With regard to port dues, the Dominican government was long bound by a concession made to the Clyde line in 1878. Upon the redemption of this concession the port dues were in 1908 reduced to their present figure. An impost on alcohols was established in 1905, and ought to become an important source of revenue. The law is crude in that it taxes the distillation rather than the sale of alcohol and does not sufficiently guard against fraud. The receipts, which in the beginning were quite promising, fell off strangely in late years. The most recent sources of revenue are the Central Dominican Railway, from Puerto Plata to Santiago, acquired from the San Domingo Improvement Company under the debt settlement in 1908; the Moca extension of the railroad, finished by the government in 1910; and the wharves acquired by the redemption of the various port concessions. These properties at first gave the government a handsome revenue, which later diminished in a suspicious manner. The budget of the Republic kept pace with the growth of income, but the appropriations were practically all for personnel, while public works continued to be neglected and no provision was made for future contingencies or the establishment of a reserve fund. The annual budget enacted to become effective July 1, 1916, may be summarized as follows; ESTIMATED RECEIPTS Custom-houses: Import duties $3,500,000 Port dues 80,000 Export duties 220,000 Subtotal: $3,800,000 Imposts: Alcohol 200,000 Stamps 165,000 Subtotal: 365,000 Communications: Postage stamps 36,000 Telegraph and telephone 5,000 Wireless telegraph 5,000 Subtotal: 46,000 Consular fees 40,000 Stamped paper 90,000 State properties: Ozama lighting plant 4,500 State wharves 200,000 Rentals and post-office boxes 1,000 Subtotal: 205,500 Miscellaneous 6,200 Total estimated receipts $4,552,700 ESTIMATED DISBURSEMENTS Service of public debt $1,966,746.86 Legislative power 132,400.00 Including salaries of 12 senators and 24 deputies at $200 per month. Executive power...................................... $ 25,460.00 Expenses of president's office, including salary of president at $800 per month.