Mr. FISHER. Have they? Mr. MEEHAN. Last week. Mr. WELLS. Mr. Chairman, I have read the proof of the first three days, in which there appears the decree creating the Reguladora, and in that there is one tax. I would like to ask if there are further decrees? Mr. SPENCER. If they are not in there it is because they did not reach the official stenographer. The CHAIRMAN. Have you more copies of those taxes there, Doctor? Dr. RENDON. I have copies here, and I will be very glad to give you one. (Dr. Rendon here submitted copies of the documents which appear pages 12 to 15, inclusive, of this printed record, and, in addition, thereto, the following:) I, Nicolas Camara Vales, constitutional governor of the State of Yucatan, to its inhabitants make known: That the honorable congress of the same has issued the decree which follows: NUMBER 96. The Twenty-fourth Constitutional Congress of the State of Yucatan, in the name of the people, decrees: ARTICLE 1. In order to give greater effectiveness to the defense of the henequen industry in the State, a new extraordinary tax of 1 centavo per kilogram is placed upon the production of the fiber. ART. 2. The executive of the State is empowered to raise a loan, not to exceed 10,000,000 pesos, which shall be amortized with the proceeds of the tax created by this law. ART. 3. While the loan referred to in the preceding article is being raised, the executive may make contracts for one or more loans, which together shall not exceed 10,000,000 pesos, guaranteeing the payment with the proceeds of the tax established in article 1. ART. 4. When making contracts for the loan or loans referred to in the preceding article, the executive shall comply with the following conditions: 1. The debt contracted by the State shall not exceed 10,000,000 pesos, exclusive of interest. This restriction shall be interpreted without prejudice to the provisions of article 3 of the decree of January 9 of the present year. 2. The installments for the amortization of the principal and the payment of the interest shall be arranged in such manner that they can be covered by the proceeds of the tax especially created by article 1 of this decree. 3. The State shall be bound to the payment of the principal and interest, giving as a special security the proceeds of the new extraordinary contribution established by this same decree. 4. If the executive in the exercise of the powers conferred upon it by this decree and that of the 9th of January of the present year, shall at one time raise a single loan amounting to more than 10,000,000 pesos, but not exceeding 15,000,000, it may pledge as security for preferential payment the proceeds of the tax established in this decree as well as those established by the decree of January 9 of the present year hereinbefore referred to. ART. 5. The producer of the fiber shall be directly obligated to the payment of the new tax. ART. 6. The collection of the tax shall be carried out in conformity with the provisions in the regulations in force regarding existing taxes, excepting the power which the executive has of modifying such regulations or of issuing other regulatory orders. ART. 7. The administration and the disbursement of the funds collected under this decree shall be regulated according to the provisions of said decree of the 9th of January, 1912. ART. 8. This law shall go into effect the 15th day of the present month. LEOVIGILDO DIAZ, D. F. Therefore I order the same to be printed and published for its compliance. A. CASTILLO, R., Secretary General. I, Arcadio Escobedo, governor pro tem. of the State of Yucatan, to its inhabitants make known: That the honorable Congress of the same has issued the following decree: NUMBER 86. The Twenty-fourth Constitutional Congress of the State of Yucatan, in the name of the people, decrees: ARTICLE 1. A third extraordinary contribution of 2 centavos per kilogram is placed upon the production of unmanufactured henequen, the proceeds of which shall be applied to strengthen the defense of a proper price for the fiber referred to. ART. 2. The proceeds of this new tax shall be delivered fortnightly by the treasurer general of the State to Comision Reguladora del Mercado de Henequen in order that the latter may apply the same to the aims of this institution in accordance with the laws and regulations at present in force relating to this matter. ART. 3. The executive of the State is empowered, whenever he may consider it necessary or helpful for the aims of the Comisions Reguladora, definitely to exempt from the payment of this new tax the unmanufactured hemp which for any reason may be transferred to said comision. For this purpose, the executive shall fix a period of time and during the same the Comision Reguladora shall be obliged to acquire, without distinction, the fiber of any producing planter. ART 4. All producers of the State are obliged to pay this new tax and shall evidence the payment of the same in the manner provided for by similar laws and their respective regulations. ART. 5. This contribution shall be without effect in either of the following two cases: 1. When the Comision Reguladora del Mercado de Henequen shall possess a capital of 12,000,000 pesos. 