Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-12-05

rederai court or Porto Rlc0 should De
 met from the federal treasury and not from the Porto Rico treasury. The cleo 1 tions in Porto Rico should take place ! every four years. and the legislature should meet in session every two years. ! The present form of government in Porto Rico, which provides for the ap-
 p0intment by the president of the mem
 bers of the executive council or up-
 per house of the legislature, has proved
 satisfactory and has inspired confidence
 in property owners and investors
 do not deem it advisable at the present
 time to change this form in any mate
 rial feature The problems and needs
 of the island are industrial and com mercial rather than political.
 1 lnsuiar Affairs In General.
 1 wish also to call the attention of the congress to one question which affects our insular possessions generally namely, the need of an increased lIber- ] ality in the treatment of the whole l franchise question in these islands. In 1 the proper desire to prevent the islands being exploited by spectators and to have them develop in the interest of 1 their own people an error has been made in refusing to grant sufficiently i liberal terms to induce the investment of American capital in the Philippines and in Porto Rico. Elsewhere in this message have spoken strongly 4 anairsf tho nf and especially of corporate wealth as such, but it is particularly regrettable to allow any such jealousy to be de 1 veloped when we are dealing either with our insular or with foreign af- fairs. The big corporation has achiev- ed its present position in the business
 world simply because it is the most effective instrument in business com petition. In foreign affairs we cannot afford to put our people at disad- vantage with their competitors by in any way discriminating against the efficiency of our business organiza- tions. In the same way we cannot af- ford to allow our insular possessions to lag behind in industrial development from any twisted jealousy of business success. It is of course mere truism to say that the business interests of the islands will only be developed if it becomes the financial interest of some body to develop them, yet this develop ment is one of the things most ear nestly to be wished for in the interest of the islands themselves We have been paying all possible heed to the political and educational interests of the islands. but, important though these interests are, it is not less i'm portant that we should favor their in- dustrial development. The government can in certain ways help this directly, as by building good roads, but the fundamental and vital help must be given through the development of the industries of the islands, and a most efficient means to this end is to encour- age big American corporations to start industries in them, and this means to make 1t advantageous for them to do so. To limit the ownership of mining claims as has been done in the Philip pines is absurd. In both the Philip pines and Porto Rico the limit of hold ings of land should be largely raised.
 Alaska.
 I earnestly ask that Alaska be given an elective delegate. Some person should be chosen who can speak with authority of the needs of the territory. The government should aid in the con struction of a railroad from the gulf of Alaska to the Yukon river, in Amer ican territory. In my last two mes sages I advocated certain additional action on behalf of Alaska. I shall not now repeat those recommendations, but shall lay all my stress upon the one recommendation of giving to Alas ka some one authorized to speak for it. I should prefer that the delegate was made elective, but if this is not deem cd wise, then make him appointive. At any rate. give Alaska some person whose business it shall be to speak with authority on her behalf to the con- gress. The natural resources of Alaska are great Some of the chief needs of the peculiarly energetic, self reliant and typically American white popula- tion of Alaska were set forth in my last message. I also earnestly ask your attention to the needs of the Alaskan Indians. All Indians who are compe- tent should receive the full rights of American citizenship. It is, for in- stance, a gross and fndefensfble wrong to deny to such hardworking, decent living Indians as the Metlakahtlas the right to obtain licenses as captains, pilots and engineers, the right to enter mining claims and to profit by the homestead law. These particular In- I dians are civilized and are competent and entitled to be put on the same basis with the white men roundabout them.
 Admission to Statehood.
 recommend that Indian Territory I and Oklahoma be admitted as one state l and that New Mexico and Arizona be | admitted as one state. There is no ob- lIgation upon us to treat territorial 1 subdivisions. which are matters of con 1 venience only. as binding us on the | question of admission to statehood. I Nothing has taken up more time in the f congress during the past few years than the question as to the statehood to 1 be granted to the four territories above mentioned and after careful consider