The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-02
Appears Before the Senate
 Committee. MANY REFORMS DESIRED
Suggests Importation of Mules
 and Cattle.
Census of Archipelago Should Be Taken.-Cebu Ranks next to Manila as e City.-Trips
 Through Islands.

Washington, Feb. Ex-Governor Tart to- day, continued his statement concerning conditions in the Philippine archipelago before the Senate Committee on the Philippines. He resumed his account of his last years tour of the provinces
 He said that next to Maoila. Cebu came nearer being 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. It had been d question whether a civil govern ment should be established in Cebu, be- cause just before the arrival of the com mission the insurgents had been firing into the capital site, but people had in- sisted, and the organization had been effected.
 Speaking generally, Governor Taft said there were no roads in the Philippine Islands under the Spanish, but that since the establishment of American control $1, ,OO0.OOO had been appropriated for road improvements, both for strategic and commercial purposes. Most of the towns are on the coast, and the greater part or 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.
 In his tour Governor Taft had found the industries progressing through much interrupted. largely on account of the destruction of the water Buffalo, or Cariboa, the work cattle of the. island. This animal he described as the beast of burden. the family friend, the wealth of the individual and the object Of all the robber bands of the mountain districts. In the last two years about 70 per cent oi these brutes had been killed off by 2 disease called rinderrest, and their price had increased from $so to $40 per head.
 Agriculture had also been interrupted by insurrection, but in the vicinity of Manila, this was not true today.
 In the city where the streets are rough the witness said that the Cariboa 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 no milk is produced on the islands.
 Governor Taft spoke frequently of the unreliabilty of all estimates of the popu- lation but said there are probably six million Filipinos or Christians and one and a half or two millions of non-Chris- tians and probably a million Of others. However a census, was badly needed.
 The member of the committed smiled when Governor Taft said that the Chris tians had made all the trouble.
 A second trip into the northern portion of Luzon island was described next and this tour the Governor said was made almost without military escort. Cogayan
 nf island is from an agricultural stand point the most magnificent portion of the islands. This province also contained splendid forests. He explained that 1t is necessary to provide a more paternal form .of government for the lgorrotes than for the Filipnos. It was also im- practicable to place Filipinos governors over these people.
 In reply to Senator Patterson. Governor Taft said that there probably were 2,0Oo rifles in the hands of insurgents 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 ammu- nition came from. Some had received them from Admiral Dewey before the beeinning of the insurrection and there were also rumors of shipments from Hong Kong other parts of China and Japan. butN the reports could not be Vefihed.
 Replying to Senator Dubois, the witness said that Laguna and Samar are the only considerable Filipino provinces which have not been organized and that with those provinces organized probably all the Filipinos capable of being taken would be under civil government. In replv to other questions from Mir. Dubois C;overnor Taft said the Filipinos have a greater attachment for their country than. for instance, the Chinese have for theirs.
 "The Filipino is" he said, "attached first to his town, and second to his prov ince and he ie think. now forming an attachment for the name of Filipino. On that pride of country and On the Filipi- nos desire for education.' he added. II base my hope in the success of what we are doing in the islands,
 In reply to other questions. Governor Taft said that he estimated that from 6 +o ! per cent of the people read and write the Spanish language, but that he could ,,ot say what proportion of the people could write their own language. One rrcst difficulty encountered Is the fact that the people of the different provinces do not understand the language of one another. The witness said that many of inc S35 teachers are engaged in instruct tnq the Filipino teachers. Many of the American soldiers had acted as teachers of the islanders and had proved very successful The Filipino teachers were eeneralIy he said, anxiously availing sbemseIves of the advantages thus af- forded. As a rule. the people appeared anxious to get the education thus given. hut in some cases the priests were mani Testing a disposition to establish parish schools for their people
 Governor Taft said that Spanish was ,ba only language that is common ti,r,uphout the archipelago. and that this r.,s thc only instrument of communica- lion with outside thought. This condition of affairs. Governor Taft said, had led ,,t,, recently to vote for the continuance 'f Spaush as the official language of the tsr.,nds. for if English should now be constituted the official language it would So impossible to conduct business without the aid nf interpreters.
 Senator Patterson asked Governor Taft xhether the Filipino of average intelli-