Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1905-01-18
THE FILIPINO NEEDS
Taft Writes Interestingly Of Affairs
In Our Eastern Possessions
SUBMITS COMMISSIONS REPORT
The Secretary Of War Says in His Let
ter of Transmittal That Tranquility
is the Rule Throughout the Islands.

Taft has submitted to the President
the annual report of the Phil
ippine commission, together with
the separate reports of the COM
mission of the civil governor of the
islands. The secretary says in his let
ter Of transmittal to the President that
the reports show the great benefit
which has been conferred upon the
islands by continued state of tran
guilty. Except in the wild, mountain
Gus regions of the unexplored island
Of Samar and III the Moro region OF
the Rio Grande and Lake Lanao, in
the sparsely settled island of Mindi-
nao, and in the island of Jolo, condi-
tons as to tranquility and ladronism,
he says, continue to improve, and eX-
cept in the places mentioned agricul-
ture and the arts of peace are not at
all interfered with by lawless bands
or depredations. He says it is quite
satisfactory to observe the good eff
feet Of a settled policy with regard to
the civil service, under a stringent civ
IL service law. on the personnel and
efficiency Of the service. Many Of the
Filipinos are learning English and ap-
plying for examination as English
clerks. He says that the total expen-
ditures for education last year were
nearly S2,000,000, although s5,000,000
a year could readily be expended with
out wasting money.
The secretary says one of the most
satisfactory results of the govern
ment's transactions during the year
in the islands is the establishment on
a firm basis Of the new coinage. The
Spanish Filipino coin and the Mexican
coin have been practically driven out
Of the islands. The danger which pre-
Of silver, which, if it continues, may
make silver peso worth more than
so cents in geld, the present standard
Of value. and thus lead to the melting
up Of the new silver pesos Of the
Philippine government. During the
year the commission has enacted an
internal revenue law and abolished the
Industrial taxes. which had come
down from the Spanish regime. The
present bill imposes tax on the pro-
duction of liquor and alcohol, upon the
manufacture of cigars and cigarettes
and also upon banking and corpora
tions. The law has not been in op-
Grafton sufficient length of time to
justify criticism or praise of it.
Regarding the tariff on Philippine
products in the United States. the Sec.
retary says: "The reports of Governor
Wright and Commissioner Worcester
show What has appeared in the re-
ports from the islands since the Amer
lean occupation, the necessity for re.
ducing the tariff on Philippine pro.
ducts entering the United States, in
order that we may give the island a
market in America, leading to the revi-
val Of business in the islands. l have
already mentioned this SO often that
it is unnecessary to repeat what was
said in my annual report"
OF the Moros. Secretary Taft says:
"The report of Major General Wood
on conditions in Moro province is of
much interest. The report is given
with a view 10 giving persons respon-
sible for the Moro government great
latitude in dealing with the various
Moro tribes, and the wisdom of this
latitude is shown by the event 1t was
supposed when the Moro act was
passed that the Moros were sufficient
ly advanced in trihai government to
have laws which, after the elimina-
ton of such features as We're savage or
barbarous, might be adopted for prac-
ticai use; but General Woods re-
port shows that among the customs
Of the Moros there is practically moth
ing which a government under the aus
rices of the United States can make
itself responsible for. and he recon-
nends that the effort be to make the
criminal laws Of the Islands substan-
TALLY uniform throughout .he archi-
pelago. and in this view fully con-
CUR.