Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1908-01-27
ISLANDERS MAKE PROGRESS
DURING NINE YEARS
Crying Need Is Cdpitdl--Tdit Urges
That Products be Admitted TO
United States and Establish
ment of Government
Bank.

Washington, ID. c., Jan. 27.-The
special report of Secretary Taft on
conditions in the Philippines, was
submitted TO congress today by Pres
Ident Roosevelt, who in sending the
report took occasion to concur in the
recommen iations made by the secre-
tary and TO express his pleasure at
the conditions prevailing in the Is
lands as a result of the American
occupation.
save only our attitude toward
cuba | question whether there is a
brighter page in the annals of in
ternational dealing between the
strong and the weak than the page
which tells of our doings in the Phil
ippines" he says.
The islanders have made real ad-
vances in a hopeful direction and
they have opened well with the new
Philippine assembly. They have yet
a long way to travel before they will
be iii for complete self government,
and for deciding, as it will then be
their du,y TO do, whether this self
government shall be accomplished by
complete independence"
In his report Secretary Taft re-
views conditions in the Philippines
previous to the Spanish h-American
war, conditions Immediately follow
ing the acquisition of the islands by
the United States and the progress
made in educating the natives toward
popular Self government. He pays a
tribute to the army for its services in
quelling the island insurrection, to
the Philippine constabulary and to
the American judges who were placed
in charge of courts. The report says;
Present Condition.
Peace prevails throughout the is
lands today in a greater degree than
ever in the history of the islands,
either under Spanish or American
rule, and agriculture is nowhere now
impeded by the fear on the part of
the farmer of the incursion of pre-
datory bands. Under the policy al
ready stated. naugurated by the in
structions of President Mckinley to
Secretary Root in reference to the
establishment of a temporary gov
ernment in the Philippines, a COM
munity consisting of 100000 people
inhabiting 800 different islands, many
of whom were in open rebellion
against the government of the United
States for four years with all the
disturbances following from robber
and predatory bands which broke out
from time to time, due TO local
causes, has been brought to a state
OF profound peace and tranquility in
which the people as a whole are 10y
ally supporting the government in
the maintenance of order. This is the
first and possibly the most important
accomplishment of the United States
in the Philippines
Need of Capital.
zone of the crying needs of the
Philippines is capital, and this
whether 1t be for the development OF
railroads. wagon roads. manufactures
or IN the promotion of agriculture.
The usurious interest which has to be
paid by the farmers is so high as to
leave very little for his profit and
maintenance and ever since we en-
tered the islands the cry for an agri-
curtural bank which would lend
money for a reasonable interest, say
10 per cent, has been urged upon
the commission. Last year congress
authorized the government to guar
antee the interest at per cent on a
certain amount OF capital invested in
such a bank, but up to this time nc
one has embraced the opportunity
thus offered to undertake the con-
duct and operation of a bank al
though negotiations are pending
looking to such a result. 1t is now
proposed that the government shall
undertake this instead OF private
individual.
II do not hesitate TO prophesy thai
during the next twenty-five years a
development will take place in the
agriculture and other business of the
Philippine Islands, which will be as
remarkable in its benefits to the
United States and the Philippine Is
lands as was the development o.
Alaska during the last ten or hfteer
years Hope of this is not what has
actuated the government in pursuing
the policy ,aat it has pursued In the
development OF the islands, but this
IS as inevitable a result as II ii had
been directly sought and perhaps tht
absence Of selfshness I'm the develop
ment of the islands is a greater as
surance Of profitable return than Il
business exploitation by the United
States had been the chief and sol,
motive. The growth in the produc
Of hemp and other fiber products
oocoanuts, In rubber and many OF
tropical crops and in peculiar ma