i86 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



change in revenue from customs duties should the 

 present tariff rate between the islands on the United 

 States be reduced. 



Ever since the American occupation of the islands 

 attempts have been made by private capital to develop 

 the lumber industry. Immediate success has not fol- 

 lowed these efforts. In many cases sufficient capital 

 was not invested; in other cases men failed through 

 lack of experience in the business. 



There is a vast natural forest wealth awaiting devel- 

 opment, but its development requires wise management, 

 money and time. This archipelago is the one undevel- 

 oped fertile spot in the Orient. The market for our 

 products is strong and close at hand. Labor is not 

 very difficult to secure, and ample protection is secured 

 to life and property. The virgin forests have not been 

 developed for this very lack of protection. Any com- 

 pany desiring to investigate the forest resources of the 

 islands will find the officials of the Bureau of Forestry 

 ready to cooperate in furnishing information, both in 

 the office and in the field. There are a number of very 

 inviting fields of forest development in the islands 

 which should prove attractive to those who believe in 

 the future of our possessions in the Orient. The fol- 

 lowing regions offer special attractions: 



The Island of Mindoro, the east coast of Luzon, 

 the Cagayan Valley, the Islands of Negros and Leyte. 

 The greater the distance from Manila, the base of sup- 

 plies, the less the chances for success. A company 

 entering the Philippine field should go prepared to 

 carry on some agricultural work in addition to logging ; 

 it should also be equipped with a modern saw mill, a 

 complete system of water transportation so as to supply 

 the island and China markets ; it should have a lumber 

 yard in Manila as well as in each China port. A well 



