Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-12-22
SEC. GARRISON
WARMLY DENIES
TAFTSCHARGEs
War Department Head Re-
sents Criticism of Philip
pine Administration

berths were needed for Democrats.
Mr.. Taft's statement said:
HE (Gov.-Gen. HarrisOn) dis
charged at once upon his arrival
Mccoy, collector of customs;
Sleeper, director of public lands;
| Wilson, assistant director OF pub
lie lands; Leach, director OF +.
printing; Parsons, consulting ar
chitect; WEIGH, assistant execu-
tive secretary; Hogsette. assist
ant director of printing; Helm,
director of the bureau of nayiga-
ton; Harding. chief of Manila
police: Scott, captain of police"
$50 far from this being a correct
statement" Mr.. Garrison says, .the
fact Is. that Goy..Gen. Harrison
neither at once nor at any other time
discharged Wilson, Parsons or Helm.
He did discharge, within FIVE days
after his arrival, Mccoy, because he
was acting, while the head of the Gus
toms service, as the National Repub-
lican committeeman from the Philip
pine islands.
HE similarly discharged Sleeper.
whose conduct of the Bureau of Pub
lie Lands had been the subject OF in
yestigation by a committee of the
House Of Representatives while Mr..
Harrison was member of that body
and whose administration of that bu-
reau. as thus disclosed. did not meet
with Mr.. Harrison's approval.
HE did similarly discharge WEIGH,
assistant executive secretary, who
was involved in an investigation, ini-
tiated and completed under Gov. Gen.
Forbes Of the Manila police depart
ment, and whose conduct as thus dis
closed warranted, in Gov.-Gen. Har-
rison's opinion, his dismissal"
Mr.. Garrison proceeds in detail to
show the circumstances concerning
the other men named by the former
president. Summarized, the circum-
stances may be stated as follows:
Wilson resigned of his own volt
ton. Leech, director of printing, re.
signed by request after he had sent
cablegrams to the President of the
United States based upon false as
SYMPTOMS" Hogsette, his assistant,
resigned with him because he had a
hand In the business. The bureau
over which Helm presided was abol
ished for economics sake by the leg
isiature
Harding, chief of police. and Scott,
captain, resigned by request as a..
result OF the investigation of the po.
lice department The offices held by
Enright, Randall and Williams were
abolished by the legislature for the
purpose of economizing.
Frank Carpenter was not dis
charged but promoted to governor
ship of the Moro province, which adj
mittedly Is one of the positions of
greatest importance in the Philip
pine administration"
"Mr. Taft charged that 476
Americans were separated from
this service between October,
1913, and July IA, 1915 The in
ference was that this was un.
usual" F
BY reference to the records of the
War Department, Secretary Garrison
shows that this meant nothing, be-
cause it was approximately the aver.
age number of changes made during
the years of American control
"Mr. Taft charged that an
American was removed as head OF
the bureau of lands to make way
for a Filipino insurrecto general
named Tinio, who had no expert
ence of any kind
Mr.. Garrison shows that Tinio was
appointed to the service six years be.
fore the present administration took
charge Two years thereafter he
was given charge of a bureau of ex.
actly similar rank to the bureau OF
lands by Gov.-Gen. Forbes, acting un-
der Republican administration, Mr..
Garrison says.
"Mr.- Taft charged that the
Philippine hospital was misman-
aged by the present admins
tration"
Secretary Garrison shows that it Is
in better condition now than under
the previous administration
'Mr.' Taft alleged that the in
ternal revenue service and the
judiciary had been disorganized
by the present administration.
Secretary Garrison quotes from Re-
publican reports to show that they
needed the very kind of reorganiza-
ton which they are now undergoing.
Mr.. Taft's general criticism of the
present policy is disputed at length
by Secretary Garrison, who shows
that 1t has been the purpose of the
present administration merely to fit
the Filipinos for self-government and
70 give them every opportunity OF
paving the road for their eventual in.
dependence. By quoting from state.
ments made by Mr.. Taft during the
past, Secretary Garrison shows that
the former president once was in
thorough accord with the very policy
which he is now condemning.