The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-24
LAW ON ENGLISH BASIS
THROWN IN THE PHILIPPINES
UNDER AMERICAN RULE
REVENUE PROBLEM A PUZZLE
Tari-f Duties Are All Specific, 1T he
ing Deemed InadyisabIe to Dis
turb the Old Pro-
cesses.

WASHINGTON, Dec 23--The war de-
puartment has made public a series, OF
reports made to Gen. Macarthur by the
subordinate officers constituting the
heads of the various bureaus and de-
partments which have administered the
civil affairs of the Philippine islands dur
ing the last year These are closely
but sufficiently summarized In the re-
port CT Lieut.. Col. Crowder. Thirty-ninth
infantry, secretary to the military gov
ernor. Under the head of the treasury
department, it is said that the problem
of securing q stable currency has never
approached a definite solution in the
Philippines, though it had not pressed
for immediate settlement until very re-
Gently when the United States and Mex
:can dollars were for few days evenly
exchanged. This was terminated by a
provisional order whereby the govern
ment arranged TO reimburse the banks
for any losses they might sustain through
paying out Mexican silver for United
States currency from disbursing officers
and trade Doubt is expressed however,
as to the desirabiiity of continuing this
arrangement. The customs service is dis
cussed at some length in the report and
1t is stated that there does not seem to
be any present necessity for an increase
in the number Of ports of entry At
teRtion is directed 10 the marked increase
in the customs receipts under The Ameri-
can management. This is explained in part
by the fact that formerly a large part
eff the imports came from Spain and paid
no duties. Also the American system of
collection is said to tend to honest eel
lections
DUTIES ARE SPECIFIC.
The new tariff adopted for the island
is set out in detail. In almost every
case specific duties. are fixed, following
the established system in the islands,
which 1t was believed to be dangerous
to change to the ad vaIorem system
The extension of the United States en-
igfation laws to the island without sub
s1antial change to meet the local con
ditIons is said to have proven of doubt
tul expediency, and especially SO with re-
gard to the contract labor law II is
essential, says the report for the mer-
cantile interests to secure employees from
abroad under contract, else business will
surfer These laborers do not come into
competition with the native residents
More than q. 600 Chinese entered and left
the islands last year. Only one-niutn of
the land in the archipelago has been
brought under cultivation, and there is
no land tax. Regarding the judicial &c.
partment. it early was found to be nee
eSSary to provide a system which woul:l
be Invested of those harsh and oppres-
siVe features so much in conflict with
American standards. It was impossible,
for lack of time, to supply an entirely
new system, SC some changes regarded
as Indispensable were made by a general
order.
CRIMINAL. LAW OF ANGLO-SAXON.
1t appears that the operations Of the
law, as thus qualified, have been salts
factory in securing n int &c
in criminal cases the fundamental rights
of Ang!o-SaXGn criminal lew The writ
Of habeas corpus has been frequently III
Enked, and under its speedy operation
nearly one hundred prisoners, the heritage
of Spanish regime. have been liberated
from Nnwarranted detention Col
C'rowGer thorough indorses the recon-
rG6ndatinn OF Lieut.. Burritt, in charge OF
the mining sA stem bureau, looking to a
thorough change in the mining laws
lie says that these are extremely cum
bersame, and that once they are brought
up to American standards the mineral
condition of the country soon will be
enormously improved, as experienced
nrospectors and competent mining engi>
neers now in the islands stand ready
tn undertake the work of exploitation.
COL Crowder closes with summary Of
the report of Gen. J. e. Smith, military
governor of Negroes, showing that this
island. which has had under the entire
period of American control a substantial
autonomous form of government. has
progressed in marked and favorable con-
trast with the other islands The atti>
tude of the people is highly favorable TO.
wards the United States, and the largely
autonomous government which they now
enjoy seems to be their fitting reward,
and the people are naturally DESTROYS
that it should be continued. But it will
be impossible to discriminate in favor OF
Negroes, the report says, in the scheme
Of government to be Ultimately adopted,
SO that complications are expected not
eaSy Of adiI1S{paapt