The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-06-14
|NSULAR
PROBLEMS
New Form of Rule
In Philippine
Group.
AN EXTRA SESSION
IS AVOIDED
Civil Government is to Be lnsti
tuted Under Control of War
Department.

| WASHINGTON, June 4-There will
probability was wired to the Call on
Wednesday last after the Cabinet meet
| ing held on the Presidents train, but
at that time it was not conclusively
settled in the absence of Secretary
Gage and Attorney General Knox. But
at today's meeting these points were
decided:
| There will be no extra session, for in
| the absence of decision in the Su-
preme Court in the Philippines case it
would be impossible for Congress to
| legislate intelligently.
Duties will continue to be collected
| in both the United States and the
Philippines as at present. If the court
decides against the Government duties
will be refunded.
GOVERNMENT IN PHILIPPINES.
| The form of government in the Phil
ippines will be changed on July 1. The
new government will be conducted by
| civilians, but it will be military" In
name, and will report to the Secretary
4
ment will be exercised under the mill
tary authority of the President.
The Cabinet session was one of the
most important for many months. Fol-
two hours and a quarter the ques-
tons with which the administration is
confronted were discussed. Attorney
General Knox taking the lead. He
pointed out that if Congress should be
l ~ tr
frame any legislation that would be
certain to stand the test of the courts
since nothing had been decided as tt
the status of the Philippines.
AN EXTRA SESSION AVOIDED.
The President and other members OF
the Cabinet agreed in this view ant
concluded that there would be little
more risk in continuing the present
system than in asking Congress t.
llegislate This consideration settled
the question of an extra session, ano
determined the authorities to go or
collecting duties until a possible ad
verse decision OF the court stops it. Il
is assumed that all the duties at botf
ends will be paid under protest. Sec
rotary Gage does not think there is
any danger of importers bringing any
considerable amount of goods into the
United States through the Philippine:
| in the hope of securing a refund OF
duties The cost of transportation t.
and from the Philippines would be con-
siderable, and the amount of money
locked UP In duties that would have te
be paid would be serious matter
KNOx'S VERY SUBTLE OPINION
Knox has rendered very subtle opin-
ion. There is to be civil government In
the Philippines. but it is to be called q
military Government. In all provinces
where the United States authority Is
well established there will be purely
civil governments, such as now being
installed by the Taft Commission. For
the islands as a whole there will be a
government administered by civilians
under military authority, and respon-
sible to the War Department. AS soon
as the revised tariff for the Philippines
| is completed 1t will be put into effect
| under the military authority of the
! President. as was done in the case OF
| the present tariff. It had been hoped
| that this tariff would be ready on July
1st, but it is now believed that it can
| not be ready before August list