[ Act No. 315, December 10, 1901 ]

AN ACT CREATING A BUREAU OF THE COLD STORAGE AND ICE PLANT, AND PROVIDING THE METHOD OF CONDUCTING SAID PLANT AND THE PERSONNEL AND SALARIES OF THE EMPLOYEES THEREIN.

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

SECTION 1. There is hereby created a Bureau for the purpose of conducting the Insular Cold Storage and Ice Plant at Manila, and disposing of the products thereof, which Bureau shall be under the general control and supervision of the Secretary of Finance and Justice. The Bureau shall have the entire charge of the plant and grounds belonging to it, and of the conduct of its operations in providing cold storage, manufacturing ice and sterilized water, and of the disposal of the room available for cold storage in said plant, and of the ice and sterilized water therein produced, and of the transportation necessary for all purposes of the plant, in the manner in this Act provided.

SEC. 2. The plant shall be under the immediate control of a superintendent, who shall be appointed by the Civil Governor, with the advice and approval of the United States Philippine Commission, and who, if a civilian, shall receive a salary at the rate of three thousand six hundred dollars per year; or, if he be an officer of the Army detailed for that purpose, shall receive in addition to his pay as an officer of the Army, an allowance of five dollars per day in lieu of all expenses, except cost of official transportation, and to compensate him for all commutations and allowances from which he may be excluded as an officer of the Regular Army, by reason of his detail for civil duties.

The superintendent shall give bond to the Insular Government in the penal sum of twenty thousand dollars, conditioned for the faithful discharge of all the duties of his office and proper accounting for all moneys and properties coming into his hands as superintendent, with sufficient surety, to he approved by the Insular Treasurer. He shall sell all the products of the plant and rent the cold storage therein, and collect all revenues due the plant, subject to the provisions hereinafter contained. He shall make estimates and requisitions for all supplies for the plant, and estimates for all appropriations necessary for the proper conduct of the plant. He shall have charge of all records and books pertaining to the plant and its operations. He shall make an annual report to the Civil Governor, through the Secretary of Finance and Justice, on or before the twentieth day of July, showing in detail the financial operations of the plant during the previous fiscal year, and submitting any recommendations which he may deem advisable in relation to the management thereof. He shall have power to regulate and apportion the duties of all employees of the Bureau, with a view to securing the greatest economy and efficiency, He shall render all such reports and accounts as existing law requires, and shall likewise furnish to the Secretary of Finance and Justice at the expiration of each month, a brief statement of the financial operations of the plant for the month. On or before the first of January of each year he shall submit an estimate for all material and supplies needed in the operation of the plant for the six months commencing with the first day of the next succeeding July, and on or before the first day of July of each year he shall submit estimates for all the material and supplies necessary for the operation of the plant for the six months succeeding the first day of January following; but estimates for salaries shall be submitted at such time and for such periods as are fixed by law for estimates in other Departments of the Government. He shall have control of all the transportation facilities, by land and water, necessary for the receipt of meat and other cold-storage supplies from the Army, and for delivering the same to the Army, in accordance with contracts made by competent authority for that purpose, and for the receipt of supplies and material necessary for the operation of the plant and the delivery of its products.

SEC. 3. There may also be employed in the conduct and management of the business of the plant, the following named employees at the compensations hereinafter named, who shall be appointed by the Superintendent, in accordance with the provisions of the civil-service rules.

IN THE OFFICE FORCE AND SALES DEPARTMENT.

One chief clerk, of class five; one cashier and bookkeeper, of class six; one assistant bookkeeper and sales cashier, of class seven; one property and money account clerk, of class six; one sales accountant, of class eight; one assistant sales accountant, of Class D; one stenographer and typewriter of class nine; two clerks and typewriters, each of Class D; one shipping and receiving clerk of class nine; two assistant shipping and receiving clerks, one of class ten and one of Class F; two salesmen of Class D; two salesmen of Class F; one messenger of Class B; two office boys of Class I.

IN THE ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING COLD-STORAGE DEPARTMENT.

One chief engineer of class four, at two thousand four hundred dollars per year; three assistant engineers, one of class five, one of class six, and one of class seven; two electricians, one of class eight, at one thousand five hundred dollars per year, and one of Class D; four oilers, one of class ten, one of Class A, one of Class B, and one of Class C, at seven hundred and eighty dollars per annum; four firemen, one of class ten, two of Class A, at nine hundred and sixty dollars each per year, and one of Class B; one machinist of class seven; one assistant machinist of Class A, one pipefitter of Class A; fourteen wipers, four of Class J, four of Class K, at two hundred and four dollars per year, and six of Class K, at one hundred and eighty dollars per year; twelve coal passers and assistant firemen, four of Class K, at two hundred and four dollars per year, four of Class K, at one hundred and eighty dollars per year, and four of Class J; two elevator men, one of Class F and one of Class J; one overseer of cold storage, of class nine; two assistant overseers of cold storage, one of class ten, and one of Class J; fourteen laborers of Class K, at one hundred and ninety-two dollars each per year; twenty-one ice-tank and cold-storage men, three of Class J, and eighteen of Class K, at one hundred and eighty dollars each per year.

IN THE LAND-TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.

