Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-12-26
SECRETARY TAFT
ON PHILIPPINES
CONDITIONS GIVE MUCH CAUSE
FOR SATISFACTION.
IMPORTANCE OF RAILROADS
A Surplus of s1,5ooooo in Gold
Urges Guarantee of Agriculturas
Bank-Tariff Bill Shobld Pass
Abolition of Hemp Rebates Is sus
gested.

Washington, d. c., lee. 15.-In
report to congress and the president,
Secretary of War Taft pays due at
tention to the questions that have
larisen out of our Philippine relations.
ION the whole the conditions in the
Philippines give much cause for salts
faction, he says. The government is
doing the work there that it has pro-
lposed to do. 1t is maintaining peace
land order with a firm hand; it is
teaching the people by practical ex-
perience lessons in self government,
and il is giving them an opportunity
by tie raising of crops, the proceeds
Iof which they may with certainty take
Ito themselves as their own, the means
lof making the islands prosperous
the Improvement is slow and does
not come with spectacular demonstra-
fHon, but it is not for that reason to
1be regarded as unimportant What is
most needed now is legislation from
congress which shall convince The
| Filipino people of the anxiety of the
American people to aid them as far
as possible to prosperity which has
been absent from the islands through
out the period Of American occupa-
tion.'
Finance and Industry.
The secretary reports that the f.
nances OF the insular government orc
in good condition. After all bills were
paid June 80 last there was a surplus
of a million and half and it is
hoped that in the coming year there
would be sufficient amount avail
able over and above the ordinary ex-
9onses Of the government to devote
two CT three millions TO much-neeGel
internal improvements. The harhor
of Manila is now projected and has
80 feet Of water, with an area sufi-
cient to let tie merchant fleet of the
or. eat ride at anchor safely during
the southwest monsoons, which
blow for six months with great force.
All the tonnage and harbor charges
have been removed; and two .arge
steel and concrete wharves are being
erected, alongside of which vessels
of 25-foot draft can safely moor and
easily discharge their cargoes, and
when these ere completed, as they
will be in a short time, there will be
no harbor in the east more favorable
to shipping so far as the matter of IA
cities fer discharge of cargo and the
freedom from government eXactio1s
are concerned Contracts have been
issued, and work is proceeding to com
plete a system of water supply and a
sewerage system in Manila, which of
course will greatly reduce the death
rate The harbors of Illoilo and Cebu
the other two great harbors of the is
lands, are being rapidly improved at
a cost of $1,50OOO0
The secretary concurs with the com
mission, and strongly recommends to
congress the passage OF an act author
izing the Philippine government to
guarantee to a private agricultural
bank a dividend of per cent on s1o,-
100000. He thinks that the expert
ence of the Egyptian government I'M
der the plan adopted and approved 5y
Lord Cromer has been so successful
as to justify the making Of such an eff
| tort with respect to Philippine agri-
culture
Importance of Railroads.
Mr. Taft urges that anyone familiar
I tr.sf h. in he DbfIinnipDG
must be aware that no real prosperity
can come to those islands and no sub
stantial Improvement be made in the
welfare, education, and uplifting of
the people until the means Of inter
communication between the islands
and between the various towns II
each island shall be greatly Increased
and that the most important step
that can he taken in this way is the
construction OF railroads, for they not
| only in themselves furnish most I'M
portant Accommodation and trans
lportation, but they also make post
| BILE, and indeed bring about, the con-
struction of wagon roads.
The Tariff.
| Only a brief word is given to the
Philippine tariff question. 1t is turned
off with the suggestion that recon-
lamentations previousl made have
shown the urgent reasons Tor the pas
age Of a tariff bill in the interest OF
the islands and that the arguments
need not be repeated.
referring again to the report Of
the Philippine commission Mr. Taft
concurs in the recommendation that
that provision of the act of congress
which takes out of the Philippine
treasury the export tax which it col
lects on exports of hemp if the hemp
is conveyed directly to an American
port. be repealed. This is discrimd-
nation in favor of a special interest
in America, is a selfish exploitation of
the hemp industry in the islands,
gives. proper cause to the English ana
the French to complain, and deprives
the treasury Of the islands of part Oh
Its income without just cause.
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