Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1311

 RELIGION AND INSTRUCTION — JUSTICE — FINANCE 12.">9

Religion and Instruction.— The religion of the State is Eoma Catholic, other forms of religion being permitted. There is a Catholic arch- bishopric with one suffragan tee, viz., Porto Rico, now belonging to the United States. The Archbishop has been appointed Apostolic Delegate to both these countries (Santo Domingo and Porto Rico) and to Cuba.

Primary instruction is gratuitous and obligatory, being supported by the communes and by central aid. Expenditure on public instruction 191 943,880 dollars. The public or state schools are primary, secondary, tech- nical schools, and normal schools. The Professional Institute was formed into a University by Presidential decree on November 29, 1914. In 1920 there were 972 public schools in the Republic (6 being secondary) with 105,000 pupils (51,585 in 1918), and 1.544 teachers. Under the Military Government steps have been taken to reform the system of public instruction, and some form of manual training or agricultural instruction is being intro- duced into the curriculum of the public schools.

Justice. — The chief judicial power resides in the Supreme Court of Justice, which consists of a president and 6 justices chosen by Congress, and KProcurador General de la Republica) appointed by the executive ; all these appointments are only for 4 years, but may be prolonged indefinitely. The territory of the Republic is divided into 12 judicial districts, each having its own civil and criminal tribunal and court of first instance, and these districts are sub- divided into 60 communes, each with a local justice (alcalde), a secretary and bailiff 'alguacil). There are three appeal courts.at Sautiago de los Caballoros, at Santo Domingo City, and at La Vega.

Finance. — Up to the end of 1918 the revenue was derived chiefly from customs duties on imports and exports and from Internal Revenues. A property tax was inaugurated in 1919. The receipts and disbursements for 6 years were in United States dollars : —

_

Rerenue

Expenditure

Revenue

Expenditure

1915.

1916.

1917.

Dollars 4,468,000 4,709,51S 6,863,214

Dollars 4,400. 4,104,998 4.974,462 1920 1

Po'.Iars 7,111, MS 8,717 12,000,000

Dollars 4,971,875

J S,160,000

iLates.

Customs collections for the calendar year 1920 were estimated at 7,500,000 dollars : for 1919, 4,457,393 dollars (891.4.62J ).

A Treaty between the Dominican Republic and the United States of America, ratified February 8, 1907, authorized the issue of 20,000,000 dollars in 5% bonds, secured as to principal and interest by a first lien on the customs revenues of the Republic. Under the Treaty the President of the United States of America appoints the General Receiver of Dominican Customs ; a sinking Fund is provided for the service of the loan which is in the hands of the Guaranty Trust Company of New York as Fiscal Aeent: l in the Sinking Fund December 81, 1919, 8,309,038 dollars : bonds drawn for redemption are held in the Sinking Fund until all have been redeemed ; date due 1918-1958 ; interest dates February and August ; interest and principal payable at New York, London, Paris. Brussels and Amsterdam.