Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1903-03-01
pRGoloGMr oGMos A coMMuNlcA.
TON vRolMa PASSAGE or
housG TARIFF O,lL.
aELlEr FOR PHILIPPINES
0evsswee vast Gables That ne Neese
city See the Poeeaes o. the OM Il
Meea Experimentation Of Predwe'
live industry and Dvslnsss Consider
ably Wosoo Than In November and
contlNwo @ Grow Woroe.

centlNwo @ Grow Worse.
Warrington. Feb. 2s.-The president
late II the afternoon sent the follow.
lng message to the senate:
II have Just received . cable from
Governor TAFT. which runs ~ follows:
Necessity for passage house tariR
bill most urgent. The conditions Of
productive industry and business con
siderably worse than In November.
the date Of last report. and growing
worse each month. Some revival In
sugar and tobacco prices due to ex-
pectation Of tariff law. The interests
Of Filipinos in sugar and tobacco ex-
tensive and failure Of bill will be blow
In the face Of those interests. Mum
Der Of tobacco factories will have to
close and many sugar haciendas vii.
be put up for sale at q sacrifice II the
bill will not pass. Customs receipts
have fallen on this month one-third.
showing decrease of purchasing power
OF islands. General business stag.
nant. All political parties, including
labor unions, most strenuous in peti-
ton for tariR bill. The effect Of its
failure very discouraging.'
Endorsed by Wright.
"Vice Governor Luke E. Wright en-
dorses in the strongest manner all
that Governor Taft has said, and
states that he has the greatest ap-
prehensiOn as to the damage that may
come to the islands If there is not a
substantial reduction in the tariff
leved against Philippine goods coming
into the United States. l very ear
nestly ask that this matter receive
the immediate attention Of congress
and that the relief prayed for be
granted.
AS congress knows. q series of
cAlamities have befallen the Philip
pine people. Just a they were emery
ing from nearly six years Of devastat-
Ing warfare, with the accompanying
destruction of property and the break.
ing up Of the bonds of social order
and the habits Of peaceful industry,
there occurred an epidemic Of rinder-
pest which destroyed 80 per cent Of
the caribous. the Philippine cattle,
leaving the people without draft ami.
mails to till the land or to aid in the
ordinary work of farm and village
life.
Extent Of Disaster.
THE extent of the disacter can be
seen from the fact that the surviving
caribous have increased over tenfold
In value. At the same time a peculiar
Oriental horse disease became cpl
demic, further Gripping Transports
ton. The rice crop. already reduced
by various causes to but a fourth of
its ordinary size, has been damaged
by ~lOcusts, SO that the price of rice has
nearl doubled.
Under these circumstances there
is imminent danger of q famine in the
islands. Congress is in course Of
generously appropriating 5000. 900 to
meet the immediate needs; but indis-
pensable and pre-eminent need is the
resurrection Of productive industry
from the p%rostration into which it has
been thrown by the causes above
enumerated. l ask action in the tariff
matter not merely from the stand
point of wise governmental policy but
rs q measure Of humanity In response
to IN appeal to which this great peo-
pie should not close its ears. We have
assumed responsibilities toward the
Philippine Islands which We are in
honor bound to fulfil. We have the
specific duty Of taking
Every Measure In Our Power
to see to their prosperity. The frst
and most important step In this direc.
ton has been accomplished by the
joint action Of the military and civil
authorities in securing peace and
civil government. The wisdom Of
congress at the present session has
provided for them a stable currency
and its spirit of human liberality and
justice toward them will be shown in
the appropriation now substantially
agreed upon of b, 1000. 900 to meet the
pressing immediate necessities; but
there remains q vital need that one
thing further shall bed0ne. The
calamities which have befallen them
as above enumerated could have been
averted by no human wisdom. They
cannot be completely repaired; but the
suffering q be greatly alleviated and
. permanent basis of future prosper
fly assured II the economic relations
Of the islands with the United States
are put upon a satisfactory basis"