New-York tribune., 1911-03-04


tucky and A w. Rucker, of Colorado
Thus far the Democrats have not signed
any report.
The Majority Report.
The administration of lands in the Philip
pine Islands has been fairly and honestly
conducted, and charges and insinuations to
the contrary. directed against officers either
of the Philippine government or of the
government Of the United States, are UNI
warranted and unjust. This is the con-
clusion of the majority OF the House Com
mittee on Insular Affairs. in ITS report OF
an exhaustive investigation OF those mat
ters, made public to-day by the chairman
of the committee, Representative Olmsted,
of Pennsylvania The report expressly eX-
onerates W Cameron Forbes, Governor
General: Charles H. Sleeper, director OF
lands: Frank W. Carpenter, executive Sec
retary, and Dean c. Worcester, Secretary
of the Interior of the philippine govern
ment. of any improprieties in the manage
ment Of the Philippine lands, and describes
them as "able. earnest, patriotic men. hon
esty performing their duties under more or
less trying circumstances.
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 involved in the question Of the
status of the so-caed "friar lands which
were purchased by the Philippine govern
ment from the religious orders with funds
raised by a bond issue. Radical differ
ences Of opinion have existed as to whether
these friar lands were governed in the mat
ter of sales and leases by the restrictions
clearly imposed by the organic law OF
the islands upon transactions concerning
the public or crown lands purchased by
the United States government from the
government OF Spain.
Representative Martin. of Colorado,
brought about the investigation through
various charges made on the floor OF the
House in the latter part OF tie session Of
1909 10, in which he alleged improper sales
ard leases of the friar lands. especially
to persons-notably one f. L. Poole-who,
he charged. desired the land for the benefit
of the so.called Sugar Trust
Repre sentative Martin conteuded that
under the organic law" OF 1902, which
gave civil government 20 the Philippine
Islands and which definitely limited the
amount of public" land that might be
sold 10 individuals and 10 corporations,
Poole could lawfully obtain only forty
acres as an individual and only 2.5O0 acres
as the representative of a corporation
With this contention the majority OF the
committee explicitly disagrees; II concludes
that the "friaT" lands were not subject as
matter of law, and ought not to be SUI
iect as a matter Of practical expediency, q
the restrictions upon public lands
The point here made is that the Philip
pine officials in their course were abun-
dainty sustained. and were bound 10 be
guided by. the opinions OF the law officers
Of their government. The transaction OF
Poole to which the larger part OF the dis
cusson is addressed, was the purchase Of
the san Jose estate"
Not the Slightest Irresuarity.
There has not been disclosed" the re-
port says OF this transaction, the slight
est irregularity or improperly II was a
perfectly plain and square business trans
| action. Even If il shall be determined that
the law prohibited the sale OF more than
forty acres, the officials who made the sale
cannot be blamed. as they acted in pursu-
ance OF legal opinions which they were IN
duty bound TO accept"
The report then discusses at length the
intent Of the law and arrives at the conClu-
sion that the organic act of 1902 with ita
provisions in regard TO public lands does
not apply TO the frar lands
1T is quite within the power of the Phil-
| ippine Legislature" says the report, TO
limit the amount Of friar lands which may
be sold TO a single non-coTporate purchaser,
but it has not done so, and Congress has
not done So"
The conclusions reached by the majority
Of the committee. in addition TO those
quoted above explicitly exonerating the
/ officers mentioned, are summarized as fol-
| lows:
No corporation can lawfully hold more
than TWENTY-FIVE hundred acres OF any kind
of land I'm the Philippine Islands. and no
Z corporation has been permitted 10 purchase
more than that amount or either public
lands or friar lands since the passage of
the act of 1902. Section u Of this act limits
the sale OF public lands 10 forty acres
the amount OF public lands I'm the Philip
pine Islands which lawfully may be sold
10 any purchaser other than corporation.
No sale n excess Oh thal amount mas Deen
made.
Congress should by appropriate legisla-
tion more clearly express its intention
ipdivfduaI citizens of the limited