Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-12-19

Washington, D. c., Dec. 14.-Chair-
man Payne of the committee on ways
and means yesterday presented the
majority report on the Philippines
tariff bill. 1t says:
This bill is designed to raise rev
enue for the government and benefit
of the Philippine archipelago. 1t is
intended to restore the status which
existed prior to the late decision of
the supreme court in the diamond
rings case. Prior to that decision the
government had been collecting du-
ties on goods coming into the United
States from the Philippines archipel-
ago at the same rates as those pro-
vided in our tariff laws for like ar
ticles imported from foreign countries.
The court holds that the Philippine
archipelago is not a foreign country
and therefore the general tariff law
does not apply. This bill extends the
rate now existing upon imports from.
foreign countries to articles brought
from the Philippine islands.
THE necessity for continuance of
revenue which shall be both ample
and certain is imperative. If we con-
tinue the police and constabulary sys-
tenn which has been inaugurated, and
which is doing so much to restore and
conserve order in the islands, it will
call for large increase in appropri-
atoms. We have enrolled 10000
school children in the public schools
Of this number more than one-half
are without any school house accom-
mediation. 1t is necessary that we
build suitable houses at once. Ten
thousand adults were at last accounts
enrolled for night schools and we
are told that this number has since
increased probably to at least $4,000.
These people, anxious to learn our
language and to better their mental
condition, must be amply provided for.
Four thousand teachers have been en-
ployed, nearly all of them recently,
and their salaries must be paid. This
great work of education must not be
crippled, even for a short time, for
lack Of funds.
"The bill also provides for the col
lection of tonnage taxes on vessels
plying between the ports of the United
States and the Philippine archipelago
1t further provides that vessels not of
the United States may ply between
these ports, notwithstanding our
coastwise navigation laws, until the
LIST of January, 1905, when it is be-
lieved these islands may safely come
under the operation of our present
statutes, and vessels only of the
United States be employed in our
commerce with them"
The Minority Report.
Representative Richardson (Tennl
presented to the house the minority
report signed by all the democrats of
the committee except Mr.. Robertson
Oa) The report says in part:
"The measure is but another step in
the well-marked line of imperialism
1t is enacting a policy of pure coloni-
alism and the worst for of that policy.
We are opposed to our government at
tempting to hold territories as colo
MES and treating the inhabitants there
of as subjects and imposing upon
them a government of force. This is
the method of the empire instead of
that of the republic. We oppose the
whole policy of the majority in deal
ing with the Philippine archipelago
We believe that instead of the effort
they are making to set up and hold
permanent colonies there we should
long since have inaugurated a policy
assuring the people of those islands
stable government and their ultimate
independence"