were 7,996,000 tons as compared with 9,076,000 tons in 1933 and 9,021,000 tons in 1932. Philippine Sales: Sales and resales of Philip pine sugar were reported in New York during the month, as follows: Cents Per Pound Long Tons From To Sales..................................... 56,300 2.95 3.35 Resales................................. 14,000 2.95 3.30 Local Market: Thelocal tradein centrifugals was characterized by inactivity practically through out the month, sellers being reluctant to dispose of their holdings at prices which continually declined from P7.25 during the first week to P6.60-P6.65 per picul during the last two weeks of the month. Crop Prospects: Unseasonable weather con ditions are reported to continue to prevail in many parts of Negros which in part explain the low purities being obtained by many Cen trals in this region. On Luzon, however, favorable weather for harvesting the current crop still prevails and it is reported that the stand of new cane for the 1934-35 crop looks better than any seen in years, suggesting a bumper crop for many of the Centrals in this region. The production of the Centrals reporting in the Comparative Run Reports published by the P.S.A. together with their sugar recoveries for the week ended March 25th is tabulated below: Centrals Arayat (Final) Bacolod Piculs sugar pet Production Weekended W Metric tons March 2.1 Feb PRODUCTION OF CENTRALS UP TO MARCH 25, 1934 Binnlbagan. Calamba.. . Calatagau. Del Carmen Don Pedro.. F.I Real. . Hawaiian-Philippi Janiway.. . La Cariota. Ma-ao (March 18) Manapla..................... Mindoro (Final. March 10) Palma.. .. Pilar......... San Carlos San Fernando San Isidro.. Santos-Lopez. Sara-Ajuy (Final Mar 4) Talisav-Silay Tnrlac. Victori, Total. 1,020,422 Philippine Exports- The sugar exports for the month of March, as reported by private sources amounted to 197.861 long tons of cen trifugal sugar and 11.578 long tons of refined. The aggregate exports for the first five months of the current crop year beginning on November 1, 1933, and ending March 31, 1934, follow: Long Tons Centrifugals........................................... 705,218 Refined.................................................. 41,693 Total............................................. 746,911 TOBACCO REVIEW By P. A. Meyer Alhambra Cigar and Cigarette Mfg. Co. Raw Leaf: Cut ting of the new crop has begun and the quality appears to be excellent. Volume will be about same as last year. Activi ties in the local mar ket are insignificant. Some large lots of previous years are of fered for sale. Ex ports during the month were quite small. Shipments were made as fol lows. Rawleaf, Stripped Tobacco and Scraps Kilos China....................................................... 6,875 Germany.................................................. 5,985 Hongkong................................................ 28,650 North Africa.......................................... 20,400 North Atlantic, (Europe)........................ 56,659 Straits Settlements................................. 1,190 Tonkin.................................................. 52 United States......................................... 57,810 177,621 Cigahs: March shipments to the United States have decreased somewhat as against pre vious months, as is shown in the following figures: March, 1934............ 17,549,132 February, 1934........ 20,116,112 January, 1934......... 18,116,707 RAIL COMMODITY MOVEMENTS By M. D. Royer Traffic Manager, Manila Railroad Company Don’t let constipation hold yon down. Poisons circulate in the blood. Cause pimples and boils. Sap vitality. Deaden the appetite. Doctors suggest Fleischmann’s Yeast to help end constipation. Three cakes a day aids digestion and elimi nation. Tones up the body. Supplies health-vitamins. Try yeast for a few weeks. Notice how much better you look and feel. Constipation The volume of commodities received in Manila during the month of March the Manila Railroad are as follows: Rice, Cavanes.................................... Sugar, Picu’i...................................... Copra, Piculs...................................... Desiccated Coconuts, cases.............. Tobacco, bales................................... Lumber and Timber, Board Feet. . The freight revenue car loading -----for four weeks ending March 3, 1934, as com pared with the same period for the year 1933 are given below: 1934, via 150,614 1,170,166 122,435 15,718 1,015,200 statistics FLEISCHMANN’S YEAST AH FREIGHT REVENUE CAR LOADING COMMODITIES FREIGHT CARS TONNAGE Increase or Decrease 1934 1933 1934 1933 Cars Tonnage Rice....................................................... 975 743 11,489 8,058 232 3,431 Palay............................... ................. 330 170 3,292 1,660 160 1,631 Sugar.................................................... 2,606 1,785 77,171 50,769 821 26,402 Sugar Cane......................................... 13,211 14,961 258,524 301,567 (1,750) (43,043) 930 625 7.027 4,703 305 2,324 Coconuts.............................................. 227 157 2,693 1,898 70 795 Molasses................................................ 302 8,108 5,115 158 2,993 2 7 35 (5) (21) Tobacco................................................ 