Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-06
Harbor and Road Improvement


Provision has just been made by stat
ute for the speedy settlement In
special proceeding in the suprem5
court Of controversies over the pos
session and title of church buildings
and rectories arising between tho
Roman Catholic church and schisma-
tics claiming under ancient municipal!-
ties. Negotia tions and hearings for the
settlement of the amount due to the
Roman Catholic church for rent and
occupation of churches and rectories
by the army of the United States are
in progress, and il Is hoped salts
factory conclusion may be submitted
to the congress before the end of the
session.
Peaceful the Past Year
Tranquility has existed during the
past year throughout the archipelago,
except in the province of Cavite, the
province of Batangas and the province
of Sainar, and in the island of Jolo
among the Moros. The Jolo disturb
ance was put an end to by severa!
sharp and short engagements, and now
peace prevails in the Moro province.
Cavite, the mother of ladrones in the
Spanish times, is so permeated with
the traditional sympathy of the peo-
pie for ladronism as to make 1t diff
f1cult to stamp out the disease. Ba-
tangas was only disturbed by reason
of the fugitive ladrones from Cavite.
Samar was thrown into disturbance by
the uneducated and partly savage peo-
pies living in the mountains, who, hIv-
ing been given by the municipal code
more power than they were able to
exercise discreetly, elected municipal
officers who abused their trusts, COM
PEELED the people raising hemp to sell
it at a much less price than it was
worth, and by their abuses drove their
people into resistance to constituted
authority. Cavite and Samar are ir-
stances of reposing too much conf
dence in the self-governing power of
people. The disturbances have all now
been suppressed, and it Is hoped that
with these lessons local governments
can be formed which will secure quiet
and peace to the deserving inha bitants.
The incident is another proof of the
fact that if there has been any error
as regards giving self-government in
the Philippines it has been In the d.
rection Of giving it too quickly, not
| too slowly. A year from next April
the first legislative assembly for the
islands will be held. On the sanity
and self-restraint of this body much
will depend so far as the future self
government of the islands is concerned.
Great Interest in Schools
The most encouraging feature of the
whole situation has been the very
great interest taken by the common
people in education and the great in
crease in the number of enrolled stu
dents in the public schools The i'll
crease was from 100000 to half a mil
lion pupils. The average attendance Is
about 10 per cent. The only limit upon
the number of pupils seems to be the
capacity Of the government to furnish
teachers and school houses
Agriculture In the Islands
The agricultural conditions of the
Islands enforce more strongly than
ever the argument in favor OF reducing
the tariff on the products of the Phil
ippine islands entering the United
States l earnestly recommend that
the tariff now imposed by the Dingley
bill upon the products of the Philip
pine islands be entirely removed, ex-
cept the tariff on sugar and tobacco.
and that that tariff be reduced to rs
per cent Of the present rates under the
Dingley act; that after July 1, 1909,
the tariff upon tobacco and sugar pro-
duced in the Philippine islands be en-
tirely removed. and that free trade be-
tween the islands and the United
otdlSS III Tue pIOuuCIS edCTl
then be provided for by law.
statute in force, enacted April 10,
1904, suspends the operation of the
coastwise laws of the United States
upon the trade between t..e Philippine
islands and the United States until
| July l, 1906. l earnestly recommend
that this suspension be postponed un-
til July l, 1909. 1 think it of doubtful
utility to apply the coastwise laws to
the trade between the United States
and the Philippines under any circum-
stances, because 1 am convinced that
| 1t will do no good whatever to Ameri-
can bottoms, and will only interfere
and be an obstacle to the trade be-
tween the Philippines and the United
| States; but If the coastwise law must
be thus applied, certainly 1t ought not
| to have effect until free trade is en-
joyed between the people of the United
States and the people of the Philippine
islands in their respective products.
Free Trade Question
do not anticipate that free trade be-
| tween the islands and the United States
will produce revolution in the sugar
and tobacco production of the Philip
pine islands. So primitive are the
| methods of agriculture In the Philip
ing to the islands, so many diff1culties
surround a large agricultural enter
prise In the islands, that 1t will be
many many years before the products
of those islands will have any effect
whatever upon the markets of the
United States. The problem of labor
is also formidable one with the sugar
and tobacco producers in the islands.
The best friends OF the Filipino people
and the people themselves are utterly
opposed to the admission OF Chinese
coolie labor. Hence the only solution
is the training of Filipino labor, and
this viii take long time. The enact
ment Of law by the congress of the
United States making provision for
free trade between the islands and the
United States, however, will be of
great Importance from political and
sentimental standpoint; and while it's
actual benefit has doubtless been ex-
aggerated by the people of the islands.
they viii accept this measure Of JUS
tipp as ,an indiCa ton that fb0 loannlp