Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-03-04

the fact that he was a son Of the
brother OF the secretary Of the in
terror in no way deprived him Of his
legal rights under the statute. The
report declares that the secretary Of
interior, did nothing but his plain duty
| in the matter Of this lease, and that
adverse criticism is wholly uncalled
| for and unworthy.
Speaks Of Carpenter Leases.
The report speaks also Of leases OBJ,
tanned by Frank w. Carpenter, execu-
tive secretary in the Philippines, and
of his compliance with all executive or
der for government employees to secure
I permission from the government gen
eral in order to engage in business.
I'm leasing this land" says the re-
port. Mr. Carpenter acted entirely for
| himself, no other persons directly or
Indirectly being interested with him.
He holds the position Of executive sec
rotary but his official duties are in no
way connected with the administration
OF public lands or friar lands. He has
no control over them whatever, and no
voice in their management. The
agreement with Mr.. Carpenter seems
to have been highly satisfactory to the
Filipino people,
Three California corporations have
acquired public land in the Phil
ippines,' the report says in conclusion,
land the stockholders in these COM
panies are all relatives or friends OF
Charles j. WEIGH, one Of the pur-
chasers of the San Jose estate and the
public lands thus acquired by them
IN hot or 70 nf
the purchasers Of the San Jose estate
are stockholders in any of those three
corporations, and none of the stock
holders in any one of these three cor
porations are stockholders in either of
the other two.
None of these three corporations
has exceeded the fixed limit Of cor
porate holdings. E. L. Poole, the man
ager of the San Jose estate, is also
the manager of each one Of the three
California companies, but he has no
financial interest in any Of them 1t
is the intention that they shall cult
vate their lands and sell the cane pro-
duced to the Mindore Development
Co., formed by Messrs. Havemeyer.
WEIGH and SEMI. Each of these cor
porations is authorized by it's charter
to engage in agriculture and each one
compiled with the legal requirements
and obtained a license to do business
in the Philippine Islands"
Though concurring for the most part
in the finding of the majority of the
committee, particularly in its exposi-.
ton and Interpretation Of the law with
regard to the sale Of public and friar
lands. and, likewise, in its generation
OF public officials from blame, the min
ority report presents a number OF
radical disagreements on the policy to
be pursued in the administration OF
the Philippine lands. The officials in
yolved, the report declares, handled
situation to the best OF
their ability and were guided by the
law but the sale Of the San Jose estate
SHOULD stand as warning both to the
Philippine government and the United
States"
The sale OF large tracts of public
or friar lands, 1t is recommended,
should be prohibited, long leases
should not be granted, officials in the
Philippine service should not e allow
ed to acquire any more land than is
required for residence, and proper
limitations should be placed 1mmed-
lately on the amount Of friar land that
corporations and natural persons may
obtain. These suggestions, 1t is de-
clared, will, if carried out, sustain