The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1913-10-23
|P|V0S' TAXES
SHOW PROGRESS
Returns Give 100000 Gain
+. u. In Collections.
TRADE IN OPIUM CUT DOWN

Increased Revenues Chiefly Due to
Larger Output Of Factories-De-
crease Of More Than IS Per Cent In
Penalties Means Successful Enforce
ment of the Law by Officials.
Progress and prosperity lin 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
! ington. -..
| For the year ended June 80 last Col
lector Noting reports total collections
of $11,392, 1872 SO. 'ap increase of $780,
1883, 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, 1852, 715.40. in the city of Manila.
which has a population Of approx
mately 100000. Of. internal revenue
proper the tax collected on alcoholic
and tobacco products was $4,040,61S.31,
on dealers 1888, 165 and on imported
articles Of this nature 1898, 996.
Collects Many Taxes.
The internal revenue bureau collects
hot only the taxes on liquors and to-
bacco but also the cedula, or poll tax.
the percentage tax on sales of me:-
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 is extended in the
Philippines so as to include the towns
or municipalities.
Zone item of decreased receipts is
very gratifying," says the bureau of in
sular affairs, "the amount of penalties
: collected under the opium law, it be-
, ing less than $4,000, or a decrease OF
! more than 25 per cent. The Philippine
government, having been the pioneer
in the recent worldwide movement for
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 w
of effectually graduating the opium
evil among the Chinese residents. as
I it has already among the Filipfnos.'
= The objectionable taxes amounted tt
17.434,279 pesos, or half that many dol
Z lars. including the regular cedula o.
; poll tax of 81, OF, 581. which was dl
= vided equally between the municipal
u ties and provinces. the extra cedula ia!
voted by the various provincial boards
: amounting to nearly as much. havin:
gone to the provinces for road ant
! bridge purposes. The muniGpalitie
: received license~taxes to the extent o
| more Ludu "AAAC oSAA~
collections of $1,5S2,O41 were divide'
equally between the municipalities AM
provinces. -...
q Replacing American Employees.
One phase of Mr.. Nolting's repor
throws an interesting bit Of light O.
!. the working out Of the policy of redue
ing the number of Americans in tn
Philippine service as rapidly as quail
= fed Filipinos became available. Tn
- bureau of internal revenue began til
y. year with 430 regular and temporar
- employees. of whom eighty-fv wer
~ Americans. while on June 30 the nun
Der Of Americans had been reduced
~ forty-eight. ~
.e In the process of reorganization til
collector substituted Filipinos in SCI
- eral Offices heretofore occupied b
- Americans exclusively, and he he
found. with few exceptions, that TT
results have been better than hope
- for. the new force Of agents assis
-. ants especially rendering excelle1
service.
~ The bureau plays an active part
81 the enforcement of several laws. ar
50 its disbursements represent more thu
- the mere cost Of collecting taxes, b.
this was done at an expense of e.
u per cent of the money received.