| OCR Text |
Show DISASTEBS HOLD " I BACKJWPINES I Agricultural Depression Cuts Down Revenues for Iin provements Needed. DISTURBANCES HAVE j ALL BEEN SUPPRESSED People Given Every Opportunity to Display Self-fioverning Capacity. During the last year the Philippine Islands havo been slowly recovering from I tho series of disasters which, since Amerl- j can occupation, have greatly reduced the I amount of agricultural products below what was produced In Spanish times Th war, the rinderpest, the locusts the drought, and the cholera have been united ns causes tO prevent a return of the pros- I perlty much needed In the islands Th most serious Is the destruction bv th I rinderpest of more than 78 per cent of the, draft cattle, because It will take several years of breeding to restore the necessnrv number of these indispensable aids to agriculture. The- commission attempted to supply bj purchase from adjoining C untiles the needed cattle, but the exper Iments made were unsuccessful. Most of l the cattle Imported were unable to with stand the change of climate and thn I rigors of the voyage and died from nthr diseases than rlndernst piflflj Income Is Reduced. The income of the Philippine Government Govern-ment has necessarily lire,, reduced bv noon of the business and atrrlcult ural depression In th.- islands, and the (jfM j ernment has boen obliged to exerclss great economj to cut down its expenses. to reduce salaries, and in every way to PJJH avoid s deficit it has adopted an Internal-revenue law, Imposing faxes on c-gars c-gars cigarettes, end distilled liquors, and ebobshins the ..id Spanish Industrial tr.xefj The law has not operated as j Smoothly as whs hoped, and although Its principle is undoubtedly correct. It may ! I amendments for the purpose of reconciling rec-onciling the people to Its provisions pro-visions Tho Income derived from It has partly made up for the. reduction In cus- There Imi been a marke.1 Increase la j the number of Filipinos employed In tho Civil service nnd r corresponding de- 1 rease In the number of Americans Tbe Government In every one of Its departments depart-ments nan been rendered more efficient by , elimination of undesirable material and the promotion of deserving public ser- Steps to Get Railroads. Improvements Of harbors, roads and J bridges continue, although the cutting cut-ting down of the revenue forbids the expenditure of any great amount from current Income for these purposes. Steps are being taken, by advertisement for competitive bids, to secure the construction and maintenance main-tenance of 1000 miles of railway by private corporations under the recent cn-I cn-I nbllng legislation of the Congress Tha transfer of th-- friar lands, in accordance accord-ance with thu contract made some two vears ago. lias been completely effected, and the purchase money paid. Provision has lust been made by statute for th speedy settlement in a special proceeding JJJJB In the Supreme court of controversies JJJJH over the possession and title of church JJJJH buildings and rectories arising between the Roman Catholic church and schis- JJJJJJ matlcs claiming under ancient municipal- PJJJJJ Itles Negotiations and hearings for the settlement of the amount dun to the Ro- PJJJH man Catholic church for rent and occu- JJJJH patlon of churches and rectories by the army of the I nlied States aro in progress and It is hoped a sail-factory conclusion mav be submitted to the e. ongress before the end of the session JJJJH Only Slight Disturbance. Tranquillity has existed during the psjt 1 year throughout the archipelago, except In the province Of Cavlte the province of Batangas, and the prov lnco of Samar. and In the Island of JOk) among tho Moron. Mo-ron. The Join disturbance was put an end BJJJJJ to by several sharp and short engagements, engage-ments, and now peace prevails In the Moro province. Cavlte, the mother of ladrones in the Spanish times, is so per meated with the traditional sympathy of the people for ladronlsm as to maks it difficult to stamp out the disease. Batangas Ba-tangas was only disturbed bv reason of the fugitive ladrones from Cavlte, Sa- u - mar wus thrown Into disturbance by the PJJJJfl uneducated and partly savage peoples living liv-ing in the mountains, who. having been PJJJJH given by the municipal code more power than thev wer.