2. When the executive shall have raised the loan of 15,000,000 pesos referred to in paragraph 4, article 4 of the decree of 2d of July, 1912. ART. 6. The collection of this tax shall be made in accordance with the regulatory provisions now in force regarding taxes upon the production of henequen, excepting the right which the executive has of modifying the same or of issuing other regulations. ART. 7. All the transactions which the Comision Reguladora del Mercado de Henequen may make in order to carry out the ends for which it was officially instituted are declared to be to the public interest. ART. 8. Any doubt which may arise concerning the interpretation of this decree shall be decided by the executive by reasons of analogy in consideration of the letter and spirit of the provisions of the decrees issued to regulate the functions of Comision Reguladora del Mercado de Henequen. ART. 9. This law shall become effective on the 15th day of May next. ART. 10. Henequen produced and existing in Merida or Progreso prior to the 14th day of May, 1913, shall be exempt from the payment of the new tax, provided these facts are duly evidenced in the opinion of the executive of the State. Done at the executive palace in Merida on the 30th day of April, 1913. DR. URBANO CONGORA, D. P. Therefore I order the same to be printed and published as a matter of record. ARCADIO ESCOBEDO, I, Gen. Priscilino Cortes, constitutional governor pro tem, of the State of Yucatan, to its inhabitants make known: That the honorable Congress of the same has issued the following decree: NUMBER 4. The Twenty-fifth Constitutional Congress of the Free and Sovereign State of Yucatan, in the name of the people, decrees: ARTICLE 1. A new extraordinary tax of 1 centavo per kilogram is placed upon the production of unmanufactured henequen, the proceeds of which shall be applied to assist the Federal Government in the total pacification of the republic. ART. 2. This contribution shall be paid only during the present year 1914. ART. 3. The proceeds of this new tax shall be delivered fortnightly by the treasurer general of the State to Comision Reguladora del Mercado de Henequen for the purpose stated. ART. 4. All producers of the State are obliged to pay this new tax, and shall evidence such payment in the manner provided for in similar laws and their respective regulations. ART. 5. The collection of this tax shall be made in accordance with the regulatory provisions now in force regarding taxes imposed upon the production of henequen, excepting the right which the executive has of modifying the same and of issuing other regulations. ART. 6. Henequen already produced and existing in Merida or Progreso prior to the day upon which this decree is published, shall be exempt from the payment of the new tax imposed, provided these facts are duly evidenced in the opinion of the executive. ART. 7. Article 1 of the decree of the 9th of January, 1912, is amended so that the graduation therein referred to shall be considered as not established, and the maximum rate of 1 centavo shall be paid during the course of the present year, so that the tax referred to in said decree as well as in this decree shall be paid whatever may be the price of unmanufactured henequen. ART. 8. Said article 1 of the decree referred to shall again become effective on the 1st day of January, 1915. Done at the palace of legislature in Merida, the 14th day of the month of January, 1914. FRANCISCO COLOME, D. P. AURELIO CAMBOA, D. S. Therefore I order the same to be printed and published for its compliance. DECREE NO. 237. I, Salvador Alvarado, commander in chief of the army corps of the southeast, governor and military commandant of the State, for these considerations have seen fit to decree: ARTICLE 1. Article 1 of decree No. 30 of April 30 of the present year is amended by means of the following additions: (d) When the market price of sisal reaches 9 pesos 1 centavo and upward per 11} kilos, it shall incur a tax of 1 centavo per kilo besides the rates established in the preceding sections of the amended article and in the other decrees at present in force. TRANSITORY. First. This decree shall become effective from the day of its publication. Second. All hemp in Progreso on the day of the publication of this decree shall be exempt from the tax therein referred to. CONSTITUTION AND REFORMS. Done at the executive palace, in Merida, the 24th day of the month of August, 1915. The governor and military commandant, S. Alvarado. The chief clerk, acting as secretary general, C. Maldonado R. NOTE.