The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-11


received there annually. but none is
shipped via Panama,
San Francisco Is the only Pacific port
of the United States at which Pacific Mail
steamers call Seventy thousand tons of
freight moved via Panama between New
york and San Francisco during 1904, but
| many of the San Francisco business men
| allege that this quantity IL small COM
pared with what 1t would be 81 an effort
were made by the Pacific Mall to secure
business as against tho transcontinental
railroads. The manager of one of the
largest fruit cannerles on the Pacific
coast says that $500 tons OF canned sal
mon, fruit and vegetables are shipped
annually to Liverpool and London and
that II proper facilities existed this trade
could be moved via Panama at rates
much lower than those charged by trans
continental railroads for shipment to Eu-
rope via New York.
The same lack Of facilities prevails at
Portland. Tacoma and Seattle as at Los
Angeles and San Diego.
In 1893 there was a congressional in
vestgation of the Panama railroad and
its relations with the Pacific Mail Steam
| this investigation consisted of John r.
| Fellows, chairman T. j. Geary, Josiah
| Patterson. Fl. Henry Powers and Bel
| lamy Storer. In Its report 1t stated that
the organization known as the Transcon-
| tinental Railway Pool paid the Panama
railroad $4,000 per month for the prvi-
lege of fixing rates by that route and
further stated that the United States
should control some outlet across the
isthmus, independently of all railroad
connections, for the benefit of American
trade.
When in San Francisco a number OF
| citizens called my attention to this report
| +a6 Int fha
! the opportunity to carry out the recon-
mendations of this committee.
| After carefully considering the state
ments made by the commercial BODIES
of the Pacific coast, the statement Oh MI
! Schwerin, and other data. 1t clearly APP
pears that the Pacific Mall Steamship
| company has made little effort to deVelop
business between the Pacific and Atlantic
ports of the United States Mr.. Schwerin
| saws that there Is not sufficient business
at the ports other than San Francisco 10
Justify ships stopping. This is vigorously
! controverted by the shippers and cham
hers of commerce of these cities. Al
San Diego IL was stated that the week
! ending March II a vessel of the Ameri-
| can-Hawaiian line brought to that port
| via Magellan 1900 tons of miscellaneous
merchandise. Statistics furnished by the
! various chambers of commerce show that
there is large volume of business Wnlcn
/
! existed and rates were reasonable. the
character of the Panama route is such
that certain articles can be shipped that
way much cheaper than by rail across the
continent.
Gulf Ports.
The important gulf ports of Pensacola
| Mobile New Orleans and Galveston nave
rever had opportunities for the move-
ment of commerce by Panama to and from
the west coast of the United States, Mex
leo. Central and South America.
/ The Panama Railroad company oper-
ates a steamship line between Colon and
! New York and has refused to allow the
1,se of the isthmus to any competing line
on the Atlantic side. These gulf ports
complain bitterly of the refusal OF the
Panama railroad to give them faellities
hy way of the isthmus. and state that %
a result their commercial development
has been greatly injured.
Careless Handling of Goods.
Complaint is made as to careless hand
ling Of goods on the isthmus, resulting :"
loss by damage and theft. These COM
plants appear to be justified. but can be
remeded by an Improvement in the IA
cllities for handling freight and more
strict discipline over the laborers
Congestion of Business.
Complaints as to the congestion of bus
mess and the injury to commerce result
Ing therefrom also appear to be Justined.
While | was at Colon and Panama a lar
ger amount of freight was being landed
there than the railroad could properly
handle, and at the same time attend to
| the pressing work of the canal commits
sion Since that time tho congestion seems
TO have Increased, and within the last
month there has been bitter complaint
on this account. The government Is UNI
der Just as great obligations to handle
promptly and efficiently the cargo In
strticted to It's care as 1t Is to press the
work OF canal construction and every ef-
| fort should be made by the Panama rail-
road not only to fulfil it's obligations to
the canal commission, but to commerce as
we'll.
Under the concessions from the colom-
! bian government. the Panama railroad
was given the exclusive right to construct
a telegraph lines across the isthmus. The
| rate formerly charged for messages was
| Al for evcrv ten words. COMPLAINT was
each additional word Complaint was
made that this charge was excessive. and
on February !. 1905, II was reduced 70
twenty-five cents for ten words and two
and one-half cents for each additional
word Two cable compa MES use this tele-
graph line one English which has con-
sented to reduce the price Of Its cable
rr essaees In an amount equivalent to the
reduction made by the railroad eompanv:
| but the other the Central and South
American Telegram company, refuses to
manke any reduction Consequently while
the reduction in telegraph rates has been
beneficial to European and local patrons
CT the line It has been of no benefit to
the American public
Tehauntepcc National Railway.
The Mexican government has construct
ed railroad across the isthmus of Te-
hauntepec. from Salna Cruz. on the Pa
cihc TO Coatzacoalcos. on the Atlantic.
What promises to be very fine harhors are
being constructed at both places. Ex-
tensive wharves and warehouses are he
ing built. and the best facilities for
handling freight from ship to cars and
from cars to shin will be provided This
road will exercise great influence on the
commercial development of Southern Mex
leo. and will become strong competitor
of the Panama railroad for business
Policy for Management
The question as to what policy should
be pursued by the government in the man
agement of the railroad should be consid-
cred from three points of view
l. Should the railroad be closed to COM
merce and be used as a construction road
for canal work?
2 Should it be used as construction
and commercial road making commerce
Incidental and secondary to canal work.
g. Should it, be used not only as con-
struction road but also as a commercial