The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1905-01-19
THE FILIPINO NEED
Taft Writes Interestingly. Of Affairs
Ia Cor Eastern Possessions /
SUBMITS COMMISSIONS REpoRf
Tho Secretary Of War Says in His Let.
ter Of Transmittal That Tranquility
Is the Rule Throu- -hout the Islands.

.1i
Washington, Special. - Secretary
Taft has submitted to the President
the annual report of the Phil
ippine commission. together. With
the separate reports of the COM
mission Of the civil governor of the
islands. The secretary says in his let
ter of transmittal to the President that
the reports show the great benefit
which has been conferred upon the
islands by a continued state Of tran
guilty. Except in the wild. mountain-
Gus regions Of the unexplored island
CT Samar and In the Moro region Of !
the Rio Grande and Lake Lanao, In
the sparsely settled island OF Mindi-
rao, and in the island Of Jolo, condi-
tions as to tranquility and ladrcnism,
he says, continue to improve. and ex.
cept in the places mentioned agricul-
ture and the arts Of peace are not at
all interfered with BY :lawiess bands
or depredations. He says it is quite
satisfactory to observe the good ef-
feet of settled policy with regard to
the civil service, under stringent civ
IL service law. on the personnel and !
efficiency Of the service. Many of the
Fflipinos are learning English and ap-
plying for examination as English
clerks. He says that the total expeii-
ditures for education last year we're
nearly $2,000,O00, although $4,000, 900
year could readily be expended with
out wasting money.
The secretary says one of the most
satisfactory. results Of the govern
ment's transactions during the year
in the islands is the establishment on
a firm basis Of the new coinage. The
Spanish Filipino coin and the Mexican
coin have been practically driven out,
Of the islands. The danger which pre-
sents itself now Is the rise in, price
Of silver, which, II 1t continues, may
make silver ,peso worth more than
80 cents in gold, the present standard
CT value, and thus lead to the melting
up Of the new silver pesos Of the
Philippine government. During the
year the commission has enacted an
internal revenue law and abolished the
industrial taxes. which had come
down from the Spanish regime. The
present bill imposes tax on the pro,
duction Of liquor and alcohol, upon the
manufacture of cigars and cigarettes
and also upon banking and corpora
tons. The law has not been in op-
GRAFTON a sufficient length OF time to
justify criticism or praise Of it.
Regarding the tariff on Philippine
products in the United States, the Sec
retary says: "The reports Of Governor
Wright and Commissioner Worcester
show what has appeared in the re-
ports from the islands since the Amer
lean occupation. the necessity for re-
ducing lhe tariff on Philippine pro-
'ducts entering the United States, in
order that we may give the island
market in America. leading to the revi-
val of business in the islands. have
already mentioned this so often that
1t is unnecessary to repeat what was
said in my annual report"
OF the Moros. Secretary Taft SAYS:
"The report of Major! General Wood
on conditions in Moro province is of
much interest. The report is given
with q view TO giving persons respon-
sible for the Moro government great
latitude in dealing with the various
Moro tribes, and the wisdom of this
latitude is shown by the event. 1t was
supposed when the Moro act was
passed that the Moros were sufficient
ly advanced in tribal government to
have laws which, after the 'eiimina-
ton OF such features as were savage or
barbarous, might be adopted for prac-
tical use; but General Woods re,
port shows that among the customs
of the Moros there is practically moth
ing which government under the aus
rices of the United States can make
itself responsible for. and he recon-
mcnds that the effort be to make the
criminal laws of tie islands substan-
tally uniform throughout .he archi-
pelago, and n this view fully con-
cur.