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ROBINSON. 
their use is very general with educated Filipinos. In such cases, the 
appearance of the hats and prices must be considered, and any statement 
of opinion must be qualified by the fact that there are different grades 
of all the important materials. Omitting rattan, first place should be 
given to Baliuag buntal, higher grades of Calasiao and sabotan coming 
next. This takes into account appearance, suitability to conditions, and 
durability, and is based on such grades as should be purchasable for 8 to 12 
pesos a hat. On appearance alone, Lucban buntal should be added to 
the list; and near the upper limit of price stated, bamboo is also to be 
considered. At 4 to 6 pesos each, sabotan may be placed first as regards 
suitability to conditions, Lucban buntal for appearance, but on a combina- 
tion of qualities, the choice would more likely be between Calasiao and 
bamboo, the last more easily obtained. Below 4 pesos, bamboo is better 
for wear in the daytime, Lucban buntal in the evening. 
When export in large quantities is considered, only three kinds need 
enter into the discussion, bamboo, Lucban buntal , and buri-leaf. This 
statement is made for two reasons, a consideration of the supply and their 
comparatively low price. For very cheap trade, buri is the only material, 
and hats of it are exported, but in less quantity than either of the others. 
Buntal is more expensive than the grades of bamboo ordinarily exported, 
but it has one great advantage. It is an unique product, while bamboo 
has to meet the severest competition. However, it does meet it, and hats 
made from it are to-day exported in larger quantity than any other kind, 
although this preponderance is partly due to the greater producing 
capacity of Baliuag and Pulilan over Lucban and its neighbors. More- 
over, both the . bamboo and the buri have a distribution that permits a 
great extension of the work. As between them, the probability is that 
the trade will adjust itself naturally. It is even more desirable that the 
makers should realize the advantage to themselves of changing such 
details as shape • and. size at the request of exporters without fining the 
latter for the concession, also that they should appreciate the importance 
of more sharply standardizing the grades. 
For some years, many Americans in the Philippines have made a 
practice of sending small quantities of various makes of hats to their 
home towns or to others where they have business connections. Such 
trade, so far as the United States is concerned, has usually been profitable, 
and permits the export of the higher grades, which can rarely be procured 
in large quantity. 
It should be possible to decrease the cost of preparation of the materials, 
especially of those where division is necessary, by machinery, or without 
it, by greater division of labor. The weaving could be • done more 
cheaply in factories, and the other existing drawbacks obviated at the 
same time, but experience except in Manila seems to remove this from 
the list of possibilities. At present, the Philippines are successfully 
carrrying on an industry of high excellence under primitive conditions. 
