Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-05
DANGER Of LADR0N|SA
Found to be Most Difficult to
Stamp Out in the Phil
ippines
COMMISSIONS ANNUAL REPORT
Gives Review of Results of Years
Work and Recommends Legislative
Action by Congress Regarding Phil
ppine Questions - Amendment to
Philippine Land Act.

Washington, Jan. 5.-The annual re-
Fort of the Philippine commission and a
separate report by Governor w. III.
Iaft, made public at the war depart
ment yesterday, give a review of the
results of the years work of the COM
omission and contain recommendations
for legislative action by congress
j deemed essential to the welfare Of the
islands.
Governor Taft in his report says it
has not been definitely determined what
| shall be done with respect to Mindanao
where, he says. hostility to the Ameri-
cans does not extend beyond the Lake
Lanao Moros The Moros, he says, do
not understand popular government and
90 not desire it, preferring control by
the dattos. Possibly far in the future"
says the report, control by dattos may
! cease. For the present however, 1t is
necessary only to provide a paternal,
strong but sympathetic government for
| these followers Of Mchammed."
| Governor Taft tells of the conditions
that have made it necessary for the
islands to purchase about s15,0O0.oo0
worth of food on which to live, and of
the effects war has mad upon agricul-
ture, almost the only resource of wealth
| in the islands. The greatest blow to
| agriculture, he says, is the destruction
of about 80 per cent of the caribou. or
water buffalo, on which the cultivation
| of rice is almost wholly dependent
| After speaking of the ravages of Ash
attic cholera, Governor Taft says: The
itane of Philippine civilization in the
II past was ladronism, and the present
conditions are most favorable for its
growth and maintenance. 1t is not GER
tain whether in the depressed state OF
agriculture, with the temptations to Ia
dronism, that the constabulary Will be
able to stamp it out. Were there temp
tations to agriculture. We're prosperous
conditions in the country, 1t would not
| be troublesome matter to deal with,
hut when want and famine are staring
people in the face, the life OF the free-
booter forms to the desperate and tne
weak a very great attraction. The natu-
raj discomfort with the government
when suffering is at hand. promoted as
lit is nv cholera restrictions and the hlgh
prices of rice and other conifnoahtes
which have been greatly enhanced py
the depreciation of oliver, might Well
cause new breaking out OF the insur-
ERECTION. and in my Judgment it speaks
wonders for the ease with "hleh 'his
country may be governed IN Norman
times that we have comparatively SO
little disorder since the surrender oi
arms in April
| Since the civil government was com
pletely established in the Phihppihe
PROVINCES turnout the archipelago IN
july of last year. the governor sass an
! American soldier has not been called on
once to fire a gun, the country having
itaon noticed by the constabularS'
force of 5000 or 5000 men.
TT may be- says Governor az,
that as the conditions grow Worse-,ioi
they are likely to 10 so before .iies
grow better-it will be necessary III
nrovince like Cavite, where laaroiiisi'i
seems inbred in the people. TO proela .,.
martial law AND even to eau IN Tue III n.;n
tarv finally to suppress it, but II Is sun
honad This may be avoided.
! ,rhe ladrones of I,oilo are charactei
ia &c an organized band OF cae''s
thieves They are being rapidly s.anip -.
ont Governor Taft says that unless .le
~ thou can be replaced or other hle.n-
- agriculture substituted which
will nreyent these animals pelhs
..isnensable hereafter, the future ioi
several years has gloomy ou.teo n,;o,,.
The depressed condition oL as ~
two and the tendency to ladronlsnh ~
the Tagalog and in some o. 'ne ..asa
an provinces does not Apply " an,of
nrovinces where hemp is the osi
| nroduct. "They are wealthy anu -
| nervous" the report says, anu -.
their goods cost more than IL use
thew have money enough Win which "
make improvements; school houses q. :
being built; roads are being cons
| id. machinery, agricultural anu " o'',-
/ arc is being introduced anu us
ayerv evidence of forward iiioNe'iiSns'
Thrnout the rice and Tagaion proVlh-
- ,,a must EXPECT disturbances from
t;,,,. m time from ladrones and their
assistants. the Katipunan socfeties. VI.
Tho whole there is before us a year OF
~ hardest kind of work relieving the
] ,aonle from the hardship and suffering
i;,,,,,- 10 follow the failure Of the rice
nron and in suppressing ladronism and
other disturbances due to economic dis-
| tress." "a.
The governor pointed out among oth-
az ills from which the country is SUI
| ferinp. that of fiuctuating currency. On
the subject of labor he speaks of the
neaa of making temporary provision
| such as is recommended by the full
commission. -,
He regards the objection made by
/ the F'iIipinos to the unlimited introduce
tion of Chinese into the islands to be
logical and justified, and says:
| "Another phase of the labor question
which does not seem to have had its
nroper weight with the merchants of
Manila in their demand for the admis-
| sion of Chinese coolies is the great OBJ
| stacle which such policy would pre-
| sent to the opening by the United
| states of its markets to Philippine
products
The Philippine commission In It's an
| nual report, which is the third 1t has
4 made says at the outset:
The instruction as an organized at
/ tempt to subvert the authority OF the
! United States in these islands, is en-
| .tirely at an end. and the whole of the
Christian Filipino population with the
exception of few thousand people In
| the Moro country, in Isolated towns, are
| enjoying civil government"
much remains to be done in per-
I 4