The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1932-01-28
THURSDAY, JANUARY %, 1882
Free The Philippines

THE Importance of the Philippine Islands indie
| pendence plea to northwest farmers and business
brought home to more than 400 men ano
representing the majority of the newspapers
of Minnesota, Friday night by DR.. C. A. Prosser,
director of Dunwoody institute at the annual banquet
of the Minnesota Editorial association.
The conflict of cocoanut products and the dairy in
dustry is keen to make it highly important that
America should drop guardianship the islands
and protect its home people, according Dr. Prosser
who has visited the islands and studied the situation.
According to Dr. Prosser, the cocoanut tree is a
more efficient than any raised in the northwest.
He declared that such tree lives approximately los
years and becomes better producer each year. Up
keep problem for the tree draws its food from the
fertile soil of the islands and all the natives must do
is pick the fruit He estimated that the islanders
increase their output than four-fold, which
would make it forcibly northwest COM
petitor.
He declared that cocoanut milk can be sent to
Holland favored with skim milk, churned and sold
the market prices below normal butter prices in this
country.
The following excerpts from Dr. Prosser's talk will
be of interest to Redwood county farmers:
"The question of Philippine independence has be-
come economic rather than social and political and
American farmers and laborers longer should be
penalized in futile attempts to develop modern civil
ization in tropical country 10000 miles away
the responsible custodans of sem-prmitive people.
Our duty was to establish a stable government and
help the Philippines develop their economic social
and political assets
The Filipinos have enjoyed greater degree Of
safety and freedom than most nations of the world.
Nevertheless, they want their independence from us.
During the 35 years in which the United States
has been in control of the islands, the American market
has been developed until the great influx of Philippine
sugar and cocoanut EXPORTS duty free, has seriously
affected the producers of domestic sugar. dairy and
other agricultural products.
'The rapid introduction and growth of cocoanut
products has greatly affected the price not only of
dairy products, but also of cattle on the hoof.
"Few will resist the demand that the American
farmer cease to pay the cost Of futile efforts TO
reform the Filipnos, against their wish to be free
from Few will resist the demand that American
labor also cease to be penalized
"Delay in freeing the islands is undesirable not
only because of their steadily growing shipments to
the United States of goods in competition with domes-
becoming complicated by the increased invest
ment of foreign capital in the islands.
GAS means of gradually removing the island
competition, step-rate tariff should be naugurated
to increase each year until the time less than five
years nor more than 10 from now when complete in
dependence is granted and the Philippine goods become
subject to the regular tariff
'The rehabilitation of the home market is of much
greater than the futile attempts to develop
modern civilization in tropical country 10000 miles
removed from western coast. No section of the
country is vitality concerned with the prompt set
Element of this matter than Minnesota and the north
west"