It supervises finances and expenses in the way of maintenance and operation. so that economy and efficiency will be insured. Now. in relation to the question of admitting free of duty the material to go into Tailroad construction. that is a matter of policy to further promote railroad building. and if it is worthy of the consideration we give it in authorizing the guaranty of 5 per cent dividends. it is certainly worthy of the further consideration which we give it of undutiable material for construction and equipment. There is another section of this bill to which I wish to call attention briefly. and that is the immigration provision. The bill provides that the. Philippine government shall be authorized to administer the immigration laws and to collect the head tax or whatever tax is imposed. Originally the government there did administer the immigration laws. but when we extended the Chinese- exclusion law during the last Congress a provision was put -into it making it applicable to the Philippine Islands. Another law put all the immigration matters under the control of the Secretary of Commerce and Labor. It created divided responsibility in Philippine administration between two IDepartments of this Government. It has always been our policy to concentrate the entire administration of that archipelago tnder one responsible head herethe Secretary of War. The section of the bill to which I refer restores the control of the immigration features to the Philippine government. tobe administered under the Secretary of War. as it was formerly done. There is one other thing this bill does. and that is it authorizes the Philippine government to modify or repeal the tonnage tax in Philippine ports. The existing tax was imposed by the Philippine government. and by an act of Congress it was approved and confirmed. and practically made a law of Congress.
Keywords matched
immigration head tax