The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-05
PRESIDENT TO CONGRESS

y -
earnestly recommend that the tariff
the products Of the Philippine islands
be entirely removed, except the tariff
| on sugar and tobacco, and that that
tariff be reduced to Is per cent Of the
present rates under the Dingley act.
that after July /, 1909, the tariff upon
tobacco and sugar produced in the
Philippine islands be entirely removed
and the United States in the products
Of each country then be provided TO:
by law.
A statute in force, enacted April IS,
1904, suspends the operation of the
coastwise laws Of the United States
upon the trade between the Philippine
islands and the United States until
July !. 1906. earnestly recommend
July /, 1909. / think It Of doubtful
utility to apply the coastwise laws to
the trade between the United States
and the Philippines under any circum>
| stances, because / am convinced that
it will do no good whatever to Amer
lean bottoms, and will only interfere
and be an obstacle to the trade be-
tween the Philippines and the United
oSobCos but IL VIC COftotT1oC law Ilt6O
be thus applied, certainly it ought not
to have effect until free trade is en-
loyed between the people of the United
States and the people Of the Philippine
islands in their respective products.
do not anticipate that free trade be-
tween the islands and the United States
will produce a revolution in the sugar
pine islands. So primitive are the meth
DDS Of agriculture in the Philippine ISL
| ands, SO slow is capital in going to the
islands, so many difficulties surround
large agricultural enterprise in the
islands, that it will be many, manv
years before the products OF those ISL
ands will have any effect whatever upon
problem of labor is also formidable
one with the sugar and tobacco pro-
ducers in the Stands. 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 la Dor, and this will take a
by the congress of the United States
making provision for free trade be-
tween the islands and the United
States; however, will be of great import
ance, from a political and sentimental
standpoint; and while it's actual bene-
lit has doubtless been exaggerated by
the people of the islands. they will ac-
cepe TINS measure OF Justice as an indi-
cation cal that the people Of the United
States are anxious to aid the people Of
the, Philippine islands in every wav.
! and especially in the agricultural deve1,'
opmert OF their archipelago. If will
ana the Filip1nos without injuring in.
| terests in America.
Insular Affairs in General
| wish also to call the attention of
the congress to one question wh;ch a. #.
fects bur insular possessions generally.
namely, the need of an Increased liber.
AMY IN the treatment Of the whole
franchise question in these islands. In
the proper desire to prevent the islands
being exploited by Spectators and to
nave them develop in the interest Of
thelr own people, an error has been
maze IN refusing to grant sufficiently
liberal terms to induce the investment
and in Porto Rico. Elsewhere in this
message | have spoken strongly against
the jealousy of mere wealth. and espe-
clally of corporate wealth as such. But
1t is particularly regrettable to allow
any such Jealousy. to be developed when
we are dealing either with our insular
For with foreign affairs. The big cor
Il poA o'o!oI EHdS, dG!leVeu -lCS present pO5I-
! ton in the business world simply be-
cause it is the most effective instrume nt
IN business competition. In foreign
affairs we can not afford to put or
people at a disadvantage with their
! competitors by in any way discrimi-
mating against the efficiency Of our bust.
ness organizations. In the same way
we can not afford to allow our insular
possessions to lag behind in industrial
development from any twisted jealousy
or business success. It is, of course. a
mere truism to say that the business
interests of the islands will only be de-
veloped ifcit becomes the financial in
terest Of somebody to develop them.
Yet this development is one of the
things most earnestly to be wished for
IN the interest Of the islands them
selves. We have been paying all posi-
BILE heed to the political and educa-
tional interests of the islands, but, i'm
portant tho these objects are, it is not
less important that we should favor
their industrial development. The
government can in certain WAYS helm
but the fundamental and vital help
must be given thru the DEVELOPMENT of
the industries Of the islands, and a most
ethclent means to this end is to encour-
age big American corporations to start
industries in them and this means to
make it advantageous for them to do
So. 10 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