New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-06


promotion OF deserving public servants.
improvements of harbors, roads and bridges
revenue forbids the expenditure of any great
amount from current income for these purposes.
steps are being taken, by advertisement for
competitive bids, to secure the construction ana
maintenance of 1000 miles of railway by private
corporations under the recent enabling legisla-
ton OF the Congress The transfer of the friar
lands, in accordance with the contract made
some two years ago, has been completely eff
fected and the purchase money paid. Provision
has just been made by statute for the speedy
settlement IN especial proceeding in the Su-
preme Court of controversies over the possession
and title of church buildings and rectories aris-
Ing between the Roman Catholic Church and
schismatics claiming under ancient municipali
ties. Negotiations and hearings for the settle
ment Of the amount due to the Roman Catholic
Church for rent and occupation of churches and
rectories by the army of the United States are
in progress, and 1t is hoped satisfactory con-
clusion may be submitted to the Congress be-
fore the end Of the session.
Tranquility has existed during the last year
throughout the archipelago, except in the prov
ince of caVite' the province of Batangas and
the province of Samar and
TRANQUILITY in the island of Jolo among
SECURED the Moros. The Jolo dis
turbance was put an end to
now peace prevails in the Moro province.
Cavite, the mother of ladrones in the Spanish
times, is SO permeated with the traditional
make it difficult to stamp out the disease.
Batangas was only disturbed by of the
fugitive ladrones from Cavfte Samar was
thrown into disturbance by the uneducated and
partly savage peoples living in the mountains,
who having been given by the municipal code
more power than they were able to exercise
discreetly, elected municipal officers who abused
their trusts compelled the people raising hemp
TO sell IL at much less price than 1t was worth,
and by their abuses drove their people into
resistance TO constituted authority. Cavite and
SdIHal are instances OF reposlnS 100 iHuch IN
fdence in the self governing power Of a people.
The disturbances have all now been suppressed,
and 1t is hoped that with these lessons local
governments can be formed which will secure
quiet and peace to the deserving inhabitants
The incident is another proof Of the fact that If
there has been any error as regards giving self
government in the Philippines it has been in
the objection OF giving it too quickly, not too
slowly. year from next April the first legis-
lative assembly for the islands will be held.
On the sanity and self-restrant of this body
much will depend so far the future self
government Of the islands is concerned
The most encouraging feature of the whole
situation has been the very great interest taken
by the common people in education and the
dents in the public schools. The increase was
from 100000 to 100000 pupils The average at
tendance 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 en-
force more strongly than ever the argument In
favor of reducing the tariff on the products OF
States. L earnestly recommend that the tar1H
now imposed by the Dingley bill upon the prod
ucts Of the Philippine Islands be entirely re-
moved, except the tariff on sugar and tobacco:
and that that tariff be reduced to 25 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 en-
tirely removed, and that free trade between the
islands and the United States in the products or
each country then be provided for by law.
a statute in force, enacted on April 10. 1904
s11spends the operation Of the coaStwise laws of
the United States upon the trade between the
Philippine Islands and the United States until
July 1. 1906 L earnestly recommend th edo TINS
suspension be postponed until July l. 1909. l
think 1t OF doubtful utility to apply the coast
wise laws to the trade between the United
States and the Philippines under any circum-
stances, because am convinced that II VIII o9
no good whatever to American bottoms, ana
will only interfere and be an obstacle TO taS
trade between the Philippines and the Unlteo
States: but If the coastwise law must be thus
applied, certainly it ought not to nave enece
until free trade is enjoyed between the peopie U
the United SIates and the people of the Phlhp-
pine Islands In their respective products.
do not anticipate that free trade between the
islands and the United States will produce a
revolution in the sugar and tobacco producll0h
of the Philippine Islands, So primitive are lile
methods of agriculture in the Philippine Islands
SO slow is capital in going to the ISLANDS, so
many difficulties surround a large agriculture!
enterprise in the islands, that it will be many
many years before the products of those ISLANDS
will have any effect whatever upon the mar
kets of the United States The problem OF labor
is also formidable with the sugar and TO-
bacco producers in the islands. 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 labor, and this VIII take
a long time. The enactment of law by the
Congress
for free trade between the islanos ana the
United States, however. will be of great 1mpor-
lance from political and sentimental stand
roint. 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
indication that the people of the United states
are anxious to aid the people of the Philippine
islands in every way, and specially in the aSrl-
cultural development of their archipelago. IL
will aid the Fifpinos without lnJurlhg INTERESTS
in America.
In my judgment immediate steps should be
taken for the fortifcatiop of Hawaii rms Is
the most important point in the Pacific to fortify
in order to conserve the interests of
HAWAII this country 1t would be hard TO
overstate the Importance of this need
Hawaii is too heavily taxed Laws should be
enacted setting aside for period of, say, twenty
years. T5 per cent of the internal revenue an9
customs receipts from Hawaii as special fund
10 he extended in the islands for educational ana
public buildings and for harbor improvements
and military and naval defences. 1t cannot be
too often repeated that aim must be to
develop the Territory Of Hawaii on tradltlonaI
American lines.
That Territory has serious commercial and in
dustrial problems to reckon with; but no meas
ure of relief can be considered which looks to
LEGISLATION admitting Chinese and restricting
theu1 bv statute to field labor and domestic
service. The status of servility can never again
be tolerated American soil. We can not con-
cede that the proper solution OF its proolefns Is
special legislation admitting to Hawan CLASS OIL
Iahorers denied admission to the other STATES
end Territories. There are obstacles ana great
obstacles in the way of building up a repre-
sentative American community in the Hawaiian
islands but it is not in the American character
to rive I'D in the face of difficulty. Many an
American commonwealth has been built up
against odds equal to those that now CONFRONT
Hawaii. a..
No merely half hearted effort to meet It's prop
lens as other American communities have met
theirs can be accepted as final. HaWall siiall
never become q Territory in which governing
class of rich planters exists by means OF coone
labor Even il the rate of growth of the Terri
to1ry ia thereby rendered slower, the growth
must only take place by the admission OF I'M
migrants fit in the end to'assume the duties ana
hnlrdens of full American Citizenship. our ann