Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1905-12-13

porations under the recent enabling legislation of the congress. The trans fer of the friar lands, in accordance with the contract made some two years ago, has been completely effected, and the purchase money paid. Provision has just been made by statute for the speedy settlement in a special proceed ing in the supreme court of eontrover- sies over the possession and title of church buildings and rectories arising between the Roman Catholic church and schismatics claiming under an- eient municipalities. Negotiations 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 it is hoped a satisfactory conclusion may be submitted to the congress before 1 the end of the session.
 Tranquility has existed during the past year throughout the Archipelago, except in the province of Cavite, the province of Batangas, and the pro- vince of Samar, and in the island of Jolo among the Moros. The Jolo dis turbanee was put an end to by several 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 ladrcnism as to make it diff cult to stamp out the disease. Batangas was only disturbed by reason of the fugitive ladrones from Cavite. Samar was thrown into disturbance by the uneducated and partly savage peoples | living in the mountains, who, having been given by the municipal code more power than they were able to exercise discreetly, elected municipal officers who abused their trusts, compelled the people raising hemp to sell it at much less price than it was worth, and by their abuses drove their people into resistance to constituted authority. Ca vite and Samar are instances of repos- ing too much confidence in the self governing power of a people. The dis turbances have all now been suppress ed, and it is hoped that with these les sons local governments can be formed which will secure quiet and peace to the deserving inhabitants. The incl dent is another prooI of the fact that if there has been any error as regards giving government in the Philip pines it has been in the direction of giving it too quickly, not too slowly. A year from next April the first legis- lative assembly for the islands will be held. On the sanity and self-re- straint of this body much will depend so far as the future self-government of the islands is concerned.
 The most encouraging feature of the whole situation has been the very great interest taken by the common people in education and the great increase in the number of enrolled students in the public schools. The increase was from 100000 to half a million pupils. The average attendance is about 70 per cent. The only limit upon the num- Der of pupils seems to be the capacity of the government to furnish teachers and schoolhouses.
 The agricultural conditions of the islands enforce more strongly than ever the argument in favor of reducing the tariff on the products of the Philip pine islands entering the United States. earnestly recommend that the tariff now imposed by the Dingley bill upon the products of the Philippine Islands be entirely removed, except the tariff on sugar and tobacco, and that that tariff be reduced to 25 per cent of the present rates under the Dingley act; that after July l, 1909, the tariff up- on tobacco and sugar produced in the Philippine Islands be entirely removed, and that free trade between the islands and the United States in the products of each country then be provided for by law.
 l do not anticipate that tree trade between the islands and the United States will produce a revolution in the sugar and tobacco production of the Philippine Islands. So primitive are the methods of agriculture in the Phil ippine Islands, so slow is capital in going to the islands, so many diff culties surround large agricultural en- terprise in the islands, that it will be many, many years before the products of those islands will have any effect whatever upon the markets of the Un- tied States. The problem of labor is also a 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 will take a long time. The en- actment of a 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.
 Hawaii.
 In my judgment immediate steps should be taken for the fertilization of Hawaii. It would be hard to overcome the importance of this need. Hawaii IS too heavily taxed. Laws should be enacted setting aside for a period of say twenty years 75 per cent of the in ternal revenue and customs receipts | from Hawaii as a special fund to be expended in the islands for educational 1 and public buildings, and for harbOr ] improvements and military and naval