By authority of the President of the United States, be it enacted by the United States Philippine Commission, that:

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, shall apply to and govern the establishment of a provincial government in that territory in the Island of Samar and adjacent islands not included in any other province, to be known as the Province of Samar, with such exceptions, modifications, and supplementary provisions as are hereinafter contained.

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

For the provincial governor, two thousand five hundred dollars, and five hundred dollars for expenses;

For the provincial secretary, one thousand two hundred dollars;

For the provincial treasurer, one thousand five hundred dollars;

For the provincial supervisor, one thousand four hundred dollars;

For the provincial fiscal, one thousand two 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 per day, money of the United States, 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 the account accompanied by the resolution of the board approving the same shall be forwarded to the Insular Treasurer and by him approved.

SEC. 3. The bond of the provincial treasurer shall be five 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.

SEC. 4. The presidents or alcaldes of the municipalities of the province shall meet on the first Monday in April and October to consider improvements needed in the province and for the provincial government, and to make recommendations to the provincial board. The convention shall he 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.

SEC. 5. The people of the Province of Samar, 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 or collected.

SEC. 6. The capital of the province shall be, as formerly, at the town of Catbalogan.

SEC. 7. This Act shall take effect on its passage.

Enacted, June 17, 1902.