As previously stated, the message is exceptionally long and is chiefly a piece of special pleading for the purchase of the railway. While admitting that certain of the arguments put forward are fairly sound and appear tempting, one cannot see the necessity of the deal at the present time nor in what way the people of the Philippines will benefit. Here is a very young country, with so little money in its treasury that it is forced to resort to those unpleasant things known as emergency taxes, about to experiment in government ownership of railroads; while older, far more experienced, and far wealthier governments, religiously steer clear of.such experiments as they know them to be usually impractioable and dangerous.
Looking at the proposed purchase with every desire to be kind to His Excellency's pet scheme, one cannot see what good it is going to be to the people. What is really and vitally wanted here are more roads, schools, teachers, nurses, doctors, hospitals, agricultural assistance, sanitary commissions, cadastral surveys, and other such necessities, all of which would take less money than it will to secure the railroad, but which, if this scheme goes through, will have to be done without.
In commenting upon the Governor-General's message to the As sembly, a local contemporary shrewdly says—"Some day the islands are going to need all their credit in order, to borrow money on their bonds to acquire necessities, only to find that credit has been exhausted to purchase a rail. way, which the country needs about as much as it does a cat with two tails, The country will have the railroad but will be unable te trade it for real needs. The only advantage that will accrue to the people will be the privilege of raising several additional millions of pesos in taxes to pay the interest on the indebtedness incurred by the purchase,""
This is true in every way. If the government has eight million pesos to spare at the present time and which it considers it is justified in using, then there are many better things to spend it on than a railroad. However, it is evident
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.