---------------------------------------+---------------+---------------- | United States | Philippine | Currency | Currency ---------------------------------------+---------------+---------------- Total increase of business as above | $353,000,000 | P706,000,000 Total increase of trade as above | 156,000,000 | 312,000,000 +---------------+---------------- Total increase of business and trade | $509,000,000 | P1,018,000,000 ---------------------------------------+---------------+---------------- An attempt has been made to make political capital out of one of the heavy drops in hemp values. [189] It is astonishing how fully Providence sometimes squares accounts with the falsifier. Whatever may be thought of the advisability or inadvisability of the hemp duty rebate, there is no escape from the conclusion that it does not determine the price of hemp. While it is true that there has been a time during the past two years when the hemp grower received half, or less than half, the price for his product which he obtained ten years ago, it is also true that during the latter part of this same period he has received very much higher prices than either he or any of his ancestors ever before obtained. This apart from the fact that the price ten years ago was quite abnormal, due to crop shortage resulting from a bad state of public order. It is a poor rule that does not work both ways. If the hemp rebate is responsible for the recent slump in prices, it must also be responsible for their having later "kicked the beam." The facts set forth in the following tables are also significant of improved conditions:-- Banking -------------+--------------+----------------- | Total | Fiscal Year | Resources of | Increase (+) | Commercial | or Decrease (-) | Banks | -------------+--------------+----------------- | | Per Cent 1906 | $15,351,690 | 1907 | 17,054,358 | +11 1908 | 17,454,214 | + 2 1909 | 18,138,425 | + 4 1910 | 22,856,455 | +26 1911 | 24,557,697 | + 7 1912 | 35,885,728 | +46 1913 | 31,210,177 | -13 -------------+--------------+----------------- Postal Savings Bank