Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-02-22

BY FREDERIC J. HAsKIN.

an act of congress such pending before the
house of representatives. In its details however Is
question the civil service for the men IN actual
charge of the wild ribes-the provincial governors
are Americans They the (savages to law
and order something approaching SOCIAL
progress by combination of tact and reckless cour-
age that is an credit to the American nation
question arises to when, if ever their places
be filled by Filipinos. ~- -.-Tt sos
a-s-,.. ~---..e" -" .r- 7. --' e.7 "a
this connection it well to note that the term
Filipino" apply to all inhabitants Of the
Philippines only the Christian peoples who to
the number of some 100000. form about seven
eighths of the population. class is the only
capable of administration. and it is from them that
the men to govern the wild tribes VIII be drawn
The Filipinos through their political parties
have declared themselves in of the Jones BILL
which provides "a more autonomous government LOT
the islands Most of the Americans are also In favor
of the administrative features the BILL but in respect
to the actual government of the wild tribes some of
them express doubt They point out that between the
Filipinos and the hill is ennity centuries DID,
and that Moros hold the fighting abilities Of the
Filipinos in contempt. They say. that, unless
checked. certain Fipinos liable 30 take advantage
the ignorance and' superstition OF the savage TO
exploit him. that the confidence and friendship
carefully built up by Americans will be destroyed
There seems little doubt that the Moros and the
hill peoples would be a thorn in the side of purely
Filipino administration. When the provinces of Min
dano and Sulu recently turhec from the
military to the civil government the last activity of
army ended, today troops in the Phil
ippines exactly the sort of footing
that they occupy In the continental United States The
Philippine constabulary is maintaining almost perfect
order. but the commissioned officers for the most
Americans.
No critic of American Filipino in the islands has
attacked the constabulary. They a remarkably
able efficient body of recruited both from the
Filipnos and the hill peoples They may be taken as
conclusive proof that the Filipino and his wilder
neighbors have making of frst-rate soldiers when
properly led The order they are preserving 5000
Irod Shn vho
they can The officers and 200 men killed in
action, the fifty officers and Thousand who died
of disease, what difficulties they had to contend
with. question they pose is what they could do
with American officers withdrawn.
Another nroblem of the civil service arises in the
matter of salaries When first began our educa-
tonal and administrative work in the islands we fixed
the salaries of the figures which would en-
Americans from the United States to live decenty
and comfortably. Such Americans had perhaps
higher standard living than the native, and GER
tainly different They required many imported
articles where the Filipino would prefer native prod
ucts Hence the salaries set fairly nigh. Now
that Fiipnos holding these positions and the posi-
lions multiplying. the service imposes unneces-
sary burden on the country.
1t considered bad policy to pay a Filipino less
than American to do the work. AS matter
of fact apparently inevitable policy. The Fill
ipino more in the service than out of
it, and hence the VINO is needed to develop his
native land prefers the government service-a bad
of affairs, quite aside from the needless expense
problem will to be faced in the future
= -
In the matter Of retired American civil servants
there is bill proposed pension all those of more
than ten years service who at the end OF that time
are drawing $4,000 or more
l. c7Is.Er-
Even 10 able Americans with years of experience in
insular administration they would be no light ones If
they are handed to the Filipino. ne will have
strenuous time it. The Philippine plank in the
Democratic platform is construed by many to involve
the complete autonomy of the islands at early date
If that program carried into effect will give the
islands more than independence We will present
them at the same time with some of the toughest
problems that any government ever set out to solve