Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-12-07

uuAtSu as SduSVS W hlSNSht u iStuAA
of the prosperity much needed In the
islands. Tranquility has existed dur
ine the past year throughout the arch
ipelago, except in the province OF
Cavite the province of Batangas, and
the province OF Samar. and in the Is
land of Jolo among the Moros. A year
| from next April the first legislative
iaSsemhly for tho islands will be held
On the sanity and seltrestraint OF this
| body much win depend SO far as the
future seU.govornment OF the islands
is concerned.
The most eucouragiug feature of the
situation has been The great interest
taken by tho common people in eduea-
ton and the groat Increase In the
number OF enrolled students In the
public schools The Increase was
from 100000 to half million pupils.
The average attendance is about 20
per cent, Tho only limit upon the
number Of pupils seems to be the
capacity Of the government 20 furnish
teachers and schoelhouses,
The agricultural conditions OF tho
islands enforce more strongly than
ever the argument In favor of reduc.
ing the tariir ON the products OF tho
/ Philippine islands entering tho
| United States The president earnest
! ly recommends that the tariff now i'm.
posed by the niugley bill upon tho
products OF the islands be entirely re-
moved, except the tariff on sugar and
tobacco, and that that tariff be re-
duced to ~ per cent of the present
rates under the ntngley act; that
after July |, 1909, the tariff upon To-
hacco and sugar produced IN the is.
lands be entirely removed, and that
4 free trade between the islands and
/ tho United States In the products OF
each country then be provided for by
law.
Hawaii
Immediate steps should be taken for
the fertilization of Hawaii, This Ia
the most important point In the
Pacific TO fortify In order to conserve
the interests of this country 1t
would DO hard to ovevstato the Inn
portance of this need,
Porto Rico.
Advocate the adoption of legislation
which viii explicitly confer American
citizenship on all citizens OF Porto
Rico There is, in his Judgment no
excuse for failure to do this. The
present form OF government In Porto
Rico. which provides for the appoint.
mont by the president OF tho members
of the executive council or upper
house OF the legislature, has proved
satisfactory and has inspired conf.
denco In property owners and invest
ors. The problems aud needs of tho
island arc declared to be indstrial and
commercial rather than political,
Alaska,
The president asks that Alaska be
given an elective delegate and that
the government should aid In tho
construction Of a railroad from the
gulf of Alaska TO the Yukon river, In
American territory. The president
recommends that Indian territory and
Oklahoma be admitted as one state
and that New Mexico and Arizona DO
admitted as one state.
The Panama Canal.
The treaty between tho United
States and the Republic of Panama
under which the construction OF tho
Panama canal was made possible,
went into effect with It's ratification
by the tied States senate on Fobru.
airy %. - ~, The canal properties
OF the French Canal company were
transferred to the United States on
April 20. 1904, on payment Of 100000,
600 to that company. On April |,
1905, the commission was reorgnnizod
Active work In canal construction
mainly preparatory, has been in
progress for less than year and n
half The point which remains un.
settled Is the question OF type. whether
the canal shall be one Of several
locks above the sea level. or nj sea
level with single tide lock- On this
point tho president hopes to lay be.
fore congress al an early day the
/ INNINGS Ol lH6 AuNlbbfy HOhTu OF
American engineers The American
people IL pledged 70 the spoedlest pos
sible construction of a canal adequate
to meet the demands which the com.
merce Of the world Will make upon II,
and he appeals most earnestly to the
congress 10 aid in the fulllment OF
the pledge Gratifying progress has
/ been made during the past year and
especially during the past four
months The greater part Of the
necessary preliminary work has bcaa
done Actual work OF excavation
could be begun only on limited scale
tn the canal zone was made a health.
fnl place TO live In and 10 work In.
What Is needed now and without do
lay IL an appropriation by congress
to meet the current expenses Of the
commission Tho first appropriation
Of $l0.000,O00. out Of the $135.000.000
authorized by the spooner act, was
ID. huN