Rope Riches of the Philippines 



Practically all the hemp used the 

 world over for manufacture of 

 rope comes from Philippine ports 



By Monroe Woolley 



A typical Manila home showing the crude 

 methods which the natives employ for 

 stretching and drying the rope material 



MANILA paper rarely sees the light 

 of day in Manila. It may be 

 included in the only paper-mak- 

 ing plant in the islands, just started by 

 Americans, but that is not likely. In 

 fact, Manila paper has nothing to do 

 with Manila at all. Like Manila paper, 

 Manila rope was unknown in the Philip- 

 pines until Americans established a 

 modern rope factory in Manila. It is 

 true that the natives made rope, miles 

 of it, before our advent, but the crude, 

 hand-made output of the peasantr>^ w^as 

 rarely exported — at least little in finished 

 form came to us. 



The Philippines are rich in rope 

 material, Manila hemp is known over all 

 the world because it finds its way where- 

 over railroads, steamships, caravans, and 

 dog-teams travel. The hemp plant, which 

 cannot be distinguished from the banana 

 plant by those unfamiliar with the subject, 

 thrives best in a volcanic soil. Soil of this 



Hemp stripping by hand is muscle-develop- 

 ing but slow. The bark is drawn over 

 a toothed knife, to tear away the pulp 



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