The age-herald., 1901-12-30
UNIFORM MARITIME
 SYSTEM IS NEEDED
Pan-American Water Transpor-
 tation Committees Report
BOARD SIT IN WASHINGTON
Each Republic Shall Pay Salary and Expenses of It's Commissioner. One Man Can Represent
 Different Countries.

Mexico City, December 29.-The com mittee on water transportation of the International American conference will present its report this week. The recom- mendations suggested are those of Hon. Volney W. Foster, the American mem- Der of the committee and they will be presented to the conference in the fol- lowing form:
 1. That so far as may be practicable, all port charges upon ships be combined in one charge to be called drainage dues and levied as such due consideration be- ing given to equitable adjustment of such dues upon ships in cargo and those in ballast.
 2. That gross tonnage of vessels be taken as a basis for the collection of tonnage dues.
 3. That each of the republics here repre- sented be recommended to modify port and harbor regulations so that vessels en- tering and clearing may do so with all possible despatch and that to assist in securing this result the respective coun- tries shall encourage the building of most modern discharging facilities.
 Uniform System Needed.
 4 That for the purpose of promoting commerce and mutual intercourse an uni- form system of maritime and customs administration nomenclature be adopted which shall be signed in all alphabetical order, in terms English, Spanish, Portu guese and French, the commodities upon which impost duties are levied to be used by all the American republics for the levying of customs imposts which are or may hereafter be established and are also to be used in shipping manifests, con- sular invoices entries. clearances, peti- tions and other custom documents, but not to affect In any manner the right of each nation to levy the import duties they may have in force or which they may hereafter establish. For the purpose of obtaining and compiling official in formation and making recommendations to their respective republic, there shall be constituted a commission to be known as the international transportation com mission,' said commission shall consist of one member from each of the signatory countries who shall be appointed by the republic which here presents. This com mission shall meet in the city of Wash ington one year from the date of the adoption of these recommendations by the majority of the republics represented in this conference. Each republic shall pay the salary and expense of it's com missioner and one commissioner may re- present more than one republic The vot- ing in the conferences held by the com missioners shall be by republics. each republic represented having one vote.
 Board to Exist at Washington.
 The commission shall appoint a per manent executive board of five members which shall sit at Washington, with the secretary and treasury of the United States, or in his absence or inability t ) attend, his appointee. as chairman eX- officio. The commissioners shall careful ly study the subsidy question as a means of encouraging maritime commerce and shall fully advise themselves of the at titude of their respective republics in this regard, to the end that their con- clusions may be practicable aud of character that will make their adoption certain. The powers of the committees shall be advisory only. It shall be em- powered to adopt such measures as will make practical and effectual the recom- mendations above set forth and shall ie- commend to the respective governments represented therein the adoption of such h. cal to the promotion of water communi- cations. The executive committee shall carry .1to effect 'ccvmmendatI ons made by tho ral comm'sst .n; it shal' col lect .aoulate and pu 1lis in tn. Ensiish and Spanish, Portuguese and French Ian. guages such information concerning the production, commerce and customs laws and regulations of their respective coun- tries as it may deem best. The expenses of the executive commission shall be paid by the respective countries represented upon the same basis now In use by the bureau of American republics for the sup port of said bureau. It Is recommended that the bureau of American republics be utilized by the said commission in con-
 
 other practical manner under the direc- ton of the secretary of the treasury of the United States
 Delegates Attend Services.
 The function at the Church of Our Lady of Guadaloupe this morning at which the Pan-American delegates were present. was one of the grandest and most imposing religious ceremonies seen in Mexico for some time. The Arch bishop of Mexico offciated. In the pro- cession the delegates of all the Ameri- can nations took part, each carrying his country's flag. Although Senator Davis and the other members of the United States delegation were present and took part in the procession, the United States flag was carried in the procession by General Erisbie, an old time American resident of Mexico. Afterwards in the presence of the archbishop the flags were laid in turn on the high altar, General Erisbie depositing the American flag. Af- ter the servie the archbishop held an in-