The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1903-03-07
PHILIPPINE TARIFF.
President Pleads for Immediate Ac-
tion by Senate.
send. special Message Urging Re
dsetion OF Duties on Goods from
the Islaad. = why Relief
IL Needed.

Washington, Feb. %. President
Roosevelt sent TO the senate late
Thursday afternoon special mes
sage urging in the very strongest
terms the passage by that body OF
the Philippine tariff bill, which has
been passed by the house and now
languishes in the senate. The presi-
dent took this action after full dis
cussion Of the subject at meeting
Of the cabinet.
The Philippine tariff bill provides
for \ reduction of the American tariff
on al products coming from the
Philippines amounting TO rs per cent.
The message is as follows:
II have just received cable from
Gov. Taft. which runs as follows: Ne
cessity for passage house tariff most
urgent. The conditions of productive
industry and business considerably
worse than in November, the date OF
last report, and growing worse each
month. Some revival in sugar. tobac-
co prices. due TO expectation OF tarlf
law. The interests of Filipinos in
sugar and tobacco extensive. and fail
ure Of bill will be blow in the face OF
those interests. Number of tobacco
factories will have TO close and many
sugar haciendas will be put up for sale
nj n sacrifice il the bill will not pass.
Customs receipts have fallen off this
month one-third, showing decrease OF
purchasing power of the islands. Cen
oral business stagnant. All political
parties, including labor unions most
strenuous in petition for tariff bill, Eff
feet OF its failure very discouraging.
"Vice Gov. Luke Wright endorses in
the strongest manner all that Gov
Taft has said. and states that he has
the gravest apprehension as to the
damage that may come to the Islands
If there is not n substantial reduction
in the tariff levied against Philippine
goods coming into the United states.
Urges Congress 10 Act.
"I very earnestly ask that this mat
ter receive the immediate attention of
congress. and that the relief prayed for
be granted. AS congress knows,
series of calamities have befallen the
Philippine people. just as they were
emerging from nearly six years OF
devastating warfare, with the accom-
Danying destruction of property and
The breaking up of the bonds of social
order and the habits of peaceful indus
try. there occurred an epidemic of
rindcrpest which destroyed 90 per cent.
of the carabous, the Philippine cattle.
leaving the people without draft
animals to till the lands or TO aid in
the ordinary work Of farm and village
life, the extent of the disaster can be
seen from the fact that the surviving
caribous have increased over ten-fold
In value. At the same time peculiar
oriental horse disease became epidem-
&c, further scrippling transportation.
The rice crop, already reduced by va
rous causes to but fourth of it's ordi-
nary size. has been damaged by locusts,
so that the price of rice has nearly
doubled.
Urgent Needs In the Islands.
Under these circumstances there
is imminent danger of a famine in the
islands. Congress is in course of gen.
'crously appropriating $3,OOo,oOO to
meet the immediate needs, but indis-
pensible and preeminentne is the res
direction of productive industry from
the prostration into which it has been
thrown by the causes above enumer-
ated. | ask action in the tariff matter,
not merely from the standpoint of wise
governmental policy, but as a measure
of humanity in response to an appeal
to which this great people should not
close its ears. We have assumed re-
sponsibilities toward the Philippine
islands which we are in honor bound
TO fulfill. We have the specific duty of
taking every measure in our power to
see to their prosperity. The first and
most important step in this direction
has been accomplished by the joint
action Of the military and civil authori-
ties in securing peace and civil govern
ment. The wisdom of congress at the
present session has provided for them
a stable currency, and its spirit of hui
name liberality and justice toward
them will be shown in the appropria-
ton now substantially agreed upon of
$3,000,000, to meet the pressing imme-
diatc necessities, but there remains n
vital need that one thing further shall
he done. 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 can be
greatly alleviated and permanently a-
sis of future prosperity assured II the
economic relations of the islands with
the United States are put upon salts
factory basis.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
1'White House, Feb. 81, 1909"
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