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TO THE NINTH PHILIPPINE LEGISLATURE

importation of live animals; but this has been nullified by the cheapness with which foreign slaughtered meat and its products can be laid down duty-paid in Manila. This is due to the fact first, that it costs as much if not more to ship beef from the southern islands to Manila than from certain foreign countries to Manila, and secondly, that our insular and city fees, licenses and taxes on domestic meat aggregate more than the customs duty on imported meat. The local livestock raiser, therefore, carries a heavier handicap than his foreign competitor. In my first message and in my travels through our towns and villages I spoke with our people about the unnecessary importation of eggs, amounting in 1931 to over ₱2,000,000. There is no natural reason why the Philippine Islands should not be self-sustaining in staple food. If we remain dependent in this vital essential we prejudice sound progress and national defense as well. 

Thoroughly justified protection has been asked for artificial lard manufactured locally from coconut oil. This is a young industry which uses coconut oil extracted in the Philippines with resident capital and labor from copra grown on Philippine land, principally by small Filipino farmers. To effect this protection it will also be necessary to revise the rates on peanuts and peanut oil and on all other fixed vegetable oils, solid and liquid, and on natural animal oils and fats. If we do not, local manufacturers of artificial lard may find it more advantageous to substitute

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