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

SECTION 1. An appropriation of twenty thousand pesos Appropriation, is hereby made, from any funds in the Insular Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the purpose of paying obligations of the Insular Government incurred by reason of contracts authorized by Act Numbered Thirteen hundred and ten, and defined by resolutions of the Philippine Commission dated April thirtieth, May fifteenth, July eleventh, and July twenty-first, nineteen hundred and six, and August fourteenth, nineteen hundred and seven, and such other contracts as are authorized by this Act: Provided, however, That this appropriation shall terminate January first, nineteen hundred and fifteen.

SEC. 2. The Secretary of Commerce and Police is hereby authorized to modify or renew the aforesaid contracts when necessary, or to enter into new contracts for such route or routes within the Philippine Islands as he may deem necessary or desirable at any time on the general terms and conditions set forth in section one of Act Numbered Thirteen hundred and ten: Provided, however, That—

(a)  Bids therefor need not be advertised in the United States;
(b) No contract shall be entered into or renewed for a period extending beyond January first, nineteen hundred and fifteen.

Provided, further, however, That in order to avoid the disarrangement of the present system of transportation during the period from the expiration of the former contracts until the time of the execution of new contracts here-under, the Secretary of Commerce and Police, is authorized to make temporary arrangements for the continuance in force on terms approved by him of such of the former contracts as he may deem advisable, from the date of the expiration of the former contracts until the time of the execution of the new contracts contemplated and authorized by this Act, and to authorize the payment during that time as subsidies for services rendered.

Such contracts may contain a provision for the payment of subsidies from this appropriation to the contracting steamship companies: Provided, however, That the total subsidy payment, called for by the terms of the contracts entered into under the authority of Act Numbered Thirteen hundred and ten and the resolutions mentioned in the first section of this Act, and the contracts authorized by this section shall not exceed the funds available under the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 3. This appropriation shall become available on the twenty-seventh day of July, nineteen hundred and four-teen, and shall be disbursed in accordance with the general provisions of law governing the disbursement of Insular funds and Act Numbered Thirteen hundred and ten.  All fines and payments collected under authority of this Act shall be paid into the Insular Treasury as miscellaneous Balance.

Such balance as shall remain unexpended on the twenty-sixth day of July, nineteen hundred and fourteen, of the funds appropriated under the provisions of Act Numbered Twenty-one hundred and eighteen shall thereupon revert to the general unappropriated surplus of the Insular Treasury.

SEC. 4. This Act shall not be construed to repeal any of the provisions of Act Numbered Thirteen hundred and ten which are not inconsistent herewith.

Enacted, February 28, 1914.