[ Act No. 2254, February 11, 1913 ]

AN ACT APPROPRIATING THE SUM OF FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF COLONIES AND PLANTATIONS FOR THE CULTIVATION OF RICE AND OTHER FOOD CEREALS, FOR THE BETTER DISTRIBUTION OF THE POPULATION OF THESE ISLANDS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Legislature, that:SECTION 1. There is hereby appropriated out of any funds in the Insular Treasury not otherwise appropriated the sum of four hundred thousand pesos for the purpose of establishing a fund which shall be known as the "rice colonization and plantation fund," of which sum one hundred thousand pesos shall be available immediately, one hundred thousand pesos on July first, nineteen hundred and thirteen, and two hundred thousand pesos on September thirtieth, nineteen hundred and thirteen.SEC. 2. This fund shall be used solely for the establishment, equipment, maintenance, and operation of colonies and plantations on public lands, including transportation of colonists, for the cultivation of rice and other cereals, the purposes of which shall be:

(a) To increase the production in these Islands of rice and other food cereals which at present are imported in large quantities for local consumption.(b) To equalize the distribution of population of these Islands.(c) To afford opportunity to colonists to become landed proprietors, and to bring under cultivation extensive wild public lands.

SEC. 3. The fund created by this Act shall be under the control of the Governor-General, who, through his representatives, shall have the direction of all disbursements therefrom and of all transactions connected with the establishment, equipment, maintenance and operation of the colonies and plantations hereinbefore authorized. All net receipts from the operation of said colonies and plantations shall be covered into the Insular Treasury and accrue to the fund created by this Act, and shall be available for disbursement in the same manner and for the same purposes as those for which the original fund is created: Provided, That such available receipts shall not exceed one hundred thousand pesos annually. All in excess of said one hundred thousand pesos shall be deposited to the credit of general funds in the Insular Treasury.SEC. 4. The representative of the Governor-General having in charge the execution of the purposes of this Act, who shall be one of the officers of the Government, shall make report to the Philippine Legislature at each session of the methods followed and the results obtained.SEC. 5. As rapidly as possible laborers desiring to avail themselves of the opportunities afforded by this Act shall be located upon homesteads, and steps taken looking to the acquisition of titles thereto by the respective laborers: Provided, That the five years required by law for the acquisition of homesteads shall be considered as beginning with the first day of the filing of the application for the tract of land by the colonist.SEC. 6. This Act shall take effect upon its passage.Enacted, February 11, 1913.

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