Proceedings of the first Independence congress : held in the city of Manila, Philippine islands, February 22-26, 1930 / Published under the direction of Dean maximo M. Kalaw, executive secretary, University of the Philippines.

ECONOMIC SECTION

37

off. A proverb of his says that 'the pig is cooked in its own
lard,' and as among his bad qualities he has the good one of
applying to himself all criticisms and censures, he prefers to live
miserable and indolent rather than play the part of the wretched
beast of burden."
An important reason for Filipino neglect of business was the
competition of officials engaged in profit-making commercial
enterprises. An early report to the king says: "As they came
poor, and as the salaries are small, they have taken the Indians,-as all affirm, and it is common talk-at the time for
harvesting rice; and they buy up all other provisions, and many
profit by selling them again. In this way everything had
become dear, because, as they have forbidden the Indians to
trade and traffic, they sell at whatever price they wish." That
report referred to the encomenderos. But in later years, trafficking by the alcaldes mayores was also the source of many
abuses, and resulted in driving away Filipinos from business.
Still another reason for neglect of business was the general
attitude of the Spanish toward industrial activity. Manuel
Azcarraga, in his "La Libertad de Comercio en Filipinas,"
explains that attitude by saying that eight centuries of continuous struggle to drive out the Moros from Spain created a
chivalrous spirit and a love of risky undertakings; the discovery
of the New World furnished a wide sphere of action to that
adventurous spirit, and the consequent emigration to the newly
discovered lands depopulated the Peninsula to such an extent
that labor could be had neither for the factories nor for agriculture. "The current of precious metals flowing into Spain
from the mines of Mexico and Peru fascinated the Spaniards;
created easy going and indolent habits; held them away from
the mechanical arts, formerly called servile, and all desired to
gird the sword and enjoy the spoils of conquest."
On this same point, Wilhelm Roscher in his, "The Spanish
Colonial System," wrote: "All thrifty activity was regarded as
despicable. No trader had a seat in the Cortes of Aragon.
As late as 1781 the Academy of Madrid was obliged to offer
as the subject for a prize essay the proposition that there was
nothing derogatory in the useful arts. 'Every tradesman and