Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-17
Representative Payne Dis
ousses the Filipinos.
UNFIT FOR AUTONOMY
EVEN THE LEADERS HAVE CRUDE
IDEAS ABOUT GOVERNMENT.
President Roosevelt's Last Cabinet
Meeting Before His Departure
for the South.

Representative Serene z. Payne one OF
the most prominent members of the Taft
party that went to the Philippines. call
ed the President today and talked for
some time regarding conditions in the
Philippines.
TT will be many years." declared Mr..
Payne. before the people of the Philip
pines will be capable of self-government.
Many of the most intelligent men of the
islands do not think the mass of the peo-
pie Will be capable of dealing with even
the simplest problems of government for
twenty-five years. 1t was amusing to
see how crude were the ideas of some of
the leaders as to handling a government.
Many of them appeared before us and
asked to be allowed self government.
When we asked for their ideas in de-
tail they were woefully tangled and i'm
mensely ignorant
Il have never been in favor of the
Philippines belonging TO this country. I
was not in favor of 1t when they came
into our possession. but there is nothing
else to do but hold on to them and keep
them until the people are fitted to gov
ern themselves. This will be. as l have
said, a long time off.
II am in favor of free trade with the
Philippines when the treaty with Spain ex-
pires in 1909 Until then we will have to
levy a duty. On goods coming to the United
States from the Philippines I am in favor
Of reducing the duty to - per cent of the
Dinsley rates. We cannot take off the duty,
as the islands are unable to do without the
revenue collected upon goods coming to
the United States. AS is well known, all
revenues collected in this country on Philip
pine goods are returned to the Philippine
government l think 1t quite likely that
the collections will be larger under % per
cent rate than under the existing rate of
10 per cent
Mr.. Payne has not been able to study the
financial conditions of the government as
fully he will do later but at present he
Is somewhat inclined to the view that legis-
lation viii not be needed for additional
revenues for the government. The receipts
of the treasury have greatly increased in
the last few months and it is possible, IL
they continue az their present rate that
there will DE no deficit at all.
Fortifcations in Panama.
President Roosevelt babe his cabinet mem
bers goodbye today prior to starting on
his southern tour tomorrow morning Sec
rotary Taft also reported his intention of
leaving for Panama within a short time
He will take with him a number of the best
known engineers of the army to look over
sites for Notifications in American territory
Among these will be Gen Story, Gen. Mills
and Maj. Goethals. They will look over
the field most carefully and no doubt mako
some recommendation as to the best places
for Notifications.
Miss Roosevelt Must Pay Duty.
According to the construction placed upon
the customs laws by Secretary Shaw and
the customs officials of the treasury Miss
Alice Roosevelt will have to pay an enor-
nous duty on the hundreds of presents OF
all kinds given to her in the far east while
on her recent trip. 1t is probable that this
duty viii amount to much as $4,000,
which must come out of the pockets of the
President or his family. Just how much
the payments will amount to cannot now
be estimated. but they are certain to be
enormous.
Secretary Shaw said today that there is
no law which will exempt Miss Roosevelt
from paying duty on the great accumula-
ton OF unsought gifts presented to her
throughout the east. The only class of peo-
pie exempt from duty are members of the
diplomatic corps. Ambassadors and min
listers to the United States may bring in
household goods, wearing apparel. edibles,
etc, without customs duty.
Secretary Shaw thinks the law will work
a hardship in the case of Miss Roosevelt
He points out that she has received great
number of presents she did not solicit and
probably did not desire. Foreign potentates
and petty chiefs, out of respect .or the Pres
ident and his daughter. have conferred gifts
upon her which she would never have
bought, and might not have taken, but
fusing these presents. 1t Is admitted that
under these circumstances duty is a hard
ship of the worst kind II Miss Roosevelt
had gone abroad and bought these things
because she wanted them there would have
been good reason why she should pay duty.
Ii is regarded likely that Secretary Shaw
will report the circumstances to the lead
Ing members of Congress when that body
assemblies. and they will authorize the re-
funding Of the duties that are paid.