Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-12-11

of the prosperity much needed in the
islands. Tranquility has existed dur
ing 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
assembly for the islands will be held.
On the sanity and self-restraint of this
body much will depend so far as the
future self-government of the Islands
is concerned.
The most encouraging feature of the
situation has been the great interest
taken by the common people in educa-
ton and the great 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. The only limit upon the
number of pupils seems to be the
capacity of the government to furnish
teachers and schoolhouses.
The agricultural conditions of the
islands enforce more strongly than
ever the argument in favor of reduc-
ing the tariff on the products of the
Philippine islands entering the
United States. The president earnest
ly recommends that the tariff now inn
posed by the Dingley bill upon the
products of the islands be entirely re-
moved, except the tariff on sugar and
tobacco, and that that tariff be re-
duced to 25 per cent of the present
rates under the Dingley act; that
after July 1, 1909, the tariff upon to-
bacco and sugar produced IN the Is
lands be entirely removed, and that
free trade between the islands and
the 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 Is
the most important point in the
Pacific to fortify in order to conserve
the interests of this country 1t
would be hard to overstate the i'm
portance of this need.
Porto Rico.
Advocate the adoption of legislation
which will 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
ment by the president of the members
of the executive council or upper
house of the legislature, has proved
satisfactory and has inspired conf
dence in property owners and invest
ors. The problems and needs of the
island are 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 the
construction of 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
admitted as one state.
/ The Panama Canal.
The treaty between the United
! States and the Republic Of Panama
under which the construction of the
Panama canal was made possible,
went into effect with it's ratification
by the United States senate on Febru-
airy %, 1904. The canal properties
of the French Canal company were
transferred to the United States on
April 20, 1904, on payment of 100000
900 to that company. On April 1,
1905. the commission was reorganized
Active work in canal construction
mainly preparatory, has been in
progress for less than year and q
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 at sea
level with a single tide lock. On this
point the president hopes to lay be-
fore congress at an early day the
findings of the advisory board OF
people is pledged to the speediest pos
sible construction of canal adequate
to meet the demands which the COM
merce of the world will make upon IT.,
and he appeals most earnestly to the
congress to aid in the fulfillment or
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 beoa
done. Actual work of excavation
could be begun only on limited scale
till the canal zone was made a health.
full place to live in and to work In.
What is needed now and without de-
lay is an appropriation by congress
to meet the current expenses of the
commission. The first appropriation
of $10,000,0O0, out of the $135,O00,O00
authorized by the SDOOner act was