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Show icupim WJOITED FOR PHILIPPINES War Department Report Says Fine Resources Are Awaiting Await-ing Development I WASHINGTON, Nov. 23. Inability to Interest Anieii. an capita on a large Ucaln in the nation's Insular poaaes-sione. poaaes-sione. particularh the Philippine I islands hazarded m Kreatly retarding development of the great natural re-ourcea re-ourcea of the Islands, according to the annual report of Mnlor General Prank Mclntyrs, chief of the bureau of Insulur affairs ( the war department, depart-ment, to Serrctarv Baker Ooneral f Tntvre urges American bankers .111. 1 business men to interest themselves In the trnde and development pOSflblll-Ules pOSflblll-Ules of the ontlvlnj? possessions, de-clarlria; de-clarlria; that ' larse tr-.ets of the best ! agricultural land in the world awajl I development " and that "In a number of fertile prnvinres the population ! fulb belOW 2" pprsons per rquare mile while there Is an unparalleled labor demand in other agricultural provinces prov-inces hivimr a population of 150 per sauare mile." OIL POSSIBHjITTES. Action has been taken by the Philippine Phil-ippine letrlsliture to provide for the exploration and leasing of lands ron-talnine ron-talnine petroleum and other mineral oils and easeo. in which connection I General MeTntyre savs that the ey-ic;enre ey-ic;enre of oil In wldeh Separated ol-c.lltles ol-c.lltles In the Philippines has hee-i known since the occupation of th. islands, but there has been no serlOUS effort at development. There Is now liromlse that In the near future It will be deflnltel known whether thi oil exists In such, a way as to be of lommerciAl use CD wt.i S IN LAW The organic act of 1907 providing for the go-, eminent of the Philippines Philip-pines and greatly Increaslmr the powers pow-ers of the local legislature has "in no way disappointed the hopeo then expressed." says the report, althouch a number of cbanpes are recommended recommend-ed Among the suggestions is one that the Immigration laws bo amended amend-ed to check migration from the Philippines, Phil-ippines, particularly to Hawaii, that the land lawi be altered to permit of leasing of larcei divisions of government gov-ernment land: th;it the limit of the public debt of the Islands he raised from $16,000,000 to 125,000.000; that salaries of United Slates officials In the Philippines be Increased, and that the laws respecting the citizenship of Filipinos be clarified to give the Island Inhabitants the full effect of the in-j teniion of congress in declaring them. "citizens of the Philippine islands." nnd as such entitled to the protectlop of tho I'uited States. SHORTAGE OF T ABOR. Shortage of labor is proving a serious se-rious obstacle to the development of the islands, the report states the natives na-tives preferring to move fa Hawaii and other comparatively developt d places rather than clear the back country "There was every indication of con tentment and with conditions of friendliness toward Americans and of appreciation for what the United States has done in the Islands." General Gen-eral Mclntyre stales in reporting on a recent Inspection trip PORTO 1UCO REPORT The progress of Porto Rico under the organic act of 1907 has been very satisfactory and continue so the rein, re-in, rt savs. the Island having just completed com-pleted one of tho most prosperous years In Its history. Improvement of freight and passenger service between the United States and Porto Rico was recommended Ldquldallon of the I20.0Q0.000 bond issue of 190S and tho collection of customs in San Domingo l) tbj United Unit-ed States continued to progress sat-lafaetorll) sat-lafaetorll) during the pnst year, General Gen-eral Mclntyre stated. Trade figures for the Island possessions pos-sessions for the past year were given as follows Philippines. Imports $118.6X9.062: exports $113,117,000. the bulk of the trade being with the United States in both cases. Porto Rico imports. $96 388.000; exports $1 r.0.8 1 1.000, of which $133,207,000 went to the United Unit-ed States. |