| Show philippine COMMERCE in view of the agitations over tree trade with tho philippines and govern anent aid tor american snipping it is 0 interest lo 10 note the san chronicles reminder that at the earnest solicitation of american interests it was enacted a year or two ago that after a certain date in all philippine commerce must come andor the united states coastwise shipping laws the chronicle favored the passage of tho law because convinced that it was the surest and quickest way to secure absolute free trade between the philippines and tho mainland it was convinced that when tho american people came to understand that the result of such action would be to greatly increase the cost of traffic not only between the islands and the mainland but between tho different islands themselves they would be prompt to open to the filipinos our markets and thereby make it ja for tho to pay the increased freight rates and still retain a larger profit in production frari they now have the event has justified that confidence it is now virtually certain that on tho day when our coastwise navigation laws aro applied to philippine traffic there will be free fade between the philippines and the mainland or trade as nearly free as the exigencies of abo philippine treasury will permit to compel the filipinos to patronize our ships without at the same time giving them freo access to our markets would be villainous the necessary legislation Is not yet effected but sentiment an fn and out of congress assures it it was supposed that by putting off date when our coastwise laws should take effect in tho philippines there would be american shipping ready to take up the trade there aro no signs of it aa et although it was supposed that when the time camo there would be no lack of smaller steamer for the traffic there does not in tact seem to too any apprehension on that ground there la however no apparent probability that there would be ships ready to care for the deep sea trade that would involve lines of steamers running from manila IQ america the business at first would not ba there and ships will not run at a loss for reason already explained iu the chronicle it now seems advisable to postpone the application of our coastwise laws to the philippines until 1909 but it there la not great chango in economic conditions in tho islands thero may not bo any more direct bus iness at that almo than now there is therefore a feeling that something should be done to encourage trade with the philippines between now and 1909 in order that by that time a current qt truffle may be well started apparently there are but two ways to accomplish this one way Is by the withdrawal of tha government transport service and giving all government business to american ships thero are a good many objections to that not abo least of which Is the comfort of troops during the passage the other way is by a direct subsidy to american ships running to the phllip pines during abo preparatory period and it now seems probable that that course will receive strong support and very likely be adopted |
