New-York tribune., 1902-02-02
TAFT ON PHILIPPINES.
THE GOVERNOR RESUMES HIS
INTERESTING STORY
IMPROVEMENTS UNDER AMERICAN
RULE-RESOURCES OF THE ISL
ANDS THE FILIPINO
CHARACTER.
,DER AMERICAN
CHARACTER
IBr TELEGRAPH TO THE rH1BuSE.I

Washington. Feb. 1.-GovernOr Taft to-day
continued his testimony before the Senate Com
mittee on the Philippines. resuming in the same
interesting conversational way his story of the
visits he made last year to the various islands
of the archipelago a vivid description was
given Of conditions in the southern group. espe-
clally In Samar and Cebu. and of the obstacles
which have hndeTed the institution Of civil gov
ernment in the islands where the insurrection
shows still some chickering's Of vitality and
pIwer Governor Taft also gave a running ac-
count OF one of his more recent visits 10 the
h3:thernmost provinces in LuzOn. few ques-
tlons were asked by Senators Rawlins. Dubois
and Patterson, but nothing in the way of seri-
Gus cross-examination was undertaken by these
accepted spokesmen for the Democratic minor
ity. The hearing will be resumed on Monday
morning
In beginning his statement Governor Taft
said that next 10 Manila. Cebu came nearer
to being a city in point of population and man
ner OF Improvement than any other place In the
archipelago The island of Cebu he said Is
the most densely settled of the group. II had
been a question whether a civil government
should be established at Cebu because lust
before the arrival OF the commission the in
surgents had been firing into the capital site
but people had insisted. and the organization
had been effected
IMPROVING THE ROADS
Speaking generally. Governor Taft said there
were roads in the Philippine Islands under
the Spani1-ds. but since the establishment Of
American control S1OOOOOO had been appro-
priated for road improvements both for strateg-
lc and commercial purposes Most Of the towns
are on the seaCoast, and the greater part OF the
travel for any distance Is by boat The wheels
OF such vehicles as are used are so narrow
that they cut up the roads badly Moreover
the frequent fraShatG in
difficult 10 maintain the roads. In most if nor
all, Of the islands there is mountain backbone
which is practically impossible General Hau
haH succeeded IN crossing the Luzon Mountains
out his men were almost dead when thev
emerged.
III ms tour Governor Taft had found the in
duStries in progress. though much interrrntsd
largely on account OF the destruction of tbs
water buffalo. the work cattle OF the island
This animal he described as the beast =, h,,
den- the family friend. the wealth of N. ~,
dividual' and the object of all the robber hands
or the mountain districts" In the last .D-o
years about 80 per cent of these animals had
been killed off by rinderpest and the prics bs5
increased from $50 to $40 a head Agriculture
naa also been interrupted by insurrection. but
In the vicinity OF Manila this was NOT .rua
to-day. In the city where the streets are
rough the water buffalo moves so slowly a.
to block the streets. and he thought that n,uIs.
shoulo be imported. He also expressed +ha
opinion that milk producing animals nJvb, h.
imported 10 advantage. There are fine eat,IA
ranges but to his knowledge no milk ia pro.
duced in the Islands
AFFAIRS IN CEBIT
Resuming the thread Of his narrative Gov
ernoT Taft said that the island of Cabu bsd =.
long been organized into civiIized yovar,-
nlent l unti. It was found necessary to return to
military control He had. however, been in
formed Just before his departure for the Irnita5
States that the three hundred or four h,7-
dred insurgents in the island had surranaa-a4
and that the island had been entirely tran
quilted.
This statement led Senator Hale 10 ask =
question. within the last ninety davs" ba
said 1 have observed by the newspapers tbs,
there were forty-one small fights within tba
space Of thirty days. Where do they occur7"
Ihe reply was that most OF these encounters
had taken place in Batangas, Laguna. Mtndoro
Bohoi' Samar. Cebu. and few other places
Most of the troops are in those provinces.
Referring to the Macabebes Governor Taft
SAID they had always been at war with their
neighoors; that they had formerly been friends
Of the Spaniards. and that when the transfer
OF the country was made they had also trans
ferred their allegiance to the United States. He
thought there were eight or ten thousand or
them.
You speak" said Senator CuIberson. "of dis
agreements between the civil and the niIitarr
authorities as TO whether there should be a
civil or military control Of a certain district
In such cases who determines as to what shah
be dOne?'
NO SERIOUS CLASH OF AUTHORITY
That" replied Governor Taft is a question
Of instructions, or, rather OF construction OF
instructions; but We have got along so far
without radical disagreement. One difficulty OF
this kind was submitted TO- Washington and
we were told that We must reconcile our differ
ences If We could. We did so. and have had no
other material difficulties of the kind" He
promised to speak more extensively on this
question Of Jurisdiction later.
Closing the narrative of his Southern excur
sion. Governor Taft said that the women Of the
party accompanied the men to all places m
which tley went, except in a few instances
These exceptions were made on account Of +ha
fact that IL was necessary 70 take small vessels
10 reach them, rendering II inconvenient for tba
women to 60 The party had not visited Min
Goro because OF climatic conditions and because
at the time there had been no effort To pacirx,
the island.
Governor Taft spoke frequently OF the nm
trustwOrthiness of all estimates of the norrr.
tion. but said there were probably 5000 600 E4u-
pinos or Christians 100000 or 2OnoOao
non-Christians. and 100000 Of Moros A cen
sus was badly needed. The members OF tbs
committee smiled when Governor Taft said thar
the Christians had made all the trouble
IN NORTHERN LUzON.
second trip into the northern portion n,
Luzon was described next and this tour en-
Governor said was made Uitbou+ r,;tt.--