Norwich bulletin., 1912-12-07

the house of representatives and is new awaiting the action of the senate, l am heartily in favor of the passage of this bill. I believe that the demand fer citizenship is just and that It is amply earned by sustained loyalty on the part of the inhabitants of the is- land. But it should be remembered that the demand must be, and in the minds of most Porto Raeans Is, entire ly disasseciated from, any thought of statehood.
 The Philippines.
 A bill is pending in congress which revolutonizes the carefully worked out scheme of government under which the Philippine Islands are now governed and which proposes to render them vir- tualfya autonomous at once and abso- lutely independent in eight years. Such a proposal can only be founded on the assumption that we have now discharg- ed our trusteeship to the Filipino peo- pie and our responsibility for them to the world and that they are now pre- pared for self government as well as national sovereignty, A thorough and unbiased knowledge of the facts clear ly shows that these assumptions are absolutely without justification
 As to this l believe that there is no substantial difference of opinion among any of those who have had the respon- sibflity of facing Philippine problems in the administration of the islands, and believe that no one tofwhom the future of this people is a responsible concern can countenance policy fraught with the direst consequences to those on whose behalf 1t is esten- sibly urged,
 Our duty to the 'Filipmos is far from discharged. Over half a million Fili- pino students are now in the Philip pine schools helping to mold the men of the future into homogeneous peo- pie, but there still remain more than A A1&lAfOH AARAuO VA SSAO0% age yet to be reached. Freed from American control the integrating forces of common education and common language will cease and the education al system now we'll started will slip back into inefieiency and disorder.
 An enormous increase in the com mercial development of the islands has been made since they were virtually granted full access to our markets three years ago. with every prospect of increasing development and diversi- fled industries Freed from American control such development is bound to decline.
 If the task we have undertaken is higher than that assumed by other na- tions, it's accomplishment must de- mand even more patience. We must not forget that we found the Filipinee wholly untrained in government. Up to our advent all other experience sought to repress rather than encour- age political power, It takes long time and much experience to ingrain po- litical habits of steadlness and eff eieney, Popular self government ulti- mately must rest upon common habits of thought and upon,a a reasonably de- veleped public opinion,
 A present declaration even of future independence would retard progress by the dissensien and disorder it would arouse. On cur part 1t would be dis ingenious attempt, under the guise of comforting benefit on them. to relieve ourselves from the heavy and difficult burden which thus far we have been braveiy and consistently sustaining. It weald be 6 disguised policy of seut- tic. It would make the helpless Fill pino the football of oriental politics, under the protection of a guaranty of their independence, which we would be poweFiess te enforce.
 Regulation of Water Power.
 Thete are pending before congress a large number of bills proposing to grant privileges of erecting dams for the purpose of creating water power in our navigable rivera The pendea, cy of these bills has brought out an important defect in the existing gen. eral dam act That act does not, in my opinion. grant sufficient power to the federal government in dealing with the construction of such dams to exact protective conditions in the in- terest of navigation. It does not per nit the federal government, as a con ditiOn of its permit, to require that a part of the value thus created shall be appliad to the further general i'm provement and protection of the stream. believe this to be one of the most important matters of internal i'm pfevement now confronting the gov eFnment- s s
 In my opinion constructive states manship requires that legislation should be enacted which will permit the development of navigation in these great rivers ta go hand in hand with the utilization of this byproduet of water power. created in the course of the same improvement, and~that the general dam act should be so amend ed as to make this possible. D
 I deem it highly important that the nation should adept consistent and harmonious treatment of these water power projects, whieh will preserve for this purnasa their value ts the gov erament, whose right it is te grant the permit. Any othes policy is equiva- lent to throwing away most valua- bic national asset,
 The Pasama Canal,
 During the past year the work ei eenstPaetien anen the canal has pro gFessaa nest satisfactorily. About s7 paf cent of the excavation work has heap eemnleted, and more than as per eeRs of the eeaessse fer all the locks is in Rlaee, In view eff the great interest whish has been manifested as to ssme