One overseer of class ten; sixteen teamsters, one of Class A, one of Class D, ten of Class C, at seven hundred and eighty dollars each per annum, and four of Class C, at seven hundred and twenty dollars each per annum; twenty stablemen, of Class K, at one hundred and eighty dollars each per annum; one saddler of Class D; one blacksmith of class ten; one wheelwright of class ten; two blacksmith helpers, one of Class H and one of Class J.

IN THE WATER-TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.

One overseer of class ten; one assistant overseer of Class A; one patron for launch of Class H; one engineer of Class F; one assistant engineer of Class H; one boatswain of Class K, at two hundred and sixteen dollars per annum; two firemen of Class K, at two hundred and sixteen dollars each per annum; four sailors of Class K, if one hundred and eighty dollars each per annum; six patrons for lorchas of Class I; six timoneros for lorchas of Class K, at one hundred and ninety-two dollars each per annum; twelve sailors, first grade, of Class K, at one hundred and eighty dollars each per annum; twenty-four sailors, second grade, of Class K, at one hundred and sixty-eight dollars each per annum.

FOR MAINTENANCE AND CARE OF BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS.

One storekeeper of class ten, at an annual salary of one thousand and fifty dollars; one assistant storekeeper of Class K, at an annual salary of two hundred and sixteen dollars; two store boys of Class K, at an annual salary of one hundred and eighty dollars each; six watchmen of Class C, four at an annual compensation-of seven hundred and eighty dollars each, and two at an annual compensation of seven hundred and twenty dollars each; two overseers of class ten; two assistant overseers of Class J; one house carpenter of class nine; one assistant house carpenter of class ten; two carpenters of Class F; one house painter of Class D; two painters of Class I; twenty laborers, four of Class J, six of Class K, at an annual compensation of two hundred and sixteen dollars each, and ten of Class K, at an annual compensation of one hundred and eighty dollars each: Provided, That the salaries in this section named shall be maximum salaries for the several employees, and the Superintendent is authorized to engage employees at lower salaries, and to increase the same to the limits herein named, from time to time, as the employees become proficient in their duties.

SEC. 4. The property and money account clerk shall act as disbursing clerk for the Bureau, in addition to his other duties, and shall be required to execute to the Insular Government a bond with sufficient surety, to be approved by the Insular Treasurer, in the penal sum of ten thousand dollars, conditioned for the faithful performance of his duties, and for the proper account of all funds that may come into his hands as such disbursing clerk. The cashier shall likewise give a bond to the Insular Government in the penal sum of twenty thousand dollars, conditioned and to be approved as in this section before stated. All bonds required in this Act shall be recorded in the books of the Insular Treasurer and be lodged with him.

SEC. 5. The cashier shall receive all moneys as collected and paid in for cold storage, ice, or distilled water, or other products of the plant, and make weekly deposit of them with the Insular Treasurer to the credit of the Superintendent of the plant.

SEC. 6. The chief engineer, under the supervision and direction of the Superintendent, shall have charge of the engineering department, which shall include all engines, compressors, boilers, pumps, generators, motors, electric lights, lighting, wiring and fixtures, the machine shop, loading and unloading devices, including all the beef and carrying rails to all parts of the building, the ice tanks and ice-handling devices, ice storage room, and the storage of ice therein, distilling apparatus, cooling tanks, and condenser coils, all expansion coils, valves, and fixtures in all parts of the building, as well as the making of all repairs and additions to any or all of the machinery, apparatus, or facilities of the plant.

SEC. 7. Cold storage and ice shall be provided for the army of the United States in the Philippine Islands in accordance with the contracts at present, existing between the Insular Government and the commanding general of the United States Army, Division of the Philippines, and in accordance with such further contracts between the aforesaid parties as may be hereafter made.

SEC. 8. Ice shall be furnished and delivered to officers, soldiers, and sailors of the United States Army and Navy, in Manila, and to employees of the civil service of the Insular Government, or of any of the Departments thereof, or in the offices of the Military Government, at the same price as shall be fixed for furnishing ice to the Army of the United States in accordance with the provisions of the preceding section. Suitable regulations shall be prescribed by the Superintendent, subject to the approval of the Secretary of Finance and Justice, to prevent the abuse of this privilege and to guard against its being availed of by other persons than those entitled thereto.

SEC. 9. The plant shall not engage in competition with private individuals or corporations in providing cold storage or ice, or distilled water, but should there be any cold storage space available, not required by the Army of the United States, under its contract with the Insular Government, such space may be made available for private individuals at prices to be fixed by the Superintendent, with the approval of the Secretary of Finance and Justice; but the terms so fixed shall be such as not to create a competition with existing industries. Ice and distilled water produced in the plant, if in excess of the demands for the purposes specified in sections seven and eight, may be disposed of to the public at large under such restrictions, to be fixed by the Superintendent, with the approval of the Secretary of Finance and Justice, as shall not constitute a competition with existing industries.

SEC. 10. The public good requiring the speedy enactment of this bill, the passage of the same is hereby expedited in accordance with section two of "An Act prescribing the order of procedure by the Commission in the enactment of laws," passed September twenty-sixth, nineteen hundred.

SEC. 11. This Act shall take effect on January first, nineteen hundred and two.

Enacted, December 10, 1901.