Evening star., 1902-02-05
DIRE cTED AT MERGER |N4TlVES- |. DEscRIBED|
III yc
Gov. Taft Hefors Senate Philippines
Committee.
be 80
,yrr-
COURTEOUS BUf NOT INDUSTRIOUS
d ia4 =
Demand for The Labor of the
)s . io-
II, Chinese.
Chinese.
DIFFERENCES WITH ARMY

In his statement before the Senate COM
| mittee on the Philippines today Governor
Taft dealt especially with the. question of
| the relationship of the civil and the mill
tary authorities IN the Philippines, and his
explanation was received with much inter-
est by the members of the committee. The
days session began with the understanding
that there should be no interruption by
members of the committee until the pre-
sentation of this entire branch of the sub
ject was completed
Governor Taft said that originally the
civil and military control of the islands had
been in the hands of the military, and that
naturally there had been some difference of
opinion between the military authorities
and the commission as to the method of
proceeding. This difference had arisen with
General Macarthur, and there had been
more or less correspondence on the subject.
Inc general. had contended that authority
overtime islands was vested in the military
as the representative Of the chief executive
because the islands were in state of war
IN IN TINS view the commission did not concur
rms difference did not, however, extend to
the control of the municipalities.
The Compromise With Gen. Chaffee.
In this connection Governor Taft ex-
planned at some length the contention be-
tween the commission and General Chaffee
which had, he said, arisen over the habeas
corpus provision in the commissions code.
That provision had been inserted, he said,
to protect native officers who surrender and
VINO are subject to arrest charge of
crimes committed while in the insurrection
service, believed to be contrary to the rules
of civilized warfare. Such charges against
lnese men were common. and often they
were unfounded.s The provision had, how
ever, been invoked in the interest of an en-
ilsted man serving in Cebu, who was seek
ing to secure his release from the military
service in an Indirect way. Thus a con-
met had arisen and the question had been
referred to Washington. with the result
that instructions had come back that the
dinerences must be compromised.
, Generai Chaffee and are on the friend
hest and most cordial terms" he said, land
We had no difficulty In reaching an under
standing after prolonged conference
Our compromise was reached on the un-
derstanding that a writ Of habeas corpus
would not lie against military officers
civilian employe Of the military branch or a
prisoner of war; ia 81
Sentiment of the Natives,
Governor Taft also said that there had
been some differences of opinion as to other
matters in the method of administra ton.
and that natarallythe natives were more
favorably inclined toward the civil govern
ment because they were represented by
men Of their own nationality In that branch
of the servfces whilss on the other hand, the
army was principally concerned in bringing
the war to an end: He thought, however
the military oauth8rities were coming to
look with more favor on the civil institu-
tionS. ~ -.s3
In reply to a question, Governor Taft said
there are thirty-four organized and fifteen
unorganized provinces. In answer to a
question by SenatSr Patterson, Governor
Taft said it was not true that a ma jority
OF the people can read and write AS to
the position of women in the island lie sa a..
that the women Of the Philippines hold a
superior position. They are the active
managers In general affairs, and the Span
ish archbishop had said to him that If If
was intended to confer any political author
ity upon the Filpinos 1t should be con-
ferred upon the female sex.
rs 1t not true" INTERRUPTED Senator
Dietrich. who has visited the Phflipniues
while the women are engaged in conduct.
ing the affairs Of the family the men are
generally engaged in attending cock fights
or going about the country with roosters
Mr.. Patterson replied to this question by
reading from the War Department repert
to the effect that the Tagalogs are induS
trious, courteous, artistic, quiet and or
Derby
Courteous. bat Not industrious.
To this Gov Taft replied that he had
iiCNCi IIipiHU WHO was not mIlSi- |
clan, and that as a people they were
courteous and quiet. but he did not agree
to the statement that they were indus
trious. and 1t also was true that the uned-
ucated classes among them show low ten
denotes. "AI Filipino crowds are" he said.
well behaved and polite. and the peouie
are courteous The Filipino also shows
capacity for skilled labor. but he is neelf-
gent Of machinery. 1 wish it were true
that .the Filipino is as Industrious as is
claimed, but he is not: Indeed, there are
many of them who might secure work who
do not seek 1t. This condition leads to a
demand for the bringing in of Chinese"
Demand for Chinese Labor.
This statement led Senator Hale to make
inquiry concerning the presence of Chinese.
The witness replied that the contractors
and business men generally contend for the
necessity of bringing in Chinese labor. This
Importation was, however. generally re-
sented by the natives. not so much because
of the competition OF the Chinese as labor
ers as because OF tnelr competition as mer-
chants. The Chinaman generally saved ALI |
his wages, and in a few months would es
tablish mercantile establishment the re
suit being that the next-door neighbor,
who is a native, will be driven out He said
further that under the present Regulations
no Chinese are admitted.
The Lands of the Friars.
Replying to other questions. Gov. Taft
stated that In the islands there are about |
100000 acres of land held by private per-
sons, and that Of this 40a, 600 acres are |
owned by the Catholic friars OF these
403O 600 acres, $50 900 are in the best lands
in the islands.
AS to the honesty of the native Filipino. |
Gov. Taft said that many exaggerate ed and
extreme pictures had been drawn. They
Were neither SO bad nor so good as they |
had beer represents1 Many were arrested |
for theft, AND Ifherf also were charges of |
treachery and ,drp}ieity. That some are /
dishonest andr othSrs double-faced was |
true. but thatoall present the characteris-
ties was not tive. Hence no general char |
acterization wal possible.
Referring TOD thei order of concentration |
in Batangas Gov. Taft said he had been |
misunderstood Yesterday in saying that he |
had advised Gfn. Bell against It. He had |
recommended that tthe order should not he
made so vida Y isa scope as It was.
Taft will. at the REQUEST of Senator i,o1ise