New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-07
PLEADS FOR FILIPIN0S
HILL ASKS FREER TRADE.
Says e. S. Has Nothing to Fear
from Island Competition.


So-day the House placed on record a speech in
Favor OF the Philippine Tariff bin, against 1t
and a twenty-minute talk for tariff revision &C
Ssording to the Republican demand of Massachu-
setts. Mr.. Hill, of Connecticut. occupied three
hours detailing the knowledge he gained from
two visits to the Philippines the last one as
member Of the party of Secretary Taft last sum-
1ner. He paid particular attention to the tobacco
feature of the measure. and explained away
much Of the Misrepresentation as to the enormous
products which might be expected from the
islands. The territory, he said, was small ana
the fertile lands still further limited.
Mr.. Mondeu, of Wyoming. who has led the
fight against the bill in the interest of the beet
sugar industry of this country. spoke vigorously
against the measure and against the policy OF
helping the Filipino people by granting them
open markets in the United States. He said
the passag e of this bill would be the death knen
of the beet sugar industry in this country
The abolition of the tariff on hides was pleaded
FOR by Mr. Lawrence. OF Massachusetts. who pre-
scented the position taken by the Republicans of
ahat State.
A man showing the quality Of the land in the
philippines was brought into the House, and
Mr.. Hill also had several samples of the TO-
bacco raised thers. The country, be saIo' lol-
lowed in a remarkable degree the physlcs4
features of Japan. where the tllable area was
only something more than II per cent me
census reports gave 9I per cent OF the tolal area
rs the agricultural lands of the Phllpplles' no
said. In describing the population he said that
slavery existed among the Moros. 1t was a Ifnlio
form, of slavery but slavery, nevertheless
There were he said no Filipino people IheFe
Were eirhty-seven tribes speaking over MY i<-
e7laees: there was no means OF communicate
and there were no roads He said that aooul =
7,er cent of the Ffpinos could read, ana lhal .
per cent read Spanish. Under these clrcuIn-
stances. Mr.. Hill said, a high order % iii'eh'-
gence could not be expected
PREDICTS INCREASE IN POPULATION.
Mr. fIju visited the islands with secretary
s-sft and his party last summer. ana ms iiio
,,e+io7 was based on personal observation i1
,red3cted that in Gfty years the popuIalloil
1ro,,Id he 5o00N0O0. instead Of 1.ooo"Vo' as d
,resent. He said that the whole anlol1ioh y 80
..,,,,,.+ion was simply to subsist If natl'e
- ,,,;d o. cents a day he would work luo'
so,,er enough 10 make enough to last uuIllis ~
A-eelr If the wage We're doubled me lHie -
work would he halTed -,
Substantially all of the export 1oodcco u lie
,slonds came. he said, from single Vaiiey = .ie
iceland Of I,llzor. The valley = Two iiiii
- - a4tx, miles long No human beng
,ould comprehend. he said, the primltNe iii11.
ode which prevail in the making o. Al crops -
81. islands unless through personal obserVa-
o.. II was the widest imagination to suppose
,bo+ a+ any time would Philippine Industry ever
- 5;sastrous to American industries.
-o,.ir,e, 10 MT. Hilrs statement about slav-
49, NJ CLAYTON (Ala-), asked: is II true' dlo
, understand the gentlemen to say that sia''iS
Ell, exists among the Moros; the franc ~ NJ
man beings. where men and women are 500 ioi
$50 to S100?' A.
81 did not see any of this traffic rephed Mr..
clio
- sa,.oqa and there is no civilization"
- how long have we had those islands?'
Five years
..Ei,e Years the great Republican party has
bean in mower and these conditions stu exist!
1T is true.
.I would like the gentleman 10 TEL. " VIZ
This great Republican assimilation mas noI ei<1uA-
Gated this condition" continued Mr- LAY loi-'
ooh YES" replied Mr.. Hill, and we Woulu
.,,a slavery in this country to-day if it had not
haen for that great Republican party" PRO
,onqed applause followed this retert, and MI
nan declining 10 pursue this controversy, con-
tinued his argument
MR. HILL A PROTECTIONIST
while he was a protectionist from the crown
of his head to the soles of his feet, said Mr. Hli
he was a protectionist against foreign countries
and not as against cur own possessions
As Republican, Mr. Hill said he thought
there was cause for criticism of the excessive
cost of American government in the Philippines
but the fault was in America, and grew out OF
the division o. opinion to the policy TO be
pursued.
Mr. Smith CKy) asked if there was concen-
sus Of opinion among Republicans as to the fut-
zre policy regarding the islands.
In answer Mr.. Hill quoted Democrat who
was with the Taft party as saying that the
Philippines American territory, and
would always remain under either Republican
or Democratic rule. AS his individual judgment.
Air Hill believed a large reduction could be
made in expense, except as regards education.
L interjected by Mr.. Cooper CWis) that
this year the expense Of the government would
be 100000 less than last year.
Mr.. Hill said a visit TO Hong Kong almost
convinced him that the Philippines might be
profitable financial investment for the United
States. In fifty years. he said, England had de-
Teloped the island OF Hong Kong from a rocky
waste into a hOurishing commercial city. And
this development, Mr.. Hill said. was in the
face Of violent opposition in the British Par
7iament. With a great commercial city in Manila
10 start with, he said the American opportuni-
ties in the Philippines were far greater than the
British opportunities were in Hong Kong
Mr.. Hill reviewed at length the tobacco in
dustry in the Philippines, explaining the primi-
tive methods of tobacco culture and the limited
manufacture of smoking and chewing tobacco
and cigars He said single factories in the
United States made more than the entire out
put Of manufactured tobacco in the Philippines.
UNITED STATES HAS NOTHING To FEAR.
Mr.. Hill said a careful study of tobacco pro-
sduction in The islands and the export tobacco
trade had persuaded him that the United States
had nothing 10 fear from competition with