- able to exercise disOrSSt-Ij disOrSSt-Ij elected municipal officers who abused their trusts compelled the people raising hemp i" sell It a' a much less price than It was worth, and by their abuses drovM their people into reststani S to constituted As to Self-Government. avite and Samar are Instances of reposing re-posing too much confidence In the self- pJJJJJ governing power of a people The dla- turbances have an now- been suppressed, and It Is hoped that with these lessons local governments can be formed which I will secure quiet and peace to the de- H serving inhabitants. The Incident is an- H other proof of the fact that If there I-- H been any error as regurds giving self- I government In thu Philippines It has been in the direction of giving it too H quli kly. not too slowly. A year from H i ei April the first biglslallv-e assembly for the Islands will be held. On tho H sanity and self-restraint of this body much will depend so far us the future elf-government of the islands is con- Interest In Education. The most encouraging feature of the whole situation has been the very great interest taken bv the common peoplo lu education and the great increase ID tno SB number of enrolled students in the pub- lie schools. The Inert is.- was frum ioo.ixw I to hair a minion pupils-. The average afl attendance Is about 7u per cent. The only H limit upon the numb, r of pupils sc. ms to j be the capacity of the Government t H furnish teachers and si hoolhouses. H Reducing the Tariff. The agricultural Conditions of the IS-lands IS-lands enforce more Strongly than ever H the argument In favor of reducing the tariff on the i lucti of the Philippine j islands entering the Fnlted Slates I H earnestly recommend that the tariff now Inip.i-eii by thi l'licj, bill upon tho ; products of the Philippine islands be eh- H tlrel) removed except the tariff on augar and tobacco and that that tariff be n dUCSd to M per cent of the present rates H under the Ldnglcy act; that after July 1 1JK0, the tariff upon tobacco and sugar produced in the Philippine Islands be en- M tlrely removed, and that free trade bu- ' H tween the Islands and the L'nlted Statee H In the products of each country then be jH provided for by law Coastwise Laws. A statute in force, enacted April 15, H M'rt suspends the operation of the coastwise coast-wise laws of the Tnlu-d States upon the trade between the Philippine Islands and the I'nlted States until Jul 1, 1006 I earnestly recommend that this suspension suspen-sion be postponed until Julv , 1909 I think it of doubtful utility to applv M the constwl.se laws to the trade between the United States nnd the Philippines H under any circumstances, because I am convinced that It will do no good what- H ever to American bottoms, and will only LH Interfere and bt an obstacle to the trade bet-ween the Philippines and the Fnued Btatea bul If the coastwise Ian must be JH thus applied i ri.tiulv It ought nor to have efloct until free trade is eujojed be- 1 I I CANAL'S GREATEST NEEDJi MONEY Immediate Appropriation Required Re-quired to Carrv on the Work Rocnn. TWO IMPORTANT POINTS DEFINITELY SETTLED Will Bp Built on Isthmus of Panama: the Plan Is Feasible. , twren thf people rf the TTnltfi1 Rtate HB and thj people rf the Philippine Islands H In their reppfrtlve products. Hl I do not anticipate Uiat free trad be- H twcen the Island! and the, T'nlted States HH 111 produce n revolution In i h cuitar HB and tobacco production of the Philippine BHJ Islands So primitive Are the methods H of agriculture In tho PhlUppino Islands, Ji so slow Is capital In going to the Island!, j! to man)' difficulties surround n large Jl agricultural enterprise In the Islands, Ji that It tvIII he many, many years before Jl the products of those Islands will h.-ive J any effect whatcvir upon the markets B of the United States The problem of L labor Is nlso a formidable one with the J sugar and tobacco producers In the Islands. Isl-ands. Must Train Labor. H The best friends of the Filipino peo- J pie themselves Sra utterly OPPOSM to the g admission of Chinese coolie l;hnr. Hence p tho only solution Is the training of Flll- p plno labor, and this will take a long time J The enactment 01 by the Con HHR gross of the United States making Jj provision for trsfl rmle bCtWSBR the Isl- h ands arid the Jnltsd States, however. B will be of great Importance from a Jl polltlcul and entlmentnl .standpoint; and J while Its actual benellt has doubtless J been exaggerated by the people of the Jl Islands, they will accept thin measure of Kg Justice as an Indication that the people J of the United States are anxious to uld H the