246. 
A discussion on the steam-pipe, hot-air oven, and its future 
place in Philippine agriculture was brought up. 
Reference was made to the author’s pamphlet, “‘ The 
Philippine Coconut Industry ’’ (Bulletin No. 25: Bureau ot 
Printing, Manila), which gives full information on this subject. 
[ Discussion. ] 
Mr. Barrett, in reply to a question by Mr. Lowitz as to 
the price paid to the labourer, said: It depends very much 
on the locality and on the time of the year. For instance, in 
the province of Lacuna, which is the oldest coconut area of 
large extent in the world, where the palm was plentiful long 
before any such thing as copra was known, the native does not 
eat the coconut. Those coconuts were planted for vino or oil, 
and it was only recently that the export of copra began in that 
province. There, as it is heavily populated, you can get a 
good labourer for a shilling a day in most months of the year. 
But if you want a labourer at rice planting, or rice harvest 
time, or at sugar time, you will have to pay 50 per cent. more. 
In the Southern Islands it is difficult to get a good labourer 
at any price; you may have to pay up to one peso per day 
throughout the year. In the Saboo you have to pay 1s. 6d. 
to is. gd. per day, and that does not include food. The 
labourer generally looks after himself. You cannot get a 
steady sure supply of labour anywhere at any time. If you 
try to make contracts and to ensure having steady labour 
supplies, you will, in many cases, find yourself tied up with the 
old custom of demanding money advances. 
The Cuarrman: I would like to ask Mr. Barrett whether 
the further development of the coconut industry in the 
Philippines has affected the area devoted to the cultivation of 
Manila hemp. 
Mr. Barrett: No, it has not affected the industry in any 
way, generally speaking. In very few cases they are growing 
hemp with coconuts, but only in one of the islands, and in the 
south-east part of the main island, where hemp is the prime 
crop. They are not planting many coconuts, because the 
good ground available is under cultivation with other crops. 
Practically only in one part do you find hemp and coconuts 
planted together, and that is in a very narrow fringe in the 
south and round the coast, because nobody thinks of going 
into the interior, where there is no transport and the natives 
are dangerous. 
In reply to a question by Mr. Wernham as to the yield per 
acre of coconuts and the cost of planting, Mr. Barrett said: 
Without going into details, I will give you a very few facts. 
