Philippine

naturalist. The only large mammalia are the
carabao and timarao. Strange to say, certain
species of birds are peculiar to certain islands.
Saurians and monkeys are abundant, as are
also insects, in variety, though not in num-
ber. The waters teem with fish of a great
variety of species.

The forests are of great extent, and include
a variety of woods, many of which arc valu-
able. Woods suitable for the finest cabinet
work, for veneering, and for artistic work
are abundant. There are also gutta percha,
rubber, and other gum- and resin-producing
trees, tan and dye woods, and medicinal
woods and plants, besides much rattan and
bamboo. The most common varieties of edi-
ble fish are mackerel, herrings, sardines, snap-
pers, anchovies, mullctts, barracudas, tunas,
and porgies. Other sea products arc pearls,
pearl shells, window shells, shark fins,
sponges, and trepang. As an industry, how-
ever, fishing is undeveloped. In practically
all of the larger islands there is gold, which
in some places has long been worked by the
natives, and which now forms one of the
most important mineral products. Coal, iron,
manganese, lead, copper, and other minerals
are found. The most important branch of in-
dustry is agriculture. While it is not in a
highly developed stage as yet, assistance
from various branches of the government is
doing much for it. The soil is rich, being
composed in the main of disintegrated vol-
canic rock, and the climate is most favorable.
Rice is the staff of life to the Filipinos. The
rice farmers are coming to realize the advan-
tages of scientific methods. It is still neces-
sary, however, to import great quantities of
rice, especially from French Indo-China. To-
bacco, of a quality excellent for cigars and
cigarettes, is grown in all parts of the archi-
pelago, but most abundantly in northern Lu-
zon. Hemp, or abaca, is the most important
export and is peculiar to these islands, It is
the inner bark of a species of palm closely
related to the banana. A government inspec-
tion system has greatly helped this industry.
Cocoanut groves are found near the seacoast
almost everywhere, but half of the copra,
the dried meat of the cocoanut, comes from
southern Luzon. Corn, or maize, is grown in
limited quantities in various localities from
northern Luzon to the Visayan Islands.
Sugar-cane is grown in nearly every prov-
ince, but more than half of the product of
the archipelago comes from the island of
Negros, and more than a third from Luzon.
Sweet potatoes are grown in all parts of the

3708 Philippine

islands, and form an important article of
food. Cacao is produced in small quantities
in nearly all provinces.

The carabao, or water buffalo, is the chief
farm animal, and as much of the work is in
the wet rice paddies he is admirably adapted
to it. For riding and driving, the small na-
tive ponies arc chiefly employed. Chickens
are raised mostly for food, but also in large
numbers for the cock-pit. In 1898, when the
United States took possession of the Philip-
pines, there existed only one line of railroad
(narrow gauge), stretching 120 m. between
Manila and Dagupan. This was extended
from time to time until, by 1938, 875 m. had
been constructed. In 1938 the islands had a
total road mileage of 11,000. There were, be-
sides, 3,000 m. of trails good only for horses.
In 1933, radio-telephone service was estab-
lished between Manila and Washington, D. C.

The Filipinos, although possessed of much
aptitude, power of imitation, and natural
ability in mechanical work, are not largely
engaged in manufactures. They prepare their
agricultural products for market and weave
cloth, hats, baskets, and mats for their own
use, all this work being done on a small scale
by hand or by simple and primitive appli-
ances. Nearly all the factories are small.
These include sugar mills, cocoanut oil mills,
and cigar and cigarette factories. In recent
years, rice milling has become one of the
principal local industries. Hundreds of small
rice mills arc scattered over the archi-
pelago, with a maximum daily capacity of
50,000 cavanes. At present sugar and rice
mills are the leading industries, with oil fac-
tories, abaca pressing, and cigar and cigar-
ette factories next, in the order named.

Free trade obtains between the Philippines
and the United States, but the American
Congress placed a 20% tariff on foreign im-
ports into the Philippines. Commerce is
conducted, apart from the United States,
chiefly with the United Kingdom, Japan,
China, the French East Indies, Germany,
and Spain. The total population is estimated
at 16,000,000* Nearly all the people are
closely crowded in towns or villages and
nearly two-thirds of the people live on or
near the seacoast. The chief city, and the
center of population, government, commerce,
manufactures, and society, is Manila, esti-
mated population, 623,000, situated on the
eastern shore of Manila Bay. Chinese immi-
gration is prohibited (Chinese Exclusion Act,
1902), and Chinese laborers must register.

The Roman Catholic Church predominates