people of the Philippine Islands In B every way, and especially In the agrlcul- Jj tural development of their archipelago It will aid the Filipinos without Injuring interests In America. B The treaty between the Pnlted Slates BBJ and tho republic of Panama, under BBJ which the construction of the Panama HHBJ ranal was made possible, went Into effect IBpl with Its ratification by the United States HHBJ Senate on Februory 23. lPot. The canal ! properties of the Freneh Csnad company HHBj were transferred to the United States on HHBJ April B, 10 14. on payment of $10,000,000 to that company. On April 1, IMS, the com- mission w as n organized, and It DOW consists of Theodore P. Shonls. chalr- H man, Charles E, Magoon. Benjamin H M. Harrod. Rear-Admlr.i I Mordecal T. iBmM Endlcott. Bria.-Oen. Peter C. Halns and J Col. Oswald H. Ernst. John F. Stevens H was appointed chief engineer on July 1 last. Two Points Settled. Bftn Active work in canal construction. J mainly preparatory, has been progress J for more than a year und a half. During BV that period two points about the canal J have ceased to be op-n to debate. First, J the question of route; the canal will be j built on the Isthmus of Panama. Second, J the question of feasibility; there are no J physicul obstacles on this route that J American engineering skill will not be J able to overcome without serious dlfll- H culty, or that will prevent the comph- tlon of the canal within B reasonable time and at a reasonable cost. This Is J virtually the unanimous testimony of th B engineers who have Investigated the mat- BBJ tcr for the Government. Question of Type Remains. The point which remains unsettled Is BBJj the question of type, whether the canal BBBJ1 shall be one of several locks above sea BBn level, or at sea level with 11 single tide lock. 1 n thla point hope to lay before BBJI Congress at an early day tho findings BBJ of the Advisory Board of Ainerh SO BBJ and European Engineers, thai at my iri- BBJ vitation have been considering the tub- BBJ JSCt, together with the report of the BBJ commission thereon; and such com- BBJ ments thereon or recommendations In BBJ reference thereto as may seem necessary. Appeals for Fulfillment. The American people Is pledged to the speediest possible construction of a BBJ canal adequate, to meet the demands BBJ which the commerce of the world will make upon it, and I appeal most earnest-BBJ earnest-BBJ ly to the Congrens to aid in the ful fillment of the pledge. Gratifying progress has I " m.ido during the, pnst year, and especially during the past four months. The greater part of the necessary neces-sary preliminary work has been dor.o. Actual work of excavation could be begun be-gun only on a limited scale till the ranal eono was made a healthful place to live in and to work In. The Isthmus had to bo sanitated Bret This task has beeo so thoroughly accomplished that yellow fever has been virtually extirpated from the Isthmus and general health conditions condi-tions vastly improved The same methods which converted the Island of Cuba from a pest hole, which menaced tho health of the world, Into n healthful place, of abode, have been applied on tho BB Isthmus with satisfactory results. Health Well Guarded. BBS There Is no reason to doubt that when I the plans for wnter supply, paving and ' sewerage of P;in;mia ;i ml t'olon and tho BBBl large labor ramps have been fullv BBl carried out, the Isthmus will be, for BBl tropics, an unusually healthv place BBl of abode The work Is so fur advanced now that the health of all UlOfta employed em-ployed in canal work is ta well guarded ns It is on similar work In this country and elsewhei In addition to sanitating the Isthmus, satisfactory quarters are being provided for employees and an adequate system of supplying them with wholesome food at reasonable irlcct has been created Hospitals have been established and equipped that are without superiors of their kind anywhere The country has thus been made tit to work In. and provision pro-vision has been mad.? for the welfare Rnd comfort of those who are to do the work. Iuring tho past v.-ar a large por-BJBBJ por-BJBBJ 'on of the plant with which the work Bl i to be done has be.-n ordered. It Is con- BBJ ftdently hHluved that by tho mldd!e BJ of the approaching year a sufficient pro- , tjt portion of this plant will have been In- B w stalled to enable us to resume tho wcrk fa. of excavation on a largo scale. ' Appropriation Needed. I : ' What la m i lled now and without delav M is an appropriation by the Congress to I 'JflE meet the current and accruing ex- " 9 penscs of the commission. The first ''Tel appropriation of 110,000,000. out of the $135.