The Washington times., 1911-03-03
PHILIPPINE SALES
GIVEN APPROVAL
Committee Reports to the House Investigation of Dis
posal of Land In the Islands, Too Late for
Action This Session

ticI with the requirement of building
sites at the summer caital by members
of the Philippine commission. II was
charged the officials, not being citizens,
had no right TO buy these public lands
; and that, being trustees for the Fill
pinos, they had no right TO seek t.
profit by speculation in property hed
by them in trust. on this point the mo
i0rity report contains the following:
We find that the administration OF
lands in the Philippine Islands has been
fairly and honestly conducted, and that
the charges and insinuations to the con-
trary which have been made against the
officials charged with the execution of
the laws in relation thereto. whether
officers of the Philippine government or
Of the United States, are unwarranted
and unjust. w. Cameron Forbes. gov
ernor general; Dean c. Worcester, sec
retary of the interior; Charles H. Sleep
er, director af lands, and Frank w. Car
penter, executive secretary, are able
earnest, patriotic men. honestly per-
forming their duties under more or less
trying circumstances.
Defends Sale to Sugar Trust.
The action of the Philippine Commits
sion in selling large tracts of friar lands
to Americans, said to be representatives
of the Sugar trust" is defended by the
majority of the committee, on the
ground that the legal restrictions as TO
disposition of public lands do not apply
to friar lands and that. therefore, the
commission was justified in selling to
these Americans, even though they were
not ..citizens" and that they were justi-
fled In selling land in tracts greater
than specified for the sale OF public
lands The committee further denies
that these men represented the Sugar
trust, declaring they have no interest IN
the American Sugar Refining company.
There has not been disclosed the
slightest irregularity or improperly on
the part of Dean G. Worcester, the seq
rotary Of the interior; Capt. Charles II:
Sleeper, the director OF the bureau OF
lands: the War Department or the Bu-
reau of Insular Affairs at Washington,
or any other official either of the Phil
ippine government or the United states
Government, iE connection with the pur-
chase and sale OF the San Jose estate
purchased by Havemeyer, Welch and
Senffb. 1t was perfectly plain and
square business transaction. Even IT IL
shall be determined that the law pro-
hibted the sale of more than forty
hectares, the officials WbO made the sale
cannot be blamed, as they acted in
pursuance of legal opinions, which they
were in duty bound to accept"
Minority Takes Issue.
The minority Republicans take sharp
issue with the majority in discussing
the policy of the Philippine commission.
They charge the commissioners with
having made mistakes, but credit them
with honest int ntiOn to serve the inter-
e~ts Of the Filipinos and the United
States.
Long leases Of public lands arc con-
dernned in the minority report. The
minority also takes issue with the ma
jCrity on the ''CitizenS'' clause of the
organic act, holding that the intent of
Congress was undoubtedly to restrict
the purchase of public lands to Fill
pinoS.