21 102 (21) (102) Livestock...................... ................. 21 6 89 27 15 62 Mineral Products . . ....................... 334 322 4,719 4,706 12 13 Lumber and Timber. ... ................. 208 201 5,597 4,768 7 829 Other Forest Products . ................... 6 5 55 23 1 32 Manufactures..................................... 105 112 966 1,436 (7) (470) All Others including L. C. L. .. 2,928 3,068 17,397 22,390 (140) (4,993) Totai............................................. 22,185 22,327.1397,140 107.257 (142) (10,117) SUMM ARY 102,292 109,147 102,560 93,258 (206) (286) (58) 408 (142) Week ending February 10, 1934. 5,483 5,689 98, Week ending February 17, 1934. 5,492 5,778 98; Week ending February 24, 1934. 5,600 5,688 101. Week ending March 3, 1934... 5.610 5,202 98, Total............................................ 22,185 22,327 397, Note:—F igureB in parenthesis indicate decrease. IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTIOH THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1934 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 27 Commodities Coconut Oil.......................................... Cigars (Number)................................. Embroideries......................................... Maguey.................................................. Leaf Tobacco....................................... Desiccated and Shredded Coconuts. Hats (Number)................................... Lumber (Cubic Meters).................... Copra Meal.......................................... Cordage.................................................. Knotted Hemp.................................... Pearl Buttons (Gross)......................... Canton (low grade cordage fibre).. . All Other Products............................... Total Domestic Products. .. United States Products........ Foreign Countries Products. Grand Total. PRINCIPAL IMPORTS January, 1934 Value % PRINCIPAL EXPORTS Quantity 775,193 531,643 995,735 125,752 4,726 10,918,505 620,786 20,056 42,479 316,250 Value January, 1933 % Quantity 71 6 4 1 0 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 9 Value Monthly average for 12 months previous to January, 1934 % Quantity Value P22.974.972 99 76,952 0 37,301 0 P23,089,225 100.0 Monthly average for January, 1933 12 months previous to January, 1934 Value % Value Nationality of Vessels 0 6 0 3 9 2 6 6 3 3 P16,203,017 100.0 CARRYING TRADE IMPORTS January, 1934 61 7 4 1 2 1 6 2 7 7 0 8 2 1 7 P17.482.314 99 103,089 0 43,106 0 3 Monthly average for January, 1933 12 months previous to January, 1934 Cotton Cloths................... Other Cotton Goods........ Iron and Steel, Except Machinery..................... Rice..................................... Wheat Flour..................... Machinery and Parts of.. Dairy Products................ Gasoline............................. Silk Goods......................... Automobiles....................... Vegetable Fiber Goods... Meat Products................. Illuminating Oil............... Fish and Fish Products .. Crude Oil........................... Coal..................................... Chemicals, Dyes, Drugs, Etc................................... Fertilizers........................... Vegetables......................... Paper Goods. Except Books............................. Tobacco ManufactuElectrical Machinery.. .. Books and Other Printed Matters........................... Care and Carriages........ Automobile Tires.........*.. Fruits and Nuts.............. Woolen Goods.................. Leather Goods.................. Shoes and Other FootCoffee ................................. Breadstuff, Except Wheat Flour............................... Eggs, In natural Form .. Perfumery and Other Toilet Goods................ Lubricating Oil................. Cacao Manufactures, Ex cept Candy................... Glass and Glassware.. .. Paints, Pigments, VarP2,013,914 869,016 304,943 317,706 289,725 255,106 150,421 440,371 930,243 106,348 130,697 55,049 63,852 163,713 14 2 9 2 0 1 6 0 7 1 2 2 9 1 6 3 G 1 2 6 0 7 0 0 9 0 0 8 4 4 9 5 7 9 2 7 3 6 4 6 7.9 8.9 3.3 3.3 ' 2.8 American. . British........ Japanese... Dutch........ German.. .. Norwegian. Philippines. Spanish . .. Chinese.. .. Swedish.. .. Portuguese. Panaman . . Value % 123,334 398,426 496,384 48 Value % Value % 28 37 12 7 3 7 9 6 1 9 9 3 0.3 1.3 3.6 29.6 34.2 10.4 5.2 5.5 8.5 0.5 0.5 2.5 0.1 3.6 274,909 318,585 161,443 238,945 254,501 334,853 879,345 47,261 54,370 56,186 99,823 24,888 48,014 74,738 2 6 3 1 9 2 2 0 7 7 2 3 5 2 0 7 0 2 0 0 4 0 0 7 2 0 0 4 6 2.8 2.4 2.2 By Freight. By Mail l.’o 2.0 131,012 94,423 146,690 187,351 500,770 122,315 111,992 64,329 53,095 111,272 1.1 1.4 4.0 LO 1.0 0.7 0.9 0.5 1.0 0.9 0. 0^9 2.2 3.2 2.3 Total. EXPORTS January, 1934 January Monthly average for 1933 12 months previous Nationality of Vessels to January, 1934 Value % Value % Value % American.. British........ Japanese... German.. .. Norwegian. Spanish.. .. Dutch........ Philippines. Chinese.. .. Swedish.. .. Danish........ Panaman .. 272,534 87 29.8 1.0 16.4 26.9 14.2 30.6 5.7 10.6 0.6 0.8 113,189 927,048 705,052 0.7 5.8 4.4 340,838 535 2,469 101,437 686,011 445,256 1,199 1.9 0.5 3.8 2.5 nish, Etc........................ Oils not separately listed. Earthern Stones and Chinaware..................... Automobile Accessories.. Diamond and Other Pre cious Stones Unset.. .. Wood, Reed, Bamboo, and Rattan.................... India Rubber Goods.. .. Soaps................................... Matches............................. Cattle................................. Explosives.......................... Cement............................... Sugar and Molasses........ Motion Picture Films. .. Other imports................... 93,330 59,882 111,764 178,876 17,685 6,634 14,524 23,830 292,835 0 0 4 8 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 7 3 2 0 0 0 2 1 2 0 106,121 145,427 22,667 71,550 82,077 136,048 17,556 0 1 8 1 3 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 5 6 0 0 8 0 0 1 0.8 0> By Freight. By Mair. .. 0.8 0.8 0*7 112,014 96,435 24.518 0.8 0.7 0.2 0.5 0.5 0^6 0.3 0.5 0. 0.: Total.. .. TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES Countries January, 1934 Value Monthly average for January, 1934 12 months previous to January, 1934 Value % Value % United States. . . United Kingdom. Japan.................... China.... .. .. .. . P14.360.504 100.0 P12.293.606 100.0 P12,562,126 100.0 Total. TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES January, 1934 Monthly average for January, 1933 12 months previous Ports to January, 1934 Value % Value % , Value % Iloilo.......... Cebu.......... Zamboanga. Jclo............. 63 23 9 0 0 2 1 0 3 9 „ China.......................... u French East Indies. Germany.................... Australia.................... British East Indies. Dutch East Indies.. Netherlands............. Italy.......................... Hongkong................. Belgium.................... Switzerland.............. Japanese-China. .. . 60.1 ............................. 23.0 Sweden.............. 12.2 Canada............... 0.7 Norway.............. 0. 1 Austria............... 2.2 Denmark............ 1.4 Other Countries . Total. P37.419.729 100.0 P28,496,623 100.0 P30,174,025 100.0 Total. 3 0 9 3 9 3 1 2 2 2 0.‘ 80 5 2 0 2 2 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.3 74 2 7 0 5 0 1 7 7 6 2 1 0.6 28 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL April, 1934 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 680 Rizal Avenue Tel. 2-16-10 American Chamber OF Commerce Journal P.O. BOX 1638 TEL. 21126 MADRIGAL 8b CO. 8 Muelle del Banco Nacional Manila, P. I. Coal Contractors and Coconut Oil Manufacturers MILL LOCATED AT CEBU Manila Wine Merchants LIMITED P. O. Box 403 Head Office: 174 Juan Luna Manila, P. I. Phones 4-90-57 and 4-90-58 Branch Store: 39 Alhambra opposite Elks Club Phone 2-17-61 P. O. Box 1394 Telephone 22070 J. A. STIVER Attorney-At-Law-Notary Public Certified Public Accountant Administration of Estates Receiverships Investments Collections Income Tax 121 Real, Intramuros Manila, P. I. PHILIPPINES COLD STORES Wholesale and Retail Dealers in American and Australian Refrigerated Produce STORES AND OFFICES Calle Echague Manila, P. I. fr ® R 41 CHINA BANKING CORPORATION MANILA, P. I. Domestic and Foreign Banking of Every Description International Harvester Co. of Philippines formerly MACLEOD & COMPANY Manila—Cebu—Vigan—Davao—Iloilo Exporters of Hemp and Maguey Agents for INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER CO. “LA URBANA” (Sociedad MGtua de Construcci6n y Prtstamos) Prestamos Hipotecarios Inversiones de Capital Paterno Building, Calle Helios MANILA, P. I. 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 The National City Bank of New York Luzon Stevedoring Co., Inc. Capital (Paid) - U.S. $127,500,000.00 Surplus ------ „ 30,000,000.00 Undivided Profits „ 5,087,505.94 (as of Dec. 30th, 1933) Lightering, Marine Contractors Towboats, Launches, Waterboats Shipbuilders and Provisions COMPLETE BANKING SERVICES MANILA OFFICE National City Bank Building SIMMIE & GRILK Phone 2-16-61 Port Area Four Merchants’ Opinions One merchant says: . It is difficult to tell what we have learned from our experiences except that, speaking for our organization, we have all learned to be very humble.” An other merchant, as well known, says: “Success is going to be measured by our consistent everyday business, with balanced stocks in wanted staples and styles that are in demand; in the continued promotion of those goods.” A third says: “...the promotion of timely, wanted mer chandise is essential to our continued profit making; in fact, to our very existence.” A fourth says: “...and I cannot too strongly repeat that we in our store are firmly of the opinion that not one peso should be spent on the advertising of goods not in demand —and that not one peso less than what is required to do a thorough job should be spent on the advertising of goods in demand.” When you place your advertising in the MANILA DAILY BULLETIN you are making a direct appeal to the buying power of Manila IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL Al CHEVROLET I FOR 1934 IS DUE IN MAPQILA SOON Place Your Order Now For Immediate Delivery Upon Arrival PACIFIC COMMERCIAL COMPANY Philippine Distributors IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAI