Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-12-19

the United States and Canada with
the exception OF the final report upon
"a dam at the outlet Of Lake Erie"
delayed by the illness OF one OF the
Canadian engineers. and II IL suggested
that the commission be extended to
April 1, 1914.
For the Porto Ricans, the secretary
urges citizenship. declaring that 1t
was promised and that It haa been
earned by loyalty. The island should
also have a department Of labor and
agriculture and department Of health
and sanitation, as well as a rigorous
civil service law, ana all Judicial offi-
GERS, non elective should be made APP.
pointfve.
DEVELOPMENT OF F1LrPINOS.
remarkable recital Of the develop
ment or the Philippines in ways of
civilization during the IA years of Am
erican occupation is given In the re-
port. 1t Is declared that there Is no
other instance In history, where, after
-FOUR years of war and Instruction. tc
over 100000 of an entire alien race
have been so soon given not merely
|
date and extensive participation In
their own government. Similarly"
says the secretary, there is no par
allel to the material, mental and mor-
al progress shown in these 10 years of
civil government by so many millions
of people. hell for centuries in ignor-
ance and in effect in political and eco
monte bondage" After making this
statement SECRETARY Stimson proceeds
to detail at length what has been ac-
complished in each separate direction
IN the islands; the sanitation. the edn-
cation, the development of new in ius.
tries, the opening of the lands to
small farmers. the construction OF
lharbor works and railroads and irri =
cation plants.
Yet with all this progress, ur work
IN the Philippines has Just commenced
continues the secretary. Half of the
children born in Manila die in in.
fancy; and "A million children are without
schools the old system of peonage is still
accepted by the Masses who unless pro-
tected by Americans would fall ready vic.
tins to the rich and educated Philippine
minority" The American policy, ne says
should be continued to completion for
until that time all proposals fer indie.
pendence are pleas for national recreancl
on our part, and for the reputation OF
the heavy and difficult burden which thu.
far we have been bravely and consistent
ly sustaining Even more is It unjust I,
the great masses of Filipino people il
whose behalf the high sounding sloga,
Of liberty and Independence are shout
fnr rir nj
in Ignorance and held in economic sub
lection, they are now being aroused I,
self-supporting manhood and being weld
ed into national solidarity. Along thi
line. and along this line alone lies tn.
true port OF liberty and independence
PANAMA CANAL TOLLS.
The closing chapter of the report Gca
with the Panama cana OF which it il
said. that. while the ofrcial date of open
ing is set for January /, 1915, it is the in
tenton to allow vessels to utilize it a
: soon as possible, probably during the lat
ter half of 1913. The secretary states tina
E while he still believes the United State
can repay tolls to American vessels usin
r the canal. he is strongly OF the opir.ol
2 that such remission of tolls he not grant
Y ed
e While in my opinion" says Mr.. Slim
son, the United States had a right to ap
\ proprhte to American vessels amount
equivalent to the sums paid into Its treas
4 ury in the form of canal tolls, this broa
s question of national cXpedency shout
not be determined except upon carcfl
; study In an effort 70 obtain information
Emory r, Johnson was employed by tn
war department.. and as result he re-
ported to me that the remission OF toll
is not needed to enable American coast
wise vessels to successfully compete wit
foreign competitors"