The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-07-14
BR|STOW'S REPORT
ON PANAMA ROAD
RECOMMENDS ITS CONTINUANCE
AS COMMERCIAL LINE.
Should Be Double Tracked and Equip
ped With Modern Rolling Stock.
Report Endorsed by Taft.

Washington, July 10-Joseph L.
Bristow of Kansas, who as fourth as
sistant postmaster general investigated
postal frauds two years ago, has made
his report to the secretary of war as
special Panama railroad commissioner.
Appointed to investigate the man
agement of the railway and inquire
into the charges that the Pacific Mail
Steamship Co. is controlled by the trans
continental railroads, and that it is op-
Grated so as to discourage commerce
via Panama between Atlantic and Pa
ci6c ports.
After two months of inquiry, visiting
New York, the isthmus of Panama, the
isthmus of Tehuantepec, Vera Cruz,
important ports on the western coast
of Central America, Mexico City, all
the important ports on the Pacific
coast and on the Gulf of Mexico, anS
hearing from all the American consuls
and consular agents on the west coast
of Mexico and Central and South
America, Special Commissioner Bris-
tow, in an exhaustive report, makes the
following recommendations:
That the Panama railroad be contin-
ued as q commercial line; that its IA
cilities for handling commerce be i'm
proved at once; that 1t be double
tracked and re-equipped with modern
rolling stock; that its port facilities be
enlarged by the construction of addi-
tional wharves, and that modern facili-
ties for handling cargoes be provided.
That a schedule of rates for through
business be provided, fixing the charges
at the minimum which the operating
expenses and fair dividend on the
Investment of the government will per-
NIT. The cost of handling freight with
improved facilities, and not what It
has cost in the past, should be used as
the basis in fixing rates.
That the present policy of charging
per cent of the rates on through busi-
ness. subject to certain minima, be ad-
hered to.
That the steamship line between
New York and Colon be retained
That the contracts with the Pacific
Mail Steamship So. be cancelled, and
the ports of Colon and Panama opened
to the use of all steamship lines on
equal terms.
That, If within reasonable time a
regular steamship and passenger
freight service is not established be-
tween Colon and the Gulf ports, line
be established by the Panama railroad.
That if the Pacific Mail Steamship
Co. withdraws its present Panama line,
an effort be made to induce some other
company to establish first-class serv-
Ice between the important Pacific coast
ports of the United States and Pan
anna, and in the event that it is pre-
pared to furnish the service, that it be
provided by the Panama railroad.
That in traffic connections American
steamship lines be favored so far as
can be done consistently with the
treaty obligations of the United States.
In connection with the report the fol-
lowing letter from Secretary Of War
Taft to the President was made public:
War Department, June 80, 1905.
"My Dear Mr.. President:
81 transmit herewith the report of
Hon. ]. l.. Bristow on the Panama rail-
road and its Importance as the con-
Meeting link between the Atlantic and
Pacific ocean trades.
1T is most interesting report, full
of instruction, and one quite worthy of
publication and general circulation.
Mr.. Bristow has evidently given the
hardest application to secure the facts
which he sets out, and he has had the
happy faculty of setting out the facts
In an instructive and interesting way;
30 interesting, indeed, is it that one
hardly gives the credit for the investi
cation which 1t was necessary to make
in order to get at the facts as they are
stated. Very sincerely yours,
WILLIAM II. TAFT"