Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-09
TRADE IS CONFINED
The Filipinos Want Outlet
for Their Products.
LEGISLATION DESIRED
COMMISSIONERS IDE DISCUSSES
CONDITIONS IN THE ISLANDS.
Suppression of Observation-Disclosures
ent Catholic Movement-Setthhg
the Friars' Question.
LEGISLATION DESIRED

emf u1OVSAChC-N
the Friars' Question.
Mr. Henry Clay Ide of the Philippine
commission and secretary of finance and
justice in the insular government Is here
on leave of absence from his post or
duty. Mr.. Ide served in the Philippines
for three years, and at the end of that
time requested vacation Of six months
which was granted him. He arrived in
this country several weeks ago, and for
time remained in California, where his
health was much benefited.
Mr. Ide now shows no ill-effects of the
Philippine climate He is thoroughly in
terested in the work that is being carried
on in the Philippines and looks hopefully
to the Improvement of conditions there
He has conferred with the Secretary of
War since he arrived here a couple of
days ago. and today had general discus
sion with Mr. Charles A. Conant concern
ing the prospective work Of the interna-
tional monetary exchange commission or
the United States He believes there will
be no serious difficulty in obtaining su'he
satisfactory system for an exchange be-
tween the silver currency of the philippines
and the gold of the United States. He re
CARDS some stable system as of the utmost
importance in the further development of
the trade of the islands in which he mas
resided during the past three years.
Mr.. Ide was met here by his two daugh-
ters who are staying with him at the
Arlington. After a week spent In this
city he will leave for visit in his old
home in Vermont. In the fall he will re-
turn to the Philippines to resume his du-
ties on the Philippine commission
Needs of the Philippines.
Mr. Ide was seen at the Arlington today
by Star reporter, and talked interestingly
about conditions in the Philippines and
the needs of those islands for their further
development.
1.-THE pacincation of the islands," he said.
when questioned concerning conditions
there. lis entirely completed except in the
Moro country, which now has little at
tention given 1t by the military authorities.
The complete disqualification of the islands
so far as ladronism and robbery is con-
oerned has not yet been effected. but very
rapid progress is being made in aceo1:l-
plishing that end. The condition of la
dronism has always existed under the Span
ish regime, and from the beginning of the
war in 1896 down to 1902 in parts of the
islands that were in an unsettled condition.
and with people away from their homes.
property was destroyed, and the death of
pest. which affected the cattle. and from
surra. which destroyed the horses The
locusts also did great damage to crops.
From all these causes more people have
taken to the bush than otherwise would
have been the case.
But these conditions are being dealt
with by the Filipino scouts very effectuaIly.
Probably the conditions in these respects
are not worse than any one ought to have
expected.
Ladrones Fear the Americans.
1.-THE victims of the ladrones are Filipinos
almost exclusively. Very rarely, indeed, is
1t that an American is interfered with The
ladrones are afraid of the results OF an at
tack on Americans. They attack their own
people. as they know how to attack them
and their own people are more isolated
They can come down from the mountains
ana attack their own people with very
little opposition. They know that If they
attack Americans they will receive very
vigorous resistance, which they do not care
&c encounter.
1.-The work of suppressine thesa 1adro,os
is going on very satisfactorily and is prac-
ucally all being done by Filipinos The
fllpiao scouts are natives with American
omcers All the fights that now occur be-
tween our forces and the ladrones are
fights bet" cen brown men and brown men,
The United States army performs the same
function there as in the United States 1t
is a reserve force to be called on in cases
of necessity. Since the close of the war
l have known of but one instance in which
the United States army has been called
upon to render any assistance to the ma
tive scouts. That one instance has occurred
since 1 left Manila.
1T may require some little time to COM
plete the suppression of all this brigandage
but the Filipino people are co-operating
for Its suppression. They give Information
and. even volunteer their services outside
Of the regular forces and hunt the brig
ands down. The native governors are
very Vlgllant and assist US wherever they
can. The work is being done rapidly and
thoroughly
Want Freer Trade With America.
What do you regard as the most neces-
sary legislation by Congress for the i'm
provement of conditions in the Philippine
Islands?" Mr.. Ide was asked.
II should say that the greatest help that
Congress can give US will be to relieve us
from the heavy burdens imposed by the
Dingley tariff on the exports from the
islands to the United States. The islands
are part of the cession to the United
States at least, and they are entitled to
the generous consideration of people.
But as 1t is now it is impossible for the
Philippine manufacturer of cigars to send
his goods to the United States without
paying as a duty a tariff amounting to
70 per cent of the Dingley tariff, or Is per
cent Of 4.5O per pound and rs per cent ad.
valorem in addition.
The result of this heavy duty Ia that we
find no Manila cigars exposed for sale In
the United States and the importation into
this country OF sugar from the Philippines
Is also practically prevented because of the
high duty on that product.
NOW the best Philippine cigar is a very
excellent article. If our cigars and sugar
were admitted here without the imposition
of so heavy a duty the result would be
that the industry would be stimulated and
our people would be encouraged while at
the same time the production there for very
many years would not be sufficient to pro-
duce any perceptible effect upon the cigar
and tobacco industry Of this country. Our
Filipino people are poor. They need that
help and we think that they are entitled to
it.
THE method of production in the islands
is crude and the labor Is unreliable. But
with the help that would come with the re-
duced tariff we should not be able to pro-
duce enough to affect injuriously the pro-
ducers of sugar and tobacco in the United
States. Such action on the part Of Con-
gress would afford stimulus to American
capital to enter the Philippine islands and
1t would afford help and encouragement to
the people who have suffered enormous
hardships because of the devastation of the
war and the ravages of the diseases that
have caused such losses to them in the
taking off of their cattle and horses.
1.-THE Chinese exclusion act has been ap-
cheap labor from all those islands. SO that