Manila, Jan. 6.
The new Emergency Taxes measure, which was passed by the Legislature immediately before Christmas and came into operation on the first of January for a term of two years, has caused consternation among the importers of cinematograph films into these islands. One particular clause imposes a tax of three centavos metre on all Cinema films in th islands. In spite of the hard fight made by the importers against the new impost, and the clear way in which they proved that it was almost certain of wrecking the in dustry in the Philippines, the Assembly Bill was agreed to by the Commission, with the result thet all those interested financially in the moving picture business he: are—to use their own words—emphatically up against it.
Looking at the matter from purely outside point of view, one is strongly inclined to the opinion that while a small tax would have been justified, the present tax is too high and therefore unreasonable. One of the seven leading importers of films in Manila, in the course of an interview stated that they would each have to pay as much as 500 pesos a month as a result of the tax. This, on the basis of the business done last year, means tax of four and a half per cent. on the gross business of the companies, which is 250 per cent. more than the ordinary merchants' tax.
This means that the effect of the tax will be the cutting off of most provincial towns from the list of users and will put out of business 75 al fro
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.