The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1911-03-04
PHILIPPINE AUTHORITIES ARE
ExoNERATED BY CONGRESS
COMMITTEE.
Administration of the Lands Fairly
and Honestly Conducted, Says the
Majority The Minority Suggests
Radical Changes.

istration of lands in the Philippine
ISLANDS has heen fairly and honestly
cond m Il, and charges and insinua-
tions w the contrary, directed against
officers either of the Philippine gov
ernment or of the government of the
United States, are unwarranted and
unjust--this is the conclusion of the
majority of the house committee on
insular affairs in its report of an ex.
Caustive investigation of those mat
ters, made public today by the chair
man of the committee, Representative
Olmstead, of Pennsylvania.
The report expressly eXonerates w
Cameron Forbes, governor general:
Charles II. Sleeper, director of lands;
Frank W. Carpenter, executive sec
retary and Dean c. Worcester, secre.
tary of the interior Of the Philippine
government, of any improprieties in
the management of the Philippine
lands, and described them as "atle
earnest patriotic men honestly per-
forming their duties under more or
less trying circumstances.
Violations Reviewed.
The report reviews at length the
alleged violations of laws governing
the sales of land and the issuance of
leases, and lays it's principal stress
upon the intricate legal problem in
volved in the question of the status
Of the so-called "friar lands" which
were purchased by the Philippine
government from the religious orders
with funds raised by a bond issue
Radical differences Of opinion have
existed as to whether these friar
lands were governed in the matter
of sales and leases ty the restric-
tions clearly imposed by the "or-
ganic law" of the islands upon trans
actions concerning the public or
crown lands purchased by :he United
States government from the govern,
ment of Spain.
Martins Allegations.
Representative Martin, of Colorado
precipitated the investigation now re.
ported upon, by various charges made
on the floor of the house in the latter
part Of the sessions of t909-1910. in
which he alleged improper sales and
leases of the friar lands, especially to
persons who, he charged, desired the
land for the benefit Of the so.called
sugar trust. And so, while the re-
port undertakes to refute numl er of
charges connected with tho sale and
lease Of lands i'll, the islanas. il. is de
voted largely to the 6'..'5sinn of a
transaction by which rro :. Il. Poole
bought $1,000 of the 100000 acres of
friar lands
Minority Partially Concurs.
Thoa'h concurring for the most
part in the findings of the majority
I OF the committee, particularly in its
exposition and Interpretation of the
, law with regard to the sale Of public
and friar lands ard, likewise. in its
exoneration Of public officials from
1 blame, the minority report presents
numter of radical disagreements on
the policy TO be pursued in the ad-
l
, The officials involve ed, tie report de
c!ares, handled-,a cumbersome situa.
ton to the best Of Their ability and
were guided by the law, talt the sale
Of the San Jose estate "shOuld stand
as warning both to ble Philippine
government and the United States.
Prohibit Large Sales.
Trt sale Of large tracts OF public
or 9iar lands, it is recommended,
should be prohibited. long leases
should not be granted, officials IN the
/ Philippine service should not he al
, lowed to acquire any more land thar
is required for residence. and proper
limitations should be placed immrdi
! ately upon the friar lands that cor
/ poratons and natural persons mal
! obtain. These suggestions. it is de
/ c'nrod, will, if ,arried ,rt -'nir
/ the peace and wclfn7a Of TN,
/ islands,"