The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-11-11
FILIP|NOS' TAXES
SHOW PROGRESS
Returns Give 100000 Gain
In Collections.
TRADE IN OPIUM GUT DOWN

lnCTSdSSu nGNeHuSS SniSHy DHC ~
Larger Output of Factories--De.
crease of More Than 25 Per Cent In
Penalties Means Successful Enforce.
ment of the Law by officials.
Progress and 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.
ington.
For the year ended June 80 last Col.
lector Noting reports total collections
of $11,392 3S2.9S, an increase of $780,
29S.S3, or ~ per cent, over the pre-
ceding year. or 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
IdA, aOCz, lO.tOs III lhc CITY VI
which has a population of approx
mately 100000. OF internal revenue
proper the tax collected on alcoholic
and tobacco products was $4040,61S.31,
on dealers 1888, ,165 and on imported
articles of this nature $3.50, ,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 a 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
"One 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 20 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 up
of effectually eradicating the opium
evil among the Chinese residents, as
it has already among the Filipinos."
The apportionable taxes amounted tc
17,434,279 pesos, or half that many dol
lars, including the regular cedula oil
poll tax of $1,071,5 1,5S1, which was di'
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
more than 100000, while the othel
collections of $1,5S2,041 were divided
equally between the municipalities and
provinces.
Replacing American Employees.
One phase of Mr.. Nolting's repor'
throws an interesting bit of light OF
the working out of the policy of reduc
ing the number of Americans in the
Philippine service as rapidly as quail
fed Filipinos became available. The
bureau Of internal revenue began the
year with 430 regular and temporary
employees, of whom eighty-five wer'
Americans, while On June 80 the mum
Der of Americans had been reduced tt
forty-eight.
In the process of reorganization tht
collector substituted Filipinos in sew
eral offices heretofore occupied b!
Americans exclusively, and he hal
found, with few exceptions, that tn,
results have been better than hoped
for, the new force of agents assist
ants especially rendering excellen
service.
The bureau plays an active part IL
the enforcement of several laws, anC
it's disbursements represent more thar
the mere cost of collecting taxes, bu
this was done at an expense of 90
per cent of the money received.