Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-06
TELLS WHAT He SAW
Mr.. Hin Discusses the Philippine
Tariff Bill.
LOW VIEW OF THE NATIVE
Thinks the Population Satisfied With
Mere Existence.
NO TOBACCO COMPETITION.
Absurd to Suppose That the Islands
Industries Could Ever Menace
Those Of America.
LOW VIEW OF THE NATIVE
TOBACCO COMPETITION.

Debate on the Philippine tariff bill was
resumed in the House of Representatives.
today. An illustrated speech on the to-
bacco feature of the Philippine tariff bill
was begun by Mr.. Hill Comm A map
showing the quality of the land in the
Philippines was brought into the House
and Mr.. Hill also had several samples of
the tobacco raised there The country he
said, followed in a remarkable degree the
physical features of Japan. where the
tillable area was only something more
than II per cent. The census reports give
9R per cent of the total area as the agr-
cultural land of the Philippines. he said.
Many Tribes and Many Tongues.
In describing the population he said
that slavery existed among the Moros. 1t
was a mild form of slavery, but. never
theless, slavery. There were, he said, no
Filipino people. There are eighty-seven
tribes speaking over fifty languages;
there is no means of communication; no
roads. About Ia per cent can read; per
cent read Spanish. Under these circum-
stances. Mr. Hill said, high order OF in
telligence could not be expected.
Mr.. Hill visited the islands with Secre-
tGry Taft and his party last summer. and
his information was based on personal
observation He predicted that in fifty
years the population would be o0.00oOoo
instead OF 100000, as at present. The
whole ambition of the population was
simply to subsist. If native We're PAID
% cents a day he would work long
enough. and no longer. to make enough
to last during the week. If the wage was
doubled the time of work would be
halVed
Substantially all of the export tobacco
of the Islands comes, he said. from sin
gle valley in the island of Luzon. The val
ley is two miles wide and about fifty miles
long. No human being can comprehend he
said the primitive methods which prevail
in the making of all crops in the islands,
unless through personal observation 1t
was the widest Imagination to suppose that
a any time Philippine industry would ever
be disastrous to American industries.
Slavery Among the Moros.
Reverting to Mr.. Hill's statement about
slavery Mr.. Clayton (Alabama) asked: us
It true did l understand the gentleman to
say. that slavery still exists among the
Moros: the traffic In human beings. where
men and women are sold for $50 to s1O0?"
II did not see any OF this traffic" replied
Mr.. Hill, ''but / believe slavery exists.
Those people are savages and there is no
civilization
And how long have we had those is
lands?"
Five years"
Five years the great republican party
has been in power and these conditions still
exist?''
'T would like the gentleman to tell us
why this great republican assimilation has
not eradicated this condition. continued
Mr.. Clayton.
"Oh, yes" replied Mr. Hill, "and we
would have slavery in this country today
II 1t had not been for that great republican
party"
Prolonged applause followed this retort
and Mr.. HILL declining to pursue this con-
troversy, continued with his argument
While he was a protectionist from the
crown of his head to the soles of his feet
he said, he was protectionist against for
eign countries and not as against our own
possessions.
Expense of Government.
AS republican Mr.. Hill said he thought
there was cause for criticism of the excess
sive cost of American government in the
Philippines, but the fault was in America
and grew out of the division of opinion as
to the policy to be pursued
Mr.. Smith Ky) asked if there Is now
a consensus of opinion among republicans
as to the future policy regarding the islands
In answer Mr.. Hill quoted a democrat
who was of the Taft party as saying that
the philippines were now American terri
tory and would always remain so, under
either republican or democratic rule AS
his individual Judgment, Mr.. Hill believed
a very large reduction could be made in
1t was interiected by Mr.. Cooper wis
that this year the expenses of government
VIII be 100000 less than last year
Mr.. Hill said visit to Hongkong almost
convinced him that the Philippines may
even be a profitable financial investment
for the United States. In fifty years. he
said. England had developed the island of
Hongkons from a rocky waste into -four
ishing commercial city. And this develop
ment, Mr.. Hill said. was in the face of
violent opposition in the British parliament.
With a great commercial city In Manila to
start with. he said the American opportuni-
ties in the Philippines were far greater
than the British opportunities were in
Hongkong.
Mr.. Hill reviewed at length the tobacco
industry in the Philippines, explaining the
primitive methods of tobacco culture and
the limited manufacture of smoking and
chewing tobacco and cigars. He said SIN
gle factories in the United States make
more than the entire output of manufac-
tured tobacco in the Philippines.