The greatest storm that has over visited the province and island of Mindanao swept over it during the latter part of last month and has caused damage that is estimated at close on a million pesos. The damage done to Government property alone, in the shape of roads, bridges, culverts, and government buildings is put at Ps. 250,000 while the loss of life Iso fairly heavy. It was only at rare intervals that the wind rose to typhoon force; but the rains continued in tremendous sheets for fourteen days without stopping. Rivers burst their banks; bridges were swept away as though they were pieces of. matchwood; roads vanished owing to landslides, and in many places, not even the original markings of the roads were left. Extraordinary tales are told by the captain and officers of the United States transport Liscum, which is the first boat to get into Manila from the scene of the disasters since they occurred. They state that the beach near Iligan was strewn for miles with uprooted trees that had been washed down from inland by the enormous loods.
The captain of the vessel stated that in the whole of his sixteen years' experience along these coasts, he had never before seen so much floating debris. To quote his own words—"We actually saw trees floating upright in the water, some of which were extended 60 to 80 feet above the surface, the heavy roots beneath causing them to stand upright, a very unusual sight. At times, we witnessed the extraordinary sight of a floating At Camp Everton, in Mindanao, ined continuously for sixteen it being frequently in the shape of a veritable cloudburst. The ice plant, the corral, and the Scout barrio were flooded; while the suspension bridge and the main bridge were both swept away. The road from Camp Everton to Camp Keithley had in all 172 landslides and now no longer exists. The remaking of this road will cost about Ps. 30,000. In the small towns, hardly house is left standing, while even some of the cement buildings of the leading merchants have been destroyed, and in numerous instances, where once stood Prosperous villages, there are now lakes with only floating debris to indicate what the waters cover.
Within three days after the arrival of the Liscum from Min-danse with the news, she was despatched for the southern island with relief supplies in the shape of 521 forage, road building material, dynamite for blasting, ete. ete., while the Department of Mindanao and Sulu has been instructed to spend the funds of the Department in relief measures for the people until further arrangementa are made by the insular government.
Tax on Exports, The Law Department of the Bureau of Internal Revenue has announced a decision which states that the new mercantile tax applying under the present internal revenue law to all goods exported from the country, heretofore exempted from taxation, is now applied to all goods sent out of the Islands, even if they are only sent to @ branch of the local firm. It goes on to say that all goods, wares, commodities and—merchindise shall be considered as sold, bartered, or exchanged in the Philippine Islands that are actual ly exported by a merchant doing business in the Philippines, ther such goods are sold, bartered or exchanged before or after shipment, or whether they are urans ferred to a main office, branch, agent, or merely a consignee, or whether they are disposed of in any other method whatsoever, It specifies that the tax shall be based on who gross sale value in money of the goods packed, ready for shipment and placed alongside the exporting vessel, but shall not include foreign freight, insurance, and other similar charges for which no advantage is derived until the goods are delivered alongside the exporting vessel. The gross sale tes, and specific tax when for domestic consumption, shall be declared for the purpose of calculating the percentage tax in all cases wherein a specific tax is not paid accruing to the Government of the Philippine Islands,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.