PHILIPPINE PLAN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23887, 15 August 1939, Page 6

PHILIPPINE PLAN

ISLAND COLONISATION ADMISSION OF REFUGEES AGRICULTURE AND MINING (Special ro Dailv Times) AUCKLAND, Aug. 14. The colonisation project of the Philippine Commonwealth Government to develop the island of Mindanao second largest of the group and last to claim attention, was discussed by Mr C. W. Heyda, an American mining engineer, who arrived at Auckland by the Maetsuycker. Mr Heyda has been associated with gold mining in Mindanao for the past three years, and intends to visit his home in Wisconsin for seven months' leave before returning. "Mindanao has remained undeveloped because of the fear of the natives in the northern Philippines for the pugnacious Moros. a race of Mahommedan Filipinos, who inhabit the island," said Mr Heyda "The Government has now taken a hand in the matter, and is sending large numbers of people out to cultivate the land, which has distinct agricultural possibilities. Each family which goes out to Mindanao under this scheme is provided with a homestead and about 50 acres of land. " The Government is intent upon developing the island to its utmost, and with this.in view it has consented to admit 10,000 Jewish refugees from Europe to assist," continued Mr Heyda. "In many respects this is amusing, as the Jews are not looked upon as an agricultural race. They are essentially business people, with a city background, and it is difficult to imagine them settling in the wilds of a tropical island." Mr Heyda has been engaged on the lode property of the Tambis Gold Dredging Company on the mountainside above the dredge at Banganilid. on Mindanao. He is the only white man in the settlement, where there are 250 native labourers and their families. The dredge employs an additional 150 natives, and the production of the mine is about £ISOO in gold a month. Mr Hevda added that the Tambis dredge was built in 1906. and still gave good service. It was supervised by Mr W. F Pearson, formerly of Dunedin, who has been out in the Philippines for 35 years. He went there as a voung man with his father on contract to build the first mining dredge in the PhiliDpines. and they later constructed dredges for various other concerns.