Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-11-08
F;);p;,,os' Taxes
Sho,u Progress

Progress ana prosperity in the Phil
ippines under the administration of
the United States are reflected in the
annual report Of William T. Noting.
collector Of internal revenue for the
islands, for the last fiscal year. The
report has just been made public by
the bureau OF insular affairs at Wash
lnEton.
For the year ended June 80 last Col
lector Noting reports total collections
Of $780,, se2. 90. an Increase Of $780,
1858. or ~ per cent. over the pre-
ceding year. OF the increase nearly
100000 was due to a larger output by
manufactures Of taxable articles and
to a stricter enforcement Of the laws
imposing taxes.
The amount named includes the land
tax. s2,715.4O. in the city of Manila.
which has population of approx
mately 100000. OF internal revenue
proper the tax collected on alcoholic
and tobacco products was $4.040.61s31.
on dealers $333, 1875 and on imported
articles Of this nature $333,996.
Collects Many Taxes.
The internal revenue bureau collects
not only the taxes on liquors and to-
bacco. but also the cedula, or poll tax.
the percentage tax on sales Of mer-
chandise and all occupation taxes.
These are to some extent Of local
nature, the cedula being entirely SO.
and. while collected by the agents OF
the central Office. are later apportioned
to the provinces and municipalities.
In other words, the practice which
obtains in many states Of having taxes
paid to the state and then apportioned
among the counties IL extended in the
Philippines 50 as to include the towns
or municipalities.
Zone item Of decreased receipts ID
very gratifying" says the bureau Of in
.sular affairs, ''the amount Of penalties
collected under the opium law. 1t be-
ing less than $4,000, or q decrease Of
more than Is per cent. The Philippine
government, having been tho pioneer
In the recent worldwide movement TOR
the suppression Of opium and having
taken the successive steps Of licensing
medical treatment and prohibition.
with the rigid enforcement Of punitive
laws, may now look forward to the
early completion Of the task taken up
OF e6ectually eradicating the opium
evil among the Chinese residents, as
1t has already among the Filipinos."
The apportionable taxes amounted to
II, 434,27S pesos, or half that many dol
lars, including the regular cedula or
poll tax Of $1,O71,5s1, which was d.
vided equally between the municipali-
ties and provinces, the extra cedula tax
voted by the various provincial boards.
amounting to nearly as much, having
gone to the provinces for road and
bridge purposes. The municipalities
received license taxes to the extent of
moro than 100000. while the other
collections Of $1.5s2,041 were divided
equally between the municipalities and
provinces.
Replacing American Employees.
One phase Of Mr.. Nolting's report
throws an interesting bit Of light on
the working out Of the policy of reduc-
ing the number Of Americans in the
Philippine service as rapidly as quail
fed Filipfnos became available. The
bureau Of internal revenue began the
year with 400 regular and temporary
of whom eighty-nve were
Americans, while on June 30 the num-
Der of Americans had been reduced to
ferty-eight.
In the process of reorganization the
collector substituted Filipinos in sew
eral Offices heretofore occupied BY
Americans exclusively. and he has
found. with few exceptions. that the
results have been better than hoped
for. the new force Of agents assist
ants especially rendering excellent
service.
The bureau plays an active part in
the enforcement Of several laws. and
its disbursements represent more than
the mere cost Of collecting taxes, but
this was done at an expense Of 2.64
per cent Of the money received.