The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-17
PHILIPPINE IMPROVEMENTS.
SECRETARY TAFT TELLS MORE
lBOTT PROJ ECTED RAILROAD.
Anxious 10 Look, Himself, into the Opera
ton OF the Internal Revenue Tax
Visiting Legislators 10 Get Nothing
Free but Transportation on Their Trip.


Shonts and others who are TO be present
after the Panama Railway shareholders hold
their meeting at the offices Of the
Panama Railway Company to-day, arrived
I'm the city and went TO the Waldorf From
there they reported by telepho ne to
Secretary Taft. who postponed meeting
them until 1880 this morning.
The Secretary talked little more at
length last evening about plans for inviting
competitive bids for Philippine railway
construction. He also said a few things
in answer TO questions, with reference TO
Philippine affairs generally.
i observe he said, that the coming
visit u Representatives and Senators TO
the Philippines Is called one Of the most
sal Government junketing excursions
ever known and that il is said the trip will
cost the Government $4,000. Those who
made that statement are entirely mis-
Informed. II they had known the. facts
n they are l am sure they would not have
gone 30 wide Of the mark.
The facts in the case are simply these.
We are anxious to push Philippine leRisla-
ton in Congress with the view Of getting
substantially free trade between the islands
and this country. II was suggested to
GOV wight NuO nus Nllt AIlhlNtT MUCH
at heart, that it would be q good thing TO
invite delegation Of Senators and Repre-
eentatiyes TO visit the islands. The idea
Il course, was to give the gentlemen Of
the legislative branch Of the Government
sn opportunity to see for themselves at
close range the conditions in the Philip
pines as they are, to study the situation
and get a first hand knowledge Of what it
. - IL -.
of tariT legislation.
'Gov Wright heartily approved this sug-
ee,tion and acted upon IL. He invited
twenty Representatives and ten Senate n to
visit the Philippines this summer and the
Representatives and Senators have accepted
the invitation. They will sail on the steamer
Manchura, a regular transpacifc pas
senger carrier this coming month Of July.
All that the Philippine Government pays Is
their actual transportation. It pays thei-
railroad fare across the Continent to San
lrlnci co, hut il does not pay their Pullman
fares nor their meals on the way. Across
the Pacific it pays their steamer fare, but it
does not pay their expenses while at the
Islands.
II the visiting legislators make use Of
q Government transport in going from
place to place about the islands while they
are there they will pay their regular $3.50
psr diem for their living expenses while
90 board. suppose the trip will cost at
least $500 personally for every person
Who goes II is said, ana I believe it IL
true that some fifteen OF the legislators
will take their wives or some members Of
their families with them. This, Of course,
will be at their own individual expense
for transportation, az well az for every
thing else. The entire cost Of the expedi-
ton to the Philippine Government will not
exceed 5000
L am going myself with the party, but
that is an entirely different matter. l am
going as Secretary Of War on a regular trip
Of inspection. l shall take the chief Of the
Bureau Of Insular Affairs along with me,
and there will be clerks and others who
necessarily will company me, / suppose
my expenses 100 these circumstances
will he about ST., and that the Govern
ment Of the United States will pay them.
The entire cost Of the two trips, mine and
the legislators, to the Government Of the
nited State- and Of the Philippines will not
exceed $1,000
There are conditions in the islands
which / wish personally 10 investigate.
The Internal revenue laws recently put in
force there are causing some dissatisfac-
ton. There Is tax on tobacco, on cigar
ettes, on vino. Vino Is alcohol in beverage
form This tax on these commodities ia re-
rented. understand, with a good deal Of
vigor
This internal revenue tax was imposed
with the view to making up in a measure
for the revenue that will be lost when free
trade is established. l am anxious 70 look
over the situation carefully and on the
ground
Then the building Of the Philippine
railroads i a very important matter. When
We took over the islands there we're about
l25 miles Of railroad in Luzon, operated
and owned by an English company. This
company asked permission 20 build two
branch lines, which permission we were
very glad to grant. That brought the rail-
road system up 10 a total Of about 200 miles.
] understand that the English company
Las sold out and that the line Is now con-
troled by American capital.
what is proposed now is the building OF
about $50 miles more. Some parts Of this
proposed new road run through country
that will 40 obviously make the line pay
ing me that the Governments guarantee
of per cent interest on the bonds should
not he necessary TO tempt capital 70 make
the investment. What we wish to do Is
TO invite competitive bids on the basis Of
cutting down the mileage covered by
Government bond guarantee TO the small
est figure possible. Inviting competitors.
in other words, 70 bid for the entire $50
miles, or more. OF railroad privilege, we
would award the privilege-other things
being equal-to the competitor who would
insist on the Government bond interest
guarantee on the smallest number OF miles.
Tho preparing Of the prospectus TO present
this matter TO the financial world is a matter
requiring a good deal Of care, and yet we
nre anxious TO get actual construction
moving as rapidly as possible, say within
ur or FIVE months
In one respect there Is a radical difference
between railroadinR conditions In the
Orient and In the Occident. In this country,
Cor instance, the ratio OF freight business 70
passenger business Is about o5 70 IS. In
oriental countries--n tho Philippines, in
the Straits Settlements In China and in
lndia-thp rafiO IA inst the reverse, 10 Is