Evening star., 1901-11-30

bureau OF mines or bureau OF forestry,
and before this public land department OF
the Philippine government now lies the task
Of bringing some order out OF chaos and OF
formulating some method whereby private
ownership can be determined and public
land be made available for private settle
ment.
II will take several years to complete a
survey and many years TO determine with
any accuracy the real ownership Of all the
lands in the archipelago The Official Guide
TO the Philippines declares that only about
one-ninetieth OF the territory has been
brought under cultivation. A land tax has
been considered desirable In all the new
possessions but one of the principal Diff
culties in the way of of assessing such q
tax is OF determining ownership. The one
ninetieth under cultivation Is compare
lively large proportion for any country or
the character OF the Philippines. In Cuba
less than per cent, thus showing great
er development in the east than in the
principal island OF the West Indies.
Ownership without Titles.
The Taft commission reports that a very
large percentage of the land is owned or
claimed by individuals without any record
titles whatever. Many OF these. the COM
missioner says. never had any title, ana
those who had them have generally lost
them through the vissicitudes OF war, the
burning of records and the ravages OF In
sects The commission says further: 1T
is difficult for would-be purchasers TO OBJ
tain any certain evidence as TO the validity
of titles that are offered 10 them, and loans
upon real estate security are very ditflcult
to obtain because of the uncertainty OF
titles and boundaries. Before there can be
any large industrial development, which de-
pends upon certainty OF tenure, a new sys,
| tenn of accurate surveys, Investigation and
registration of titles is Indispensable.
system providing for these needs is In
course of preparation.
| The creation of an insular land bureau IS
| the first step in this tremendous task, and
| It is presumed this bureau Will be author
| lied by the commission to make survey or
/ the Philippine lands. What system OF sur
veys will be adopted 1t is hard to say,
| though, in all probability, the land ONCE
| at Washington would prefer the township
| and section plan, with such notifications
| as are made necessary by ALREADY estap-
| lished lines.
This whole matter OF public lands in the
new possessions is one which has been ols-
cussed at length and continuously since the
| acquisition of this territory by the United
| States. The lands involved lie In tropi-
| cal climate and are subject TO unique local
| conditions making the problem an entirely
| different one from tuat which confronted
the nation in handling the public domain OF
| the United States proper. That this trop-
ical land would rapidly be assimilated IL
opportunity is given to private enterprise
be purchased, agricultural resources would
be developed and a complete transformation
would take place in its industrial NE ana
especially in the methods pursued. IL ls
yet to be determined whether these lands
can be advantageously parceled out TO
homesteaders or sold subject to such FOR
estry and other supervision as modern
views holds to be necessary for the good
Of the country as whole.
The Future of Cuba.
Cuba is not counted as among the new
possessions of the United States, but the
people of the United States. whether Cuba
is finally annexed or not, are vastly inter-
ested in the disposition of the Cuban lands.
Undoubtedly there are very large tracts OF
land in Cuba which would come under the
head. of public domain. The island Itself
contains nearly 100000 acres, and as less
than 5 per cent is under cultivation the
possibilities of a future with a properly
stimulated industrial situation are beyond
computation. Even on the little Isle oi
| Pines there is ample opportunity. and many
people, taking it for granted that this prop
erty will be declared to belong TO The
United States and not to Cuba, are besleg-
ing the doors of the department for the
purpose Of obtaining land privileges.
| Congress will be unable to deal with THU
matter in detail The Phiiippine comfnls
sion has apparently recognized the import
ance of the matter and has arranged FOL
! the beginning of the work. In the case o.
Porto Rico and other places, Congress vii
: propapIy De urseda 10 ellhei emPoMti SoiA.'
official to accomplish similar results or 4
deal with the matter directly by the ap
{ pointment of a commission. The outcom
| of all these matters Will depend largei.
1 upon the real legal status Of the erstwhil
. crown lands in the new possessions, ant
this status viii necessarily be determine
later on by the courts.
The question is as to whether the owner
ship of these lands and their administrator
: lies with the national government at Wash
: ington or whether they are owned by tn
L earara1tpitiaS the islands In the LAT
ter case the disposal and administration O
? the same would be entirely in the hands o
| the local governments.
j. d. WHELPLEY.