The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-03-18
ISLANDS NEED
LOOKING AFTER
House Committee Hears About
Philippine Matters.
SECRETARY TAFT CONTINUES
NEW YORK CAPITALISTS WANT
A SURE THING.

Washington, March 17.-Secretary
Taft continued his discussion Of Philip
pine matters today before the house
committee on insular affairs. Secretary
Taft suggested an amendment TO the
coinage law, 50 as to authorize the
Philippines treasury TO issue silver GER
LncateS in denominations Of ., ;, 10. 20.
50, 100. 500 and LEGO pesos, instead of
denominations Of from , TO 10 pesos.
be also advocated the repeal Of the
tonnage tax on vessels arriving at Ma
Mia, to encourage the landing of large
steamers from San Francisco, Hong
kong and Singapore.
Taking up the railroad feature of the
Cooper bill. which guarantees per
cent on an investment of $4,000. eco In
railroads in the islands, the secretary
said he visited New York last week and
had been assured by capitalists there
that they would go into the enterprise
II the government would insure a GER
tain income on the investment
Built by the Government.
Reviewing the history of railroad
| building in the English possessions.
Secretary Taft said that, in many in
stances, the government had built these
roads.
If congress wanted to build these
roads, ne said. the commission un-
doubtedly would undertake it. His own
views, however, We're against this pol
icy on account of complications such as
liability TO employees etc.
The secretary said that when the
Americans took possession of tho ISL
ands there was one railroad in the ISL
and OF Luzon, 120 miles in length This
road was built in d most substantial
manner with large stations and useless
apparatus. The Spanish government
guaranteed per cent on an investment
OF S5,O00,000 in the road.
The insurgents destroyed bridges and
rolling stock.
Claim Filed.
The company has fled a claim for
the guarantee Of s per cent, but its
validity has not been recognized. The
commission has granted two franchises.
one for thirty-four miles from a point
just north Of Manila, to the nOrthward.
and one Of seventeen miles from Manila
TO the foothills to the eastward.
Secretary Taft said Secretary Root
had consulted Sir William Van Horne
Of the Canadian Pacific. who is build
ing roads in Cuba, as to securing Amer
lean capital for Philippine railroads.
Mr.. Van Horne sent two engineers to
make an original investigation, and the
results Of this work is given in a re-
port Secretary Taft submitted to the
committee. A trunk line is suggested
in the north Of the island Of Luzon, and
also line in the southern end.
Willing to Sell.
Secretary Taft said he had talked to
the president of the English company
owning the Luzon railroad. and be-
lieved it would sell out 1t desired,
however, to sell to a certain London
banking house. This the secretary OBJ !
jected to.
The projected road in the south OF
the island, Secretary Taft believed,
would pay from the beginning. The to-
tai mileage needed. he said. would be
between 200 and 500 miles. and SIS, O00,-
O00 or $50 GOO 900 would cover the total
cost. \ 4 per cent burden on the Phil
ippine treasury on this investment
would be about S1.O00.000 a year, and
the secretary believed that could be
paid without hardship.
Another suggestion which Secretary
Taft said he supposed would meet with
some objection. was TO change the title
Of civil governor" to governor gen
eral."
Since the passage of the military gov
ernOr there had beer established thirty
eight governors of provinces, the civil
governor was in reality the governor
general" and 1t would be well, he said,
to make this title official.