The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-10-24
REPLIES TO PARKER
urNIAI OF BAD CONDITIONS IN
 PHILIPPINES.
Governor of the Archipelago, In An-
 svver te CabHegram From Taft' Declares All ia ProEress and
 Cententment.

Contemtments
 Washington, D. C., Oct. 2s.-Thc foi.. lowing cablegrams from Secretary or War to Governor Wright of the Phil- ippine Islands and from the governor | to the secretary In reply thereto was made public at the war department ''u@'' October 20. 1908. ITO Governor Wright. Manila: "The Democratic candidate for pres ident on the fifteenth of the present month. in A public address said:
 But two classes of peorle can hope to be benefited by our holding the Phii- ippines--the class which Is always hunting for special government privi- l leRes and the class which seeks to make of office holding a means Of live Iihood, The latter class in the Philip pines comprises some officials whom student of conditions there recently | said:
 Charges of a student. ""Of the character of many in ofhce too little cannot be said. At the best they have been inefficient. at the worst dishonest, corrupt and despotic. The islands seem to have succeeded in get ting the very dregs of our people. He also said: The situation Tn tne Philippines today is so terrible that 1t passes the comprehension of our peo- pie at home. Agriculturaiiy the coun- try is for the time ruined. Land Is go- ing out of cultivation; the population is ill-fed, and in some places unape 10 get work. The country Ia over bur dened with taxation; disease Is prevail ent, the farm animals dead, the towns in many places in ruins. whole dis- tricts in the hands of ladrones, the price of products poor and unremun- erative. Public opinion has no free expression, newspapers are bought up or are browbeaten into silence. men of influence who criticise the commission are ostracised, the pieces produced In the theater are censored, there Is not an organ of expression of the popular voice that is not controlled. In pri- vate life men are subject to a complete far reaching. thorough system of es- pionage. Detectives appear in the guise of servants and the oath of single one is enough to destroy mans reputation. property or even life itself"
 "Your comment as civil governor up- ''''>'O Taft" The Answer of wright.
 The reply of Governor Wright was received here from Manila at ?. m. (october 23), and was as follows:
 Manila. Secretary of War, Washington:
 with reference to your telegram October goth, quoting recent utterances by Judge Parker upon administration and conditions here and requesting statement of facts relating thereto, I report as follows:
 "First-The statement that any con- siderable number of officials have proven corrupt, inefficient or despotic does great injustice to a body of hard working, self-respecting Americans, whose character and service will com pare favorably with those of employees of the Federal or State governments. Whilst there have been a number of defaults by subordinates. they are few as compared with the whole, and have been promptly detected and punished. Total defaults since July. 1901, begin ming civil government, $7S,559. No ultimate loss. Government protected by insurance. We have comprehensive civil service law. rigidly enforced, un- der which qualifications of employees are scrutinized. Defaulters, with few exceptions, appointed during disturbed conditions, prior to the inauguration of the law. Complaints of oppressive acts exceptional and promptly investi- gated and corrected. Relations be- tween the American officials and Philip pines as rule. cordial.
 "Second-Nothing warranting the statement that towns are ruined; lands are going out of cultivation; people lifted. unable to get work and country ruined agriculturally. Towns in same state as before the instruction, save few burned by insurgents. which have been rebuilt and re-occupied. Towns generally populated as before. Sanitary conditions greatly improved. demand for labor generally equals and in some cases exceeds, supply and at increased wages.
 Epldemics Killed Animals,
 Tn 1901 and 1902 epidemics of surra and rinderpest destroyed probably seventy per cent of animals used in agriculture, causing reduced cultivated land and considerable distress, which commission relieved by inauRurating public works through aid generously extended. by Congress. Have succeed ed by inocculation in checking rinder- pest. Those localities most seriously affected have drawn from those where disease did not prevail and this toEeth- CT with animals imported and naturaliz- ed. has caused steady increase. SO that at present there are under cultivation nearly all lands heretofore cultivated
 During the fiscal year ending Juna 30, 1904. exports were $S0,226,125; i'm ports $33.221.25O.
 Exports fell of as compared with previous years because of tho decrease in sugar crops. during the phenomenal rainfall in certain eastern sections. ana the plague of locusts 1 mothers. Of exports $21.794.960 was hemp; of i'm ports $11.54S.s14 was rice, the principal | food of the people. The present crop in all lines exceptionally grand. prices re- l munerative and there is not now and ka suffering from lack of food. Enroll ment in public schools in 1908 was ls4.- POE and in 1904 263.55S.
 Taxation Not Oppressive.
 "Third-Taxation is not oppressive.