The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-12-08
Our copyright laws need revision.

Our copyright laws need revision.
Philippines and other Islands.
During the last year the Philippine
Islands have been slowly recovering
from the series of disasters which since
American occupation have greatly re-
duced the amount Of agricultural prod
uctS below what was produced in Span
ish times.
The agricultural conditions of the is
lands enforce more strongly than ever
the argument in favor of reducing the
tariff on the products of the Philippine
Islands entering the United States. l
earnestly recommend 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 that
tariff be reduced to % per cent of the
present rates under the Dingley act:
that after July l, 1909. the tariff upon
tobacco and sugar produced in the
Philippine Islands be entirely removed
and that free trade between the islands
ana the United States in the products
of each country then be provided for
by law.
In my judgment, immediate steps
should be taken for the fortiflcation of
Hawaii. This is the most important
point in the Pacific to fortify in order
to conserve the interests of this coun-
try. 1t would be hard to overstate the
Importance of this need. Hawaii is too
heavily taxed. Laws should be enact
ed setting aside for period of. say,
twenty years % per cent of the internal
revenue and customs receipts from Ha-
wall as Il special fund to be expended
in the islands.
| earnestly advocate the adoption of
legislation which will explicitly confer
American citizenship on all citizens of
Porto Rico.
l wish also to call the attention of
the congress to one question which af-
fects our insular possessions generally
namely. the need of an increased lib
crafty in the treatment of the whole
franchise question in these islands.
l earnestly ask that Alaska be given
an elective delegate.
Admission to Statehood.
l recommend that Indian Territory
and Oklahoma be admitted as one state
ana that New Mexico and Arizona be
admitted as one state.
The Panama Canal.
Active work in canal construction,
mainly preparatory, has been in prog
ress for less than year and half.
During that period two points about
the canal have ceased to be open to
debate First, the question of route;
second, the question of feasibility. The
point which remains unsettled is wheth-
er the canal shall be one of several
locks above sea level or at sea level
with a single tide lock. On this point
l hope to lay before the congress at an
early day the findings of the advisory
board of American and European en-
gineers.
In addition to sanitating the isthmus,
satisfactory quarters are being provid-
ed for employees and an adequate sys-
TEN of supplying them With wholesome
LOONi at lSslNOlldbie )ilCtS HIS -ts-eH
ated. Hospitals have been established
and equipped that are without superb
ors of their kind anywhere. During
the past year large portion of the
plant with which the work is to be
done las been ordered. 1t is confident
ly believed that by the middle of the
approaching year Sufficient proper
ton Of this plant will have been in
stalled to enable us to resume the work
of excavation on Il large scale.
What is needed now and without de-
lay is an appropriation by the congress
to meet the current and accruing ex-
penSes of the commission. The first
appropriation of S10,000,000 out of the
$135.000000 authorized by the Spooner
act was made Slree years ago. 1t is
nearly exhausted Unless the congress
shall appropriate before that time all
work must cease.
lin conclusion the president recon-
mends an, increase in the diplomatic
and consular service and more adj
equate Compensation of it's members