A resolution of the municipal council of Jaro, Iloilo, adopted on December 20, 1912, extending to the Commission the season's greetings. Ordered acknowledged and filed. A letter dated December 23, 1912, from the Oriental Moving Picture Corporation, addressed to the GovernorGeneral and by him referred to the Commission, making certain suggestions with reference to the proposed law for the censorship of cinematograph films. Ordered referred to the select committee of the Commission to which was referred Commission Bill No. 49. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS. Commissioner Branagan introduced the following bill: Commission Bill No. 55. An Act amending Act Numbered Nineteen hundred and eighty, entitled "An Act to provide for the creation of a commissioned and enlisted service within the Bureau of Navigation, the creation of a pension fund in connection therewith, and for the punishment of offenses against good order and discipline within such service. By unanimous consent, Commission Bill No. 55 was read the first time by title only and referred to a Select Committee consisting of Commissioners Luzuriaga and Palma for report and recommendation. The Acting President introduced the following bill: Commission Bill No. 56. An Act to amend subsection (j) of section forty of Act Numbered Eighty-two so as to authorize municipalities to change the dates of their fiestas under certain conditions not more frequently than once each year. By unanimous consent, Commission Bill No. 56 was read the first time by title only and referred to the Committee on Municipal and Provincial Governments for report and recommendation. Commissioner Worcester introduced the following bill: Commission Bill No. 57. An Act prescribing the fees to be paid to registers of deeds upon the sale of the so-called "Friar lands" estates, by adding new matter to section one hundred and fourteen of Act Numbered Four hundred and ninety-six, as amended. By unanimous consent, Commission Bill No. 57 was read the first time by title only and referred to a Select Committee consisting of Commissioners Palma and Branagan for report and recommendation. Commissioner Branagan introduced the following bill: Commission Bill No. 58. An Act to amend in certain respects section nine, as amended, of Act Numbered Seven hundred and eighty-seven of the Philippine Commission, entitled "An Act providing for the organization and government of the Moro Province," to provide for the employment of a register of deeds for the Moro Province, and to repeal sections twenty-one and twenty-two of Act Numbered Eight hundred and sixty-seven. By unanimous consent, Commission Bill No. 58 was read the first time by title only and referred to the Committee on Matters Pertaining to the Department of Finance and Justice for report and recommendation. EXECUTIVE SESSION. The Commission then proceeded to the consideration of executive business. After the consideration of executive business, the Commission returned to regular session. (For appointments confirmed in executive session see pp. 825, 826.) ADJOURNMENT. Thereupon, at 11 o'clock antemeridian, On motion by Commissioner Branagan, The Commission adjourned to meet at 10 o'clock and 30 minutes antemeridian on Monday, January 6, 1913. Attest: GEO. C. SCHWEICKERT, Secretary. 117411-17 The Commission met pursuant to adjournment. Present: Commissioners Worcester, Luzuriaga, Araneta, Palma, Sumulong, Branagan, and the Acting President. Absent: The President (on leave). READING OF JOURNAL. The Journal for Saturday, January 4, 1913, was read and approved. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES. [Committee Report No. 72.] MR. PRESIDENT: Your select committee of two, to which was referred on December 7, 1912, Assembly Bill No. 220, entitled “An Act providing for an increase of the part of the Internal Revenue taxes collected in the Philippine Islands which corresponds to municipal governments, allotting said increase for the betterment of the salaries paid municipal teachers in the municipalities of the provinces organized in accordance with the provisions of Act Numbered Eighty-three, and specifying the qualifications required of candidates for the position of municipal teacher," has examined the same and has the honor to report it back to the Commission with the following recommendation, viz: That the bill be laid on the table. Although the salaries of municipal teachers are no doubt in many instances small and inadequate, the committee does not think that the Insular revenue should be charged with the amount to make them a just wage, as 14 per cent of the internal revenue is now credited to municipal governments for general municipal purposes and for school purposes. It is thought that the inclination of provinces and municipalities to consider Insular revenue always available for current local expenses should not be encouraged to an extreme. The final passage of this bill would take more than 600,000 yearly from the Insular Treasury and would curtail Insular operations by that amount. Another objection to the passage of this bill is that it requires the consent of the Congress of the United States before it can be operative, and after having once become a law it would require the sanction of Congress before the moneys so reserved could be used for any other purpose. Again, there is an Act already passed by the Legislature allotting internal revenue awaiting the approval of Congress, and any additional Acts on the same subject forwarded for its approval would have a tendency to muddle the question. Respectfully submitted. FRANK A. BRANAGAN, Committee. To the Honorable, the PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINE COMMISSION. The report was adopted. [Committee Report No. 73.] MR. PRESIDENT: The Committee on Matters Pertaining to the Department of Commerce and Police, to which was referred on December 4, 1912, Assembly Bill No. 25, entitled "An Act amending Act Numbered Nineteen hundred and thirty-two, entitled 'An Act providing for the expenditure within the municipality where collected of at least thirty per centum of the additional amount of the cedula tax in provinces whose provincial boards shall have provided by resolution that the cedula tax be increased in accordance with Act Numbered Sixteen hundred and fifty-two,' so that said thirty per centum shall be expended exclusively by each municipal council," has examined the same and has the honor to report it back to the Commission with the following recommendation, viz: That the bill be laid on the table. The object of this law is to place the expenditure of the 30 per cent of the increase on the cedula tax belonging to municipalities under the exclusive direction of the municipal council, instead of the provincial board and Bureau of Public Works as is now done, in order that special local roads may be constructed. Said tax is now held as a special fund to each municipality, and is used only for the construction and maintenance of permanent roads and bridges in the municipality to which it belongs. Provincial boards have obligated themselves to maintain designated first-class roads without deterioration, and to divert 30 per cent of the cedula collection to expenditures outside the authority of said boards would result in many cases in actual deficits. Countries in which local construction of roads has prevailed are quickly coming to a realization of the fact that such construction is costly, unsatisfactory, and insufficient; many roads are isolatedbeginning and ending nowhere. The people of the United States, Canada, and other countries have of recent years strongly advocated the centralization of road construction and maintenance. More than 80 bills have been introduced in the present Congress of the United States looking toward activity and participation in road construction by the Federal Government. The United States has an office of public roads in the Department of Agriculture, the principal duty of which is to prepare a comprehensive plan for the construction of roads throughout the Union, and to bring about coöperation between the highway departments of adjoining States. It is the opinion of your committee that it would be unwise to divert the road and bridge fund from its present control, as it is the conclusion of all peoples who have given the subject extensive study that the more centralized the control of road construction is, the cheaper the cost of the same and the better the results obtained. Respectfully submitted. To the Honorable, FRANK A. Branagan, Committee on Matters Pertaining to the the PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINE COMMISSION. The report was adopted. [Committee Report No. 74.] GENTLEMEN: The Committee on Matters Pertaining to Bureaus under the Executive Control of the Governor-General, to which was referred on January 4, 1913, Assembly Bill No. 223, entitled "An Act to amend Act Numbered Seven hundred and nine, as amended, by authorizing the Governor-General to regulate the issue of licenses and sale of liquors in military zones in which such sale is prohibited and to revoke such authorizations," has examined the same and has the honor to report it back to the Commission with the following recommendation, viz: That the bill be passed without amendment. NEWTON W. GILBERT, Committee on Matters Pertaining to Bureaus under the Executive Control of the Governor-General. To the PHILIPPINE COMMISSION. The report was accepted. |