PHILIPPINE FIBERS AND FIBROUS SUBSTANCES. 



245 



by local labor ; and the power and repair plants can be operated by 

 trained Orientals from the start. 



Pulp-mill workers may be obtained from a number of sources. Generally speak- 

 ing, Americans and Canadians receive double the wages of individuals of the 

 same class in Europe. Such being the case, it would be advisable to depend upon 

 skilled labor from Europe, and' it is safe to assume that practically double the 

 wage scale obtaining in the home land would be demanded. This would place the 

 labor cost of pulp manufacture in the Philippines on a par with - that in the 

 United States and Canada, but at a disadvantage with respect to Europe. This 

 would distinctly be noticeable when it came to invading the European market with 

 the manufactured product. 



However, there are numerous occupations connected with- pulp manufacture, 

 such as plumbing, carpentry, blacksmithing, saw filing, knife grinding, masonry, 

 firing, etc., for which satisfactory Oriental labor is available ; furthermore, the 

 demand for semi- or unskilled labor in a pulp mill is great and herein lies what- 

 ever advantage the manufacture of pulp in the Philippines would possess over 

 Occidental localities. 



The following estimate refers to the industry from the time the bamboo is 

 delivered at factory site until the air-dry unbleached pulp is baled for shipment; 

 it is therefore exclusive of all costs of collecting and transporting the bamboo from 

 the forest to the mill, which latter is included in the expense of the raw material. 



I. In the yard. — Including all handling, sorting, piling and conveying the bam- 

 boo from the yard to the mill; sixteen Filipino laborers. 



II. In the preparing room. — One head European preparer in charge of sawing, 

 chipping, crushing and screening the material ; six Filipino artisans. 



III. In the liquor-making plant. — Two European alkali makers; two European 

 evaporator men; six Filipino helpers. 



IV. In the digester room. — Two European head and two second cooks; six Fili- 

 pino helpers. 



V. In the pulp-machine room. — Two European machine tenders; four helpers of 

 the best grade of local labor; four laborers. 



VI. In the power plant. — One head and one second engineer; two head firemen; 

 six laborers, all Filipinos. 



VII. In the repair plant. — One machinist and electrician; six artisans, all 

 Filipinos. 



Summary. 



Pesos. 

 10 employees, exclusive of superintendence and mill foreman, 



at 6 pesos per day 60.00 



4 employees (best grade of Filipino mechanics), at 4 pesos 



per day _■ 16.00 



18 employees (Filipino artisans), at 2 pesos per day 36.00 



38 employees (Filipino common laborers), at 1 peso per day.. 38.00 



Superintendence, stenographer, paying and shipping clerks.... 30.00 



Total 180.00 



At least 10 skilled pulp-mill workers, that is, alkali makers, recovery plant men, 

 cooks, and pulp-machine tenders will need to be obtained from abroad. This 

 number is necessary because their respective departments operate continuously in 

 two shifts of eleven and thirteen hours, respectively. At least 18 local artisans 



