Arizona republican., 1905-12-06

people in education and in the great increase in the number of enrolled students in the public schools. The increase was from 300,000 to half a million pupils. The average attend ance is about 70 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 reducing the tariff on the products of the Phil ippine Islands entering the United States. I earnestly recommed that the tariff now imposed by the Dingley bill upon the products of the Philippine . Islands be entirely removed except the tariff on sugar and tobacco, and , that the tariff be reduced to 25 per cent of the present rates under the Dingley act; that after July l, 1909, the tariff upon tobacco and sugar pro- duced in the Philippines be entirely removed, and that free trade between tae islands and the United States in the products of each country then be , provided for by law.
 A statute in force, enacted April the coastwise laws of the United States until July 1, 1906. ] earnestly recommend that this suspension be postponed until July 1, 1909 I think i it of doubtful utility to apply the coast wise laws to the trade between the i United States and the Philippines un- der any circumstances, because I am convinced that t will do no good what ever to American bottoms, and will only interfere and be an obstacle to the trade between the Philippines and the United States; but if the coastwise law must be thus applied, certainly it ought not to have effect until free trade is : enjoyed between the people of the United States and the people of the Philippine Islands in their respective products.
 I do not anticipate that free trade between tRe islands and the United States will produce a revolution in the sugar and tobacco production of the Philippine Islands. So primitive are the methods of agriculture in the Phil ippine Islands, so slow is capital iG going to the islands, so many difficult [ ties surround a large agricultural en terprise in the islands, that it may be many, many years before the products of those islands will have any effecI whatever upon the markets of the Unit ed States. The problem of labor is also a formidable one with the sugar and toSacco producers in the islands The best friends of the Filipino people and the people themselves are utter ly opposed to the admission of Chinese coo!ie labor. Hence the only solution is the training of Filipino labor, and this will take . long time. The enact ment of a law by the congress of tine United States making provision for free trade between the islands and the United States, however. will be of great importance from a political and senti- mental standpoint; and while it's actual benefit has doubtless been exaggerated by the people of the islands, they will accept this measure of justice as an in- dication that the people of the United States are anxious to aid the people of the Philippine Islands in every way and especially in the agricultural de- velopment of their archipelago. It will aid the Filipinos without injuring in- terests in America.
 HAWAII.
 In my judgment immediate steps should be taken for the fortifica- ton of Hawaii. This is the most inn portant point in the Pacific to fortify in order to conserve the interests of this country. It would be hard to over state the importance of this need Hawaii is too heavily taxed. Laws should be enacted setting aside for a period of, say, twenty years 75 per cent of the internal revenue and customs receipts from Hawaii as a special fund to be expended in the islands for edu- cational and public buildings. and for harbor improvements and military and naval defenses. It can not be too often repeated that our aim must be to de- velop the territory of Hawaii on tra- ditional American lines. That terri tory has serious commercial and indus trial problems to reckon with; but nc measure of relief can be considered which looks to legislation admitting Chinese and restricting them by statute to field labor and domestic service The status of servillty can never again be tolerated on American soil. We can not concede that the proper solution of its problems is special legislation ad- hitting to Hawaii a class of laborers denied admission to the other states and territories. There are obstacles, and great obstacles. in the way of
 
 community in the Hawaiian Islands but it is not in the American character to give up in the face of difficulty Many an American commonwealth has been built up against odds equal to those that now confront Hawaii.
 No merely half hearted effort to meet its problems as other American com munities have met theirs can be ac- cepted as final. Hawaii shall never be- come a territory in which a governing class of rich planters exists by means of coolie labor. Even if the rate of growth of the territory is thereby ren- dered slower, the growth must only take place by the admission of immi- grants fit in the end to assume the duties and burdens of full American citizenship. Our aim must be to de- velop the territory on the same basis Of stable citizenship as exists on this con- tinent.
 PORTO RICO.
 l earnestly advocate the adoption of legislation which will explicitly con- fer American citizenship on all citi- zens of Porto Rico. There is, in my judgment, no excuse for failure to do