Evening star., 1902-02-01
GOV. TAF RESUMES
Continues His Statement on Condi-
tions in the Philippines
BEFORE TEE SENATE COMMITTEE
Agreement Between Civil and
Military Authorities.
WORK OF IMPROVEMENT
BEFORE TEE SENATE COMMITTEE
WORK OF IMPROVEMENT

the Philippines. He. resumed his account
of his last years tour of the provinces. He
said that, next to Manila, Cebu came nearer
to being a city in point of population and
manner of Improvement than any other
place in the archipelago. The Island of
Cebu. he said, is the most densely settled
of the group. 1t had been a question
whether a civil government should be es-
tablished IN Cebu, because just before the
arrival of the commission the insurgents
had been firing into the capital site, but
people had insisted, and the organization
had been effected.
Roads Constructed.
Speaking generally, Gov. Taft said there
were no roads in the Philippine Islands
under the Spanish, but that since the es-
tablishment of American control 81 100000
had been appropriated for road improve
ments. both for strategic and commercial
purposes. Most of the towns on the
seacoast. and the greater part of the
travel for any distance is by boat. He
also said that the wheels of such vehicles
as are used are so narrow that they cut
up the roads badly. Moreover, the frequent
freshets in the streams render it difficult
to maintain the roads. In most if not all
the islands, Gov. Taft said, there is
mountain backbone which is practically
impossible. Gen. Hall had succeeded in
crossing the LuZon mountains, but his men
were almost dead when they emerged.
The Importance of the CaribaO.
In his tour Gov. Taft had found the in
dustries in progress, though much inter-
rupted largely On account of the destruc-
toin of the water buffalo caribao, the
work cattle of the island. This animal ne
described as ''the beast of burden, the FAM
lily friend, the wealth of the individual and
the object of all the robber bands of the
mountain districts" In the last two years
about 75 per cent of these bruttes had been
killed off by a disease called rinderpeSt,
and their price had increased from $50 to
$40 head. Agriculture also had been in
terrupted by inSurrection but in the Vicin-
ity of Manila this was not true today. In
the city where the streets are rough the
witness said that the caribao moves so
slowly as to block the streets, and he
thought that mules should be imported
He also expressed the opinion that milk
producing animals might be imported to
advantage. There are fine cattle ranges,
but to his knowledge milk is produced
on the islands. ---s-,..ss-a
Resuming the thread of his narrative,
Governor Taft said that the Island of Cebu
was not long organized into civilized gov
ernment until it was found necessary to
return to military control. He had, how
ever, been informed just before his de-
parture for the United States that the 300
or 400 insurgents on the island had sur
rendered and that the island had been en-
tirely tranquilized.
Where the Fighting Takes Place.
This statement led Senator Hale to ask
question. within the past ninety days."
he said, Il have observed by the newspa-
pers that there were forty-one small fights
within the space of thirty days-where do
they occur?"
The reply was that most of these encoun-
ters had taken place in Batangos, Laguna,
Mindero, Bohol, Samar, Cebu and a few
other places. Most of the troops are in
those provinces.
Referring to the Maccabebes, Governor
Taft said they had always been at war
with their neighbors; that they had for
merly been friends of the Spaniards, and
that when the transfer Of the country was
made they had also transferred their allie
glance to the United States. He thought
there were 5000 or 10000 Of them.
You speak" said Senator Culberson, as
the witness progressed, "of disagreements
between the civil and the military authori-
ties as to whether there should be a civil
or military control of certain district: in
such cases who determines as to what shall
be done?"
THAT" replied Governor Taft, lis
question Of instructions, or, rather of con-
struction of instructions; but we have got
ten along so far without radical disagree
ment. One difficulty of this kind was SUI
mitted to Washington and we were told
that we must reconcile our differences If
We could. We did so, and have had no
OtutT HdleTldl uilliCult1eS OI the KIM. he
promised to speak more extensively on this
question of jurisdiction at later time.
In the Southern Provinces.
Concluding the narrative of his southern
excursion Gov. Taft said that the ladies of
the party accompanied the gentlemen to all
places to which they went, except in a few
instances These exceptions were made on
account Of the fact that 1t was necessary
to take small vessels to reach them, rem
dering it inconvenient for the ladies to go.
The party had not visited Mindoro because
of climatic conditions and because at the
time there had been no effort to pacify the
island
Gov. Taft spoke frequently of the unre-
liability of all estimates of the population
but said there are probably 6,OG0OOO Fill
pinos or Christians, one and a half or two
millions of non-Christians and probably
million of Moros. However, a census was
badly needed.
The members of the committee smiled
when Gov. Taft said that the Christians
had made all the trouble.
A second trip into the northern portion of
Luzcn Island was described next, and this
tour, the governor said, was made almost
without military escort. Cagayan in the
extreme northern part of the island is from
an agricultural STANDPOINT the most mag
nihcent portion of the islands. This prov
ince also contained splendid forests He
explained that it is necessary to provide a
more paternal form of government for the
ISoTfOteS tnan Tor the f1liplnoS. 1t was
also impracticable to place Filipino gov
ernors over these people
Where the Rifles Came From.
In reply to Senator Patterson, Gov Taft
said that there probably were 1900 rifles in
the hands Of insurrectos in the islands, and
there are some of the latter who do not
carry guns. He could not, he said, tell
where the rifles and the ammunition came
from. Some had been received from Ad-
miral Dewey before the beginning of the
insurrection. and there were also rumors of
shipments from Hong Kong and other parts
of China and Japan. but the reports could
not be verified. There had been some jap.
anese rifles found, but most of them were
either Remingtons or Mausers, indicating
either American or Spanish origin AS to
the juntas most of them are concentrated
now at Hong Kong. composed mostly OF
natives of Bantanga, who had made their
money in coffee growing.
Replying to Senator Dubois the witness
said that Laguna and Samar are the only
considerable Philippine provinces which
have not been organized, and that with
those provinces organized practically all