-000,000 $135.-000,000 authorized by the Bpooner act, wuh ' "''fB made three years ago. it is nearly i-x- I A'tSl hausted. There Is barely enough of It rc- malning to carry the commission to the . end . of Hie enr. Vnless the ongress ' H . , 3m shall appropriate before that tim.- all t;.ljg work must rr-uo. To arrest progress for '''Si'B nny l'nKth Of time now. when matters are ' T '"4B advancing so t-.illi-f.u torllv, would be de- '' -H plorable There will be no money with I :ai which to rn-et pay-roll obligations and iJaB none with which to meet bills coming due I -i- SSt fr materlalf and supplies, ami there will ' ;:eS h demoralization of the forces, here and ''VH on tho Isthmus, now working so harmon- iffvwiBI lousj and effectively, If ther is delay in . gm gratitlng an emergency appropriation. I - tlm-ilfs of the amount neer.fiaarv will be Bi;:B! found In the accompanying reports of the kJUH Secretary of "War and the commission figftHjj 1 recommend more adequate provision BafiBBi than has liepn made heretofore for the & work of the Department of State v.'lth- MKjBH 1" a few -vears there has been a very rrcat BJSBJI increase In the umount and Importance of BJ9BJ the work to be done by that department both in Washington und abroad. This has BBBJ been caused by the great Increase of our foreign trsde the ncreBse of wealth among our people which enohles them to travel more generally than heretofore, th Increase of American capital which Is seeking Investment in foreign countries and the growth of our power and weight In thi councils Of the civilized world There has been no corresponding Increase of fnriiitles for doing the work afforded to the department having charge of our foreign relations. System Is Inadequate, .".'.ither at home nor abroad Is there a sufficient working force to do the business properl. In many rospsotS 'he pystom which was adequate to the work of twenty-five, or even ten. years ago, Is Inadequate now and should be changed. Our consular force should he classified, and appointments should b made to the several classes, with authority to the Executive Ex-ecutive to assign th members of each cluss to duty at such posts os the Interests Inter-ests of tho service require instead of the appointments being made as at present to specified posts There should be an adequate ade-quate inspection service, so that the department de-partment mav be able to Inform itself how the business of each consulate is being done, instead of depending upon casual private Information or rumor Tho fee sstem should be entirely abolished, and a due equivalent made in salary to thn officers of-ficers who now eke out their pnbsistene by means of fees. Needs of Consulates. Sufficient provision should be made for a clerical force in every consulate, composed com-posed entirely of Americans, Instead of the insufficient provision now made, which compels the employment of great numbers of citizens of foreign countries. Whose services can be obtained for less money. At a large part of our consulates the office ausrteri and the clerical force are Inadequate to the performance of the onerous duties Imposed by the recent provisions pro-visions of our immigration laws, as well as by our Increasing trade. In many parts of the world the lack of suitable quarters for our Embassies, legations and consulates detracts from the respect in which our officers onirht to be held, and seriously Impairs their weight and Influence Influ-ence Lack of Information. Suitable provision should be mad for the expense of keeping our diplomatic officers more fully informed of what Is being done from day to day In the progress prog-ress "of our diplomatic affairs with other countries. The lack of such Information, caused bv Insufficient appropriations available for cable tolls and for clerical and messenger Service, frequently puts our officers at a great disadvantage and detracts from their usefulness. The salary list should be readjusted. It does not now correspond either to the Importance of the service to be rendered and the decrees de-crees of ability and experience reoilsed In the different positions, or to the differences differ-ences In the cost of living. In many cases the salaries are quite Inadequate. THEODORE ROOSEVELT. The White House, December f. 1905. |
