Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-05

1 SIf6fht OF TINS DOQy mulch VIII depend no
| far as the future self government of the
islands Is concerned
| The most encouraging feature of the
whole situation has been the very great In
teresf taken by the common people In edu-
cation and the great increase In the num-
| Der OF enrolled students In the public
schools The Increase was from 100000 to
| 500 0e0 pupils. Tie average attendance Il
about 40 per cent. The only limit upon the
number OF pupils seems to be the capacity
OF the government TO furnish teachers and
school houses.
The agricultural conditions of the islands
enforce more strongly than the argy-
ment In favor of reducing the tariff on the
products of the Philippine Islands entering
the United States. earnestly recommend
that the tariff now imposed by the Dingiey
bill upon the products of the Philippine
Islands be entirely removed, except the tar
IN on sugar and tobacco, and that that tar
| 1T be reduced to % per cent of the pres
ent rates under. the Dinghy act; that after
| July l, 1900, the tariff upon tobacco and
sugar produced In the Philippine Islands
be entirely removed. and that free trade be-
| tween the islands and the United States in
| the products of each country then be pro-
vided for by law.
A statute in force. enacted April Is 1904.
! suspends the operation OF the coastwise
| laws of the United States upon the trade
| between the Philippine Islands and the
United States until July !, 1906. I earnestly
recommend that this suspension be post
| poned until July 1, 1863. I think it of
doubtful utility to apply the coastwise laws
4
the Philippines under any circumstances,
| because l am convinced that 1t will do
good whatever to American bottoms. and
| will only interfere and be an obstacle to
! the trade between the Philippines and the
United States; but If the coastwise law
| must be thus applied. certainly II ought not
! TO have effect until free trade is enjoyed
! between the people of the United States and
| the people of the Philippine Islands in their
| respective products.
Il 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 Philippine ISL
| ands So primitive are the methods of agrl-
| culture in the Philippine Islands. slow
| is capital in going TO the islands, so many
| difficulties surround a large agricultural
| enterprise in the islands. that 1t viii 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 peo-
| pie and the people themselves are utterly
| opposed to the admission of Chinese cooie
| labor. Hence the only solution is the train
| ing of Filipino labor. and this viii take
a long time. The enactment or law by
the Congress of the United States making
| provision for free trade between the ISL
ands and the United States. however, viii
| be of great Importance from polt1cai ana
| sentimental standpoint; and while ITS actual
! benefit has doubtless been exaggerated py
] the people of the islands. they VIII accept
| this measure of justice as an indication that
| the people of the United States are anxious
! to aid the people of the Philippine Islands in
| every way and especially in the agricul-
| tural development of their archipelago IL
| will aid the Filipinos without injuring inter-
/ ests in America.
| - - 49, Hawaii.
| In my judgment immediate steps shouio
| be taken for the fertilization OF Hawah.
! This is the most important point in the
| Pacific to fortfy In order to conserve the
| interests of this country. 1t would be hard
| to overstate the Importance of this need
| Hawaii is too heavily taxed. laws should
| be enacted setting aside for period of. say.
| twenty years 75 per cent of the internal
| revenue and customs receipts from Hawaii
| special fund to be expended IN the ISL
| ands for educational and public buildings.
| and for harbor improvements and military
| and naval defenses. 1t cannot be too oftan
| repeated that our aim must be to develop
| the territory of Hawaii on traditional Amer
| lean lines. That territory has serious com
mercial and industrial problems to reckon
| with; but no measure of relief can De CON
| sidered which looks to legislation admit
| ting Chinese and restricting them by statute
! to field labor and domestic service Inc
| status of serviity can never again be ttl-
/ Grated on American soil. We cannot con-
! cede that the proper solution of its prob
! lens is special legislation admitting TO Ha-
J waii class of laborers denied ADMISSION 70
| the other states and territories. Thefe are
/ obstacles. and great obstacles. IN the Way
| of building up representative Amei'i-
| can community in the Hawaiian lsiands,
! but it is not in the American character
| to give up in the face of diihculty Manly
! an American commonwealth has been buat
up against odds equal to those that now
| confront Hawaii
| No merely half-hearted effort TO meet its
| problems as other American communities
/ have met theirs can be accepted as hnstl
! Hawaii shall never become territory IN
| which a governing class of rich planters ex-
lists by means of coolie labor. Sven II the
! rate of growth of the territory is thereby
| rendered slower, the growth must ohly .a,e
| place by the admission OF Immigrants nj III
! the end to assume the duties ana puroe lens
| of full American citizenship Our ann
| must be to develop the territory on the stine
! basis of stable citizenship as exists on thls
| continent.
| earnestly advocate the adoption of leg
| isiation which win explicitly confer Ameri-
can citizenship on all citizens OF Porto
| Rico There is, in my judgment, no ex-
cuse for failure to do this. The haroor or
San Juan should be dredged and improved
The expenses of the federal court of Porto
Rico should be met from the federal treas
ury, and not from the Porto Riean treas
ury. The elections in Porto Rico should
/ take place every four years. and the legis-
| lature should meet in session every Two
| wears. The present form OF government III
/ Porto Rico, which provides for the APP
| pointment by the President Of the members
of the executive council or upper house OF
/ the legislature, has proved satisfactory ana
| has inspired confidence in property owners
| and investors. / do not deem it advisable
| at the present time to change this form IN
any material feature The problems ana
| needs of the island are industrial and COM
| mercial rather than political
| Insular Affairs in General.
| I wish TO call the attention of the Con-
PRESS TO one question which affects our in
suiar possessions generally: namely, the
need of an increased iberality in the treat
rnent of the whole franchise question IN
| these islands. In the proper desire TO pre-
| vent the islands being exploited by specu-
| lators and 10 have them develop IN the IN
| terest of heir own people an error mas been
| made IN refusing to grant sufflclently No
! eral terms to induce the investment or
| American capital in the Philippines ana IN
| Porto Rico Elsewhere in this message
have spoken strongly against the jealousy
1 of mere wealth. and especially OF corporate
/ Z iS art on