Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-03-03


public lands does not apply to the
frair lands.
Ownership 10 Limited.
Tho conclusions reached by the ma
jority Of the committee. IN addition 60
those quoted above explicitly exoner-
ating tho officers mentioned. are sum.
married. a. follows:
mo corporation can lawfully hold
more than 1924 hectares (2.5oo acres)
Of any kind Of land in the Philippine
Islands. and no corporation has been
permitted to purchase more than that
amount Of either public lands or friar
lands since the passage Of the act OF
1902. Section IL Of this act limits the
sale Of public lands to 16 hectares. or
40 acres-the amount OF public lands
in the Philippine Islands which law
fully may be sold to any purchaser
other than a corporation. No sale IN
excess Of that amount has been made.
Congress should, by appropriate
legislation more clearly express its In
tention. whether individual citizens OF
the United States are to be included
or excluded az purchasers Of agrtcul-
tural public lands Of the United States
in the Philippine Islands.
Must Pay OF Bonds.
"while we see 40 objection to the
ACQUISITION OF homes In the Philippine
Islands by officials or employees OF the
government, whether American or Fill
Pine, we advise against speculation In
public land by public officials, and are
pleased to note that the members OF
the Philippine commission have re-
Trained therefrom.
There are about 100000 acres OF
public land in the Philippines, the sale
OF which Is restricted by law to forty
acres to a natural person, or $500
acres to a corporation. each sale to be
conditioned upon actual occupancy and
cultivation Of the lands for at least
FIVE years during which the purchaser
may neither sell nor cucumber them.
There are only about $4,000 acres OF
unoccupied and vacant friar lands re-
naming. These can not be sold in such
small tracts and subject to such bur-
densome conditions, at prices which
will enable the Philippine government
to reimburse itself and pay of the
bonds issued for that purpose. II that
is to be accomplished they will have
to be sold in larger tracts than those
permitted for public lands. and without
these substantially prohibitivs condi-
ton OF non. alienation or encumbrance.
Sugar Trust Not Interested.
Poole's purchase covered $1,000
acres: the evidence shows that he made
the first payment Jan. 4. 1910. and
on March 8, 1910, executed deed set.
ting forth that in making the purchase
he was acting ~ the agent Of Horace
Havemeyer, Charles ]. WEIGH and
Charles H. Semi, who furnished him
the money with which he paid for the
property" The majority report says Of
this. In part:
"The familiarity Of the public with
to names Of Havemeyer and Semi for a
number Of years In connection with the
American Sugar Refining Company.
gave rise to the impression widely cir
culated. that tho purchase Of the San
Jose estate was made by. or other
directly or Indirectly in the interest of.
the sugar trust It appears. however.
from the emphatic and uncontradicted
testimony In the case. that the Amer
lean Sugar Renning Company was not
IN any way whatever. directly or In
directly. concerned in tho purchase.
"It would seem from tho evidence
that, with tho exception Of Horace
Havemeyer. the directors Of the Amer
lean Sugar Refining Company had no
knowledge Of the purchase Of the San
Jose estate until thoy read Of IL in
the newspapers, when they expressed
dissatisfaction that one Of tho directors
should have been concerned In the pur-
chase"