The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-04
NEED BETTER LAND LAWS IN ISLANDS Report on Philippine Friar
 Lands POINTED CRITICISM Minority Report Declares That Sugar Trust or Its Next Door Neigh Dor Has Monopoly of
 the Lands
POINTED CRITICISM

Washington, March 3.--complete exon eration of the officers of Me Philippine Islands government of all charges of ir- regularities and inproprieties in connec- tion with the administration, sales or leases of lands in the Philippines, vet on the other hand, pointed criticisms of the inadequacy of the present laws to pre- vent monopolies in what are known as the 'friar lands are expressed in both majority and minority reports of the House committee on insular affairs. sub mitted to the House today.
 The charge made on the floor of the House year ago by Representative Mar tin of Colorado that the so-called sugar trust had acquired 56,00O acres of the 'friar lands led to an investigation of the entire question of the administration of public lands,A as well as ''frIar lands '' Both reports coAicur in the opinion that the organic act of 1902 in. limiting ind; viduals to 40 acres and corporations to 2500 acres in the amount of public lands that may be acquired does not impose the same restrictions on the disposition of the "friar lands.''
 The majority report argues that. as a practical expedient. the 'friar lands should be disposed of in larger quantities to attract buyers. while the minority claim that the sale of the "fiar lands in lafge tracts may develop a system of ab- sentee landlordism, as obnoxious to the Filipin0s as that of the friars against whom they once rebelled.
 The latter also suggest that friendly proceeding be begun in the courts by the officers of the Philippine government to determine the exact legal status of the 'friar lands" with respect to public lanG regulations.
 As to the acquisition by~E l.. Poole of 56,c0o acres of the liar lands on behalf of Horace Havemeyer, Charles B. Welch and Charles H. Senff, both reports de- clare the public officials involved were not culpable, being guided by the best availabel interpretations of the law
 The majority members, however, deny that the land was obtained by the sugar trust, while the minority assert that if the sugar trust did not acquire it ''the next-door neighbor to the sugar trust did. and that there is apparently a com munity of interests" evidencing a hold ing by one person of upward of 66,0O acres of land.
 The minority accepts the situation as unavoidable, but holds the incident up as a warning against further exploitation of the lands by American capitalists" and suggests that no more sales of large tracts of the "friar lands" be consum- mated pending the action of Congress or the outcome of court proceedings that might be instituted by the Philippine of ficers.
 The majority report was signed by Rep- resentative Olmstead of Pennsylvania, chairman of the committee, and Repre- sentatives Crumpacker of Indiana, Hamil- ton of Michigan, Fuller of Illinois, Gra- ham of Pennsylvania, Parsons of New York. McKinlay of California, Douglas of Ohio. and Fornes of New York. . The minority report was submitted by Representatives Madison of Kansas, Hub- bard of Iowa and Davis of Minnesota.
 There will be a third report of the in vestigation, embodying the views of the democrats, prepared by Representative Jones of Virginia, but it is not yet ready.
 Chairman Olmstead, in presenting two reports today, obtained permission of the House to have the third report filed at any time before the adjournment of Con gress.
 It is understood that the Jones report, like others. absolves the Philippine off, cials of wrong doing and comedies thar they acted within the interpretation of law laid down by the law officers. by whose opinion they were bound to be guided: but holds that their action was in pursuance of mistaken policy.
 It Is understood to be the position of these members of the committee that the friar lands should have been admins tered as public lands under the provisions of the "organic law of the islands, and that if this view of their legal status be not sustained by the law. 1t is neverthe- A,zs a mistaken policy to sell the friar lands in larger tracts than under the limi- tations affecting the public domain. AS to the latter the organic act puts limi- tation of 16 rectares upon the amount sold to any one purchaser except as to an actual settler.
 The democrats expected to sign the re- port with MT. Jones are Robert N. Page, North Carolina: Finis J. Garrett, Ten nessee: Matt Denver, Ohio; Harvey Helm, Kentucky, and A. w. Fucker, Colorado. Thus far the democrats have not signed >nrt