Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-12-01
GOING TO PHILIPPINES.
Secretary Taft Will Go to the Islands
 After Congress Convenes.

Washington, D. C., Dec Ut is the intention of Secretary Taft, as soon as the approaching short session of congress shall have been con- cluded, again to visit the Philippine Islands. Of all the great work Secre- tary Taft has had to do since he be- came secretary of war, that relating to the Philippines is nearest to his heart. He believes thoroughly in the islands, in their people and in their future. His idea is that, in com paratively few years, they will be a source of great pride to the people of the United States. His faith in them caused him to put aside the oppor- tunity to don the silk and ermine of a justice of the supreme court of the United States, thus sacrificing, for the time at least, the ambition of his life. A monumental task yet con- fronts the American government in the Philippines and 1t is realized on all hands that no man in public life to-day is so admirably equipped to direct that work as Taft.
 His trip to the Philippines next spring will be made to enable him to be present at the opening of the Philippine legislative assembly. Then he will witness the accomplishment of some of his desires regarding the islands and their people. He will carry to the Filipinos the hearty good wishes of the American people in their first substantial effort at self government and will convey to them his personal words of encouragement and hope. He is the most popular American among the Filipinos who ever set foot on the islands and his visit promises to be of immense ad- vantage to them and to the Ameri- can supervision of the government of the islands.
 Meantime, however, Secretary Taft has great work mapped out here He is by far the hardest work ing member of the cabinet, and. with the possible exception of President Roosevelt himself, achieves more and greater results than any offlcial of the administration. It has happened in the past year that he was sitting on the lid" most of the time. He took an extended vacation last sum- mer. but he worked harder and a greater number of hours during his outing at Murray Bay than two thirds of the government officials work when they are in Washington. Scarcely had he concluded his ad- justment of the Cuban imbroglio and hurried back to the United States when he started out on a campaign ing tour in the west and southwest Now he has returned from important work at Yale college and finds him. self confronted with serious and in- tricate problems. only a few days be- fore the convening of congress. He must prepare his annual report. which will contain important recom- mendations regarding the army. the improvement of internal waterways. Philippine affairs. the Panama canal and the provisional government of Cuba. Matters relating to Cuba have been placed in the hands of oficials of the bureau of insular affairs of the rar deDartmeuf. under the diree- ton Of Secretary Taft. II Is the sec re;ary's idea that. some day. the bu- reau of insuIar srairs shall be a de- Dartment in itself. but congress has m, been persuaded vet of the neces- sitv of creating such separate ex- ecu'ive senarrment.
 It wiil be Taft's great effort this winter to secure the enactment bv congress of the Philinpine tariff measure. which he % strongly urged ., the last session He believes he -fII bs successful and is confident Inst the rasssze of the bill viII re soHrd to ,he benefit of hosh the Phil ippine Islands and the United States