Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-30

the other hand with the influx of capital
and the consequent somewhat rapid devel-
opment of the country, there nave been Ooth
a great increase in the demand for products
raised by the natives and likewise an In
creased demand for the. kind Of work that
these somewhat INDECENT people prefer
While the natives in the countries under
consideration do not make good laborers
in grading railways. building roads, in min
ing or in regular work on the plantations
they do make efficient teamssers. cler Ms
boatmen, even sometimes with little train
ing engineers and craftsmen The increase
in capital has therefore, both created
market for the products of the native land
holder and furnished opportunities at bet
ter than common wages for those who cared
to sell their services direct Tor productive
labor.
Restricting Chinese immigration.
In Java, on the other hand, where there
is plenty of labor for the development of the
country, it has been thought best by the
government to guard the unsophistleated
Javanese, especially in the country VII
lagos, against the tempting inducements Of
the willy Chinese trader and peddler. I'm
less some care is taken in this regard the
shrewd Chinaman is likely. by Offering lib
eral terms of credit, so to bring the natives
into his debt that within a comparatively
short time he becomes either the owner OF
it that the natives are practically his bonds
men.
With this experience in mind. the report
recommends that employers Of labor be
permitted to introduce Chinese laporers INTO
the Philippines under contract Tor a perlou
of not over three years in each individual
instance. The employer, it Is thought
should give bonds for the proper care
of the Chinese. for their employment
in the ways indicated in the contract, for
their safe keeping during their stay In the
islands. and for their return to China at
the end of the period of contract unless the
contract is specifically renewed with the
permission and under the supervision of
the government. The need for more labor
to carry out the work of the government
itself in making roads, railroads, harbor i'm
provements, etc, as well as for private cap
italists to develop sugar, hemp and tobacco
plantations and manufacturing enterprises
OF various kindsis emphatically pointed out
On the other hand, with no less emphasis is
made clear the need of careful restrictions
on immigration in order to prevent the ex-
ploitation of the natives by the Cinnamon.
Care should also be taken, it is said, to pre-
vent the Chinese from coming to the United
States from the Philippines.
Land Tenure.
The longest chapter in the book. that on
taxation and land administration, lays espe-
cial stress upon the question of land tenure.
The difference in the proper methods Of
dealing with question of this kind in a
country inhabited by simple minded, ig-
norant population, compared with the
method in country like our own where the
landholders and homestead seekers are
W1de-awake, enterprising people, capable of
taking care of themselves, is insisted upon.
1t is thought that the government should
take especial pains to conserve the inter-
ests of the native Flipinos, and to prevent
the absorption by mere SPECTATORS, Ameri-
can or others, of agricultural as we'll as of
forest ana mining lands Following the al
most universal custom of oriental countries
1t would be best for the government to re-
tain the title and to lease the lands for
somewhat long periods-thirty years or so
at fixed rental, reServing the right to re-
wise the terms of rent at the end of the
period named. The rental should be fixed
according to the value of the average an
nual crop without reference to private i'm
provements, speaking generally, and per-
sons not cultlvating their lands should for
felt them.
In order to encourage the investment of
capital In the development Of the agricul-
tural resources of the islands. 1t is thought
that especially favorable terms with low
rentals should be made for time to large
investors. 1t is not thought wise however,
to grant perpetual leases without reservng
the right to revise the terms of rental or
to dispose of lands in fee simple, excepting
in cases where claims have already been
obtained under the Spanish government or
where the circumstances are such that there
Is no possibility of the native Filipinos be-
ing ouSted
Loans to Landholders.
A further important recommendation in
connection with land administratio ton Is that
some provision be made for loans to small
landholders, particularly for the purchase
of cattle, agricultural tools, etc If it seems
unwise Tor the government to undertake
user the making of agricultural loans, it
should, at any rate, exercise careful super
vision over those made by private parties
in order to protect the ill-informed natives
against uSurerS.
The Police.
The chapter on the police, while filled with
interesting material regarding the systems
used in the countries visited, contains few
suggestions for the Improvement of the al
ready excellent force of the Philippine
constabulary. 1t is recommended that the
system OF training in the native dialects be
extended so that after a comparatively
snort period prom otions would not be made
without knowledge of the local dialect,
and that appointments should depend large
ly upon such knowledge. 1t is urged that
a chlet junction of the police is SO to win
the confidence of the native that his aid
can be secured in suppressing crime and in
insurlng good government. This confidence
cannot pc readily gained by the police off,
c!ais unless they can readily converse with
the natives In their own dialect
The report as whole seems to show that
many valuable suggestions for the Philip
pine government may readily be secured
from the experiences of other colonies SINH
larry situated, but it emphasizes no less the
wisdom which has been exercised by the
government and the Philippine commission
In the laws already made Certainly, COM
paratively few mistakes of any consequence
have yet been made by either the War De-
IN Il paI lin wit :,
Philippine problems