New-York tribune., 1905-01-16
PHILIPPINE REPORTS.
oo1DTTIONS IMPROVING.
n;.tprbed Zone Disappearing Rec
.,nsndations of the Commission.

-
InlNes Commission. together with the sepa.
FaA'fl N the commission OF the civil gov
'sie ,te islands and Of the heads of the fonr
e,nor Of tne
ssnsrtments
feF- eo.rsta~v SAYS in his letter OF transInhtal
i'o 7,-.sfsen: that me reports show the great
70 ,4fcb has.been conferred on the islands
ftl'e-.- .s-ras tranquility. Except in the wild.
y -,,,o,,s regions Of the unexplored island of
rlO1-- - IN the Moro region Of flle Rio
sAio- - Take Lauao. fn the sparsey settled
. R,in6anao snd in the island Of Jolo.
So. .,...,s as 10 tranquility and ladronism. he
.,r,iuue 10 improve. ard except in the
f''' -,ar+ioned agriculture and the arts of
P4s .re not at al interfered with by lawless
ends or oepredatlons-
.. - q settled policy with respect 10 the
theo' ea-,-ics under a stringent Civil Service
o''H .ba personnel and efficiency Of the ser
aN ,,orv Of the Filipinos are learning Eng
'los' .nnlving for examination as English
clerks. -. - ..,,,,,- orf q, .ta
lHe -. revenues has reduced the funds
-. .,- education. From the central gov
aFSl.a-. ,ost wear the amount expended did not
s7 oonOO0. as against Sl.600oo0 the pre-
he ADDS that without wasting
- & 10000 a year IN the maintenance OF
-. -,tr,c. schools Of the Philippine Islands
'le -ss5il,, expended. The enrolment has
o'--- 4ror, $4,000 10 263o0O in one year.
-. * = demand for American and Fill
,.srbers in each province. The total ex-
l.-s,turss for education last year, including
-. sron central provincial and municipal
,,vs-rr,ent were nearly S2.Nooe.
EFFECT OF NEW COINAGE
-.-,-7irr the new coinage Of the islands the
secTstary says
one of the most satisfactory results q the GOV
.--rerr's transactions IN the year IN the ISLANDS
!. re esra bis hueut on a nrnn oasis q tne new
Sase The Spanish-Fi.pino coin and the Me1i-
r CON have been practeally az GTlNen & - ouL OF me
tssn5s-rhe former Gy purchase o. lle
- -ecoinsse into new coins, and the latter oy
lsgssssgtt q ~ STFLies1 as well as 10y strong de-
- w f7~ ii I'M Other countries The danger which
Esssafs - Il n continues. may make the silver
sss worth more than - cents in gold ne
~ up Of TIE new silver pesos OF the Fnilpplne
T51g rbe wear the commission has enacted an
.--s-rsi revenue law and abolished the lntuSlrlaI
ia1 which hsd come COW rom me ili,sh i5 ~
lslTfZ, S-,,rf- 70 work rroportionately harder
IS rsI1s- fsiresses man on large enterprises.
~ present biu imposes tax on the pToductlon
fIouor and alcohol on the manufacture OF cigars
md ararettes and also on banking and corpora
f0rs These taxes are new, and while not heeYy
Is compared with the taxes imposed IN ms coIh-
~ N The same subject-matter- are such oe-
T57ure from the methods OF taxation IN the Pnll-
iruinss that they have given rise 10 consideraDle
ei1csn by members Of The Filipino puoh,c; efa 3ha
sisnsss which is 10 pay the tax
TIE internal revenue law has not been in opera
ioI @ 1,,ss ~ ~ II The hope Of the commission Is
.sGiiXed q viii enable them 70 relieve me nuAICl-
fsrs from which during the agricultural depres-
Eoa. they have suffered II VIII aIso @ releNe IN Ine
bsr q snail im2ositions which, in the aggregate
were quite burdensome; but satisiaction ION "a q
Z rfr-
,S;- as s1s he beneats Of change cannot be
ISSs5 1-rIl The whole public has been accus
TONED to IL
The Secretary says that the Improvement OF
Manila harbor has made good progress. the
work ut constructing temporary wharf at the
!-aporta-t port Of Cebu has been completed, and
The Improvement OF the harbor at Iioilo is IN
-ogress 4 large part Of the 100000 voted
~ Congress has been and is being expended in
The construction OF roads in the islands.
THE PHILIPPINE TARIFF.
Regarding the tariff on Philippine products in
the United States, the Secretary says:
The reports Of Governor Wright and Of Com
missioner Worcester show, what has appeared
n the reports from the islands since the Amer
i-au occupation the necessity for reducing the
tsriF or Philppine products entering the~C nlted
STATES II order that We may give 10 the Islands
market in America leading 10 revival OF bus
iris 50 often that il is unnecessary 10 repeat
What was said IN my annual report:
Of the Moros. Secretary Taft says:
he report OF Major General Wood or conditions
Z the Moro Province IS Of much interest. The
fiung The persons responsible for the Moro gov
eminent great latitude in dealing with the various
FloVn By The event Il was supposed when the
AoFo act was passed that the Moros were sufl-
ehly advanced n tribal government 70 have Gus
rrlsy laws. which after the elimination OF such
.se..lS Is were savage or baroaroGs. tnlgnt oe
t1opec for practical use but General Woods re-
PIT shows that among the customs Of the Moros
-, - ne 2lsI!crs ot ne United states can make
a,et responsible for. and he recommends that The
eiet De 70 make the crimina! Law OF the islands
Nhstsntially uniform throughout the archipelago
az IN this view fully concur.
ne Moro Province has proved 10 be an excellent
sI..slheet9tIlt and see no reason why il should
E EL ihoetnltely continue. The Moro is different
- ~ ne Filipino and 50 much below him in civil
s,sIIenjsl capacity, that. while such union is
lHe-r united for the development OF the Chris
I F.iiEinos. il seems 10 Be The only kind Of a
se'eEnnent adapted 10 the Moros
The Secretary refers 10 the report Of the opium
0aniIission- which visited various countries Of
le orient u investigate the method of regulat-
"t ne opium traTic in those countries and 10
loemmend proper opium law for the Philip
NneS Il recommended the adoption Of law
@a--sT 10 that in force in Formosa. providing
eoVernment monopoly for three years and
FoMniton thereafter except for medical pur-
prss
n regard 20 regulation of the opium trade the
elary says that the plan OF the opium COM
-'ee ought 70 be adopted, with one variation
- hsi is. instead Of a government monopoly
1Fee years that a very high license be in
1'eo' with sale % the drug only 10 officially
eN'efed smokers. and total prohibition Of
ssie OF opium after three years. except for
MEDICAL purposes.
IHE S5O00OoO BOND ISSUE.
tsterring to the proposed bond issue Of 81 900
Tor general improvements. the Secretary
- mat owing 10 the loss in ctIsior,s recefrts