Act No. 424 Extension of Provisions of Provincial Government Act to La Laguna

July 1, 1902

ACT NO. 424

AN ACT EXTENDING THE PROVISIONS OF THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT ACT AND ITS AMENDMENTS TO THE PROVINCE OF LA LAGUNA

SECTION 1. All the provisions of an Act entitled "A general Act for the organization of provincial governments in the Philippine Islands," enacted February sixth, nineteen hundred and one, and its amendments, shall apply to and govern the establishment of a provincial government in that territory in the Island of Luzon known as the Province of La Laguna, with such exceptions, modifications, and supplementary provisions as are hereinafter contained.

SECTION 2. The compensation to be paid provincial officers of the Province of La Laguna shall be at the following rate per year, money of the United States, or its equivalent in local currency at the legal rate:

For the provincial governor, two thousand dollars;

For the provincial secretary, one thousand four hundred dollars;

For the provincial treasurer, two thousand two hundred dollars;

For the provincial supervisor, one thousand eight hundred dollars;

For the provincial fiscal, one thousand four hundred dollars.

The salary of provincial officers shall be payable monthly so that one-twelfth of the annual salary shall be paid on the last day of each calendar month.

Each provincial officer shall be allowed his necessary and actual traveling expenses, not exceeding two dollars and fifty cents, money of the United States, per day, while absent from the capital of the province on official business. The allowance shall be made by the provincial board upon the certificate of the officer that the travel was necessary for the public business, and shall not be paid until account accompanied by the resolution of the board approving the same shall be forwarded to the Insular Treasurer and by him approved.

SECTION 3. The bond of the provincial treasurer shall be ten thousand dollars, until the first day of March, nineteen hundred and three, when, in view of the collection of the land tax, the Commission may require a new bond or an additional bond to cover the probable increase of the funds of which the provincial treasurer shall have custody at any one time. The bond to be given shall be conditioned to secure on the part of the provincial treasurer that he shall account for the internal-revenue collections coming into his hands as internal-revenue collector, the taxes collected by him for each municipality, for the province, and for the Central Government. The form of the bond shall be prescribed by the Insular Treasurer. If, upon the request of the Commission, the Military Governor shall detail any military officer to fill a provincial office, no bond shall be required of him.

SECTION 4. The presidents or alcaldes of the municipalities of the province shall meet on the third Monday in May and November to consider improvements needed in the province and for the provincial government, and to make recommendations to the provincial board. The convention shall be called together by the provincial secretary and shall elect a chairman for each half-yearly session. The provincial secretary shall act as secretary of the convention, and shall certify its recommendations to the provincial board.

SECTION 5. The people of the Province of La Laguna, in view of their distressed condition, are hereby expressly exempted from payment of the land tax provided by the Municipal Code and the Provincial Government Act for the year nineteen hundred and two, and such land tax will not be assessed nor collected.

SECTION 6. The provisions of Act Numbered Seventy-eight, of paragraphs (d), (e), and (f) of section eight of Act Numbered Eighty-two, of that portion of section three of Act Numbered Eighty-three commencing with the words "or who" in the tenth line and ending with the word "date" in the twelfth line of said section, and of Act Numbered One hundred and six amendatory of said Acts, shall not apply to any officer, soldier, or civilian who surrendered to Brigadier-General Samuel S. Sumner in the Province of La Laguna in the month of June, nineteen hundred and one, any thing in said Acts to the contrary notwithstanding.

SECTION 7. The capital of the province shall be, as formerly, at the town of Santa Cruz.

SECTION 8. This Act shall take effect on its passage.

Enacted: July 1, 1902