57 2 Presidential Addresses 



ter can be done for the islands than to introduce in- 

 dustrial enterprises. Nothing would benefit them so 

 much as throwing them open to industrial develop- 

 ment. The connection between idleness and mischief 

 is proverbial, and the opportunity to do remunerative 

 work is one of the surest preventives of war. Of 

 course no business man will go into the Philippines 

 unless it is to his interest to do so, and it is im- 

 mensely to the interest of the islands that he should 

 go in. It is therefore necessary that the Congress 

 should pass laws by which the resources of the isl- 

 ands can be developed; so that franchises (for lim- 

 ited terms of years) can be granted to companies 

 doing business in them, and every encouragement be 

 given to the incoming of business men of every kind. 

 Not to permit this is to do a wrong to the Philip- 

 pines. The franchises must be granted and the busi- 

 ness permitted only under regulations which will 

 guarantee the islands against any kind of improper 

 exploitation. But the vast natural wealth of the isl- 

 ands must be developed, and the capital willing to 

 develop it must be given the opportunity. The field 

 must be thrown open to individual enterprise, which 

 has been the real factor in the development of every 

 region over which our flag has flown. It is urgently 

 necessary to enact suitable laws dealing with general 

 transportation, mining, banking, currency, home- 

 steads, and the use and ownership of the lands and 

 timber. These laws will give free play to industrial 

 enterprise; and the commercial development which 

 will surely follow will afford to the people of the isl- 