--This decree was published in the "Diario Oficial" No. 5457, of August 25, 1915, and republished in the following number. Mr. FISHER. May I ask one question about the export tax? Has there been an increase in the export tax since the spring of 1915, or do you know? Mr. CAMARA. I think there has. Mr. FISHER. Do you know how much? Mr. CAMARA. No. Senator GRONNA. Since Gov. Alvarado took charge of the State of Yucatan what has been the increase of the total tax of the State of Yucatan? Can you give it approximately? Mr. CAMARA. I could not tell what the amount has been increased, but it has been increased. Senator GRONNA. You could not give us approximately how much? Mr. CAMARA. I think there is a statement of the date on which each new tax was Senator GRONNA. I thought possibly you knew the total amount that the tax had been increased. Mr. CAMARA. I did know it, and I had a little statement of it, but I did not find it this morning. Senator GRONNA. Has the henequen any value except its value as fiber? Mr. CAMARA. No; no other value. Senator GRONNA. I have been told that the plant itself contains a great deal of alcohol. Mr. CAMARA. It does contain alcohol. Many trials have been made. Senator GRONNA. And that is a reason why it burns so easily in being destroyed by fire? Mr. CAMARA. Yes. Senator GRONNA. I wanted to ask you if you had experimented with it, and if it does contain a great deal of alcohol? It seems to me if that is properly cared for the price of sisal could be materially reduced; I mean to say, the cost of sisal could be materially reduced. Mr. CAMARA. I will let you know what my experience has been in that matter. Some of my folks did spend money on that subject. They brought a man from somewhere I don't remember where-and the experiments were made; and we found out that there was alcohol really in the juice of the plant, but it had so many other substances in it that the taking off of the alcohol from all those substances so as to make it a good alcohol costs so much; and it was such a little amount of alcohol that we could get out of it that it was not commercial The CHAIRMAN. It was not commercially valuable? Mr. CAMARA. It was not commercially valuable; so we dropped that. Senator GRONNA. You are speaking now of alcohol which would be fit to drink as a beverage or fit for commercial purposes? Mr. CAMARA. Fit for commercial purposes. The CHAIRMAN. We are through with this witness now. We will recess until half past 2. Mr. CAMARA. I would like the committee to understand that I have been trying to do my best to give all the information about everything you have asked me. The CHAIRMAN. We are sure of that, Mr. Camara, and we are much obliged to you. Mr. FISHER. That is the reason why I was so anxious to ask the questions. (Thereupon, at 1.20 o'clock p. m., a recess was taken until 2.30 o'clock p. m.) AFTER RECESS. The committee reassembled at 2.40 o'clock p. m., pursuant to the taking of the recess. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will please come to order. Under the agreement to take up the wardens of some of the penitentiaries, we will hear first from Mr. Reed, the warden of the Minnesota penitentiary. STATEMENT OF C. S. REED, STILLWATER, MINN. The CHAIRMAN. Will you please state your name, residence, and occupation? Mr. REED. C. S. Reed, Stillwater, Minn.; warden of the Minnesota State Prison. The CHAIRMAN. Senator Gronna, will you conduct the examination, please? Senator GRONNA. Mr. Reed, would you tell the committee in your own way what amount of twine you are manufacturing in your prison, what it is costing you at the present time, and how you dispose of it-how you dispose of the twine? Mr. REED. We are manufacturing this year 22,000,000 pounds of twine. The sisal fiber, the last contract we have on sisal fiber, cost us 7.36 f. o. b. Stillwater. We sell our twine through agents, through club orders, and direct to the farmers of Minnesota. Any surplus twine we may have we sell outside of the State. We are selling in Minnesota this year between 17,000,000 and 18,000,000 pounds. The balance, about four and one-half million pounds, is sold in the States of North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Nebraska. Senator GRONNA. For how long a period has twine been manufactured in the prison at Stillwater? Mr. REED. I am not able-it is over 20 years. Warden Wolfer is here, and might be able to give that, but it is over 20 years. Senator GRONNA. How does the board, or how do you, fix the price of twine? Mr. REED. We fix the price of twine on the cost of material and the cost of production. Senator GRONNA. Have your prices been fixed for this year? Senator GRONNA. And will you give the committee such information as you can about that? Mr. REED. You speak now of sisal twine? Senator GRONNA. Sisal twine-well, all kinds of twine, sisal and manila. Mr. REED. Our price on sisal twine is 83. For 600-foot manila is 11; pure manila 12, with one-half a cent off for carload lots, payable on or before November next, November 1, 1916. Senator GRONNA. Did you give us the price of sisal? Mr. REED. Eight and three-fourths cents. The CHAIRMAN. For sisal, and how much for manila-I did not quite grasp it. Mr. REED. For 600 feet manila 11, and the pure manila 650 feet to the pound, it is 12. Mr. SPENCER. How much off for sisal in carload lots? |