Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-07-13
Commissioner BRISTOW'S RE.
PORT Is MADE PUBLIC.
Recommends That Contracts with
Pacific Nail and South Ameri.
can Steamship Lines Be Can.
CeiIed and That Panama and
Colon Be Made Open Ports.

The report discusses from several
points Of view the question Of what
policy should be pursued by the gov.
eminent in the management Of the
railroad, and makes a number Of REQ.
concentrations.
Among these are the continuance of
the railroad as a commercial line with
improved facilities for handling com.
merce, including double tracking and
e-equipping the line with modern roll.
ing stock, the enlargement of its potr
facilities and the retention of the
steamship line between New York end
Colon.
Mr.. Bristow recommends the cancel.
lation OF the contract with the Pacific
Mail steamship company and the South
American lines and the opening of the
ports of Colon and Panama to all
steamship lines on equal terms, and in
certain contingencies the establishment
by the railroad of steamship lines be.
tween Colon and gulf ports and Pan.
anna and important United States Pa.
cific coast ports.
1t is recommended that in traffic
connections American steamship lines
be favored as far as consistent with the
treaty obligations of the United States
Mr.. Bristow spent several months in
his investigation. visiting the isthmus
of Panama, important ports on the
Western coast of Central America, the
isthmus Of Tehauntepec, Mexico, and
the Pacific coast of the United States.
His report reiews the entire history
Of the railroad and discusses allega-
tions that its local freight and passen.
ger charges were excessive and its
traffic contracts with steamship lines
monopolistie.
Against Pacific Nail.
The contract with the Pacific Mail
steamship company" says Mr.. Bris-
tow, gave the exclusive privilege of
through bills Of lsding to and from all
Pacific ports north Of Panama, and
that company agreed to give through
bills Of lading only by the Panama
route. Both parties agreed to cooper
ate in the making Of rates and in pro.
tecting each against competition from
other steamship lines"
Later in his report, Mr.. Bristow
says:
After carefully considering the
statements made by tho commercial
bodies of the Pacific coast, the state
ment Of Mr.. Schwerin, and other data,
it clearly appears that the Pacific Mail
company has made little effort to de-
velop business between the Pacific and
Atlantic ports Of the United States.
Mr.. Schwerin says that there is not
sufficient business at the ports other
than San Francisco to justify ships
stopping. This is vigorously contro-
verified by the shippers and chamber Of
commerce Of these cities.
Pacific Coast Complaints.
Mr.. Bristow refers to complaints
made by the cham ers of commerce of
the Pacific coast ports Of the United
States that the Pacific Mail steamship
company is controlled by the transcon-
tinental railroads, and that it is ope-
rated so as to discourage commerce via
Panama between Atlantic and Pacific
ports of the United States.
He sets out the specific complaints
Of the cham bers Of Los Angeles and
San Diego, and says:
San Francisco is the only Pacific
port of the United States at which Pa.
cifio 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 is small compared
with what it would be If an effort were
made by the Pacific Mail to secure
business as against the transcontinent-
al railroads. The manager of one Of
the largest fruit canneries on the Pa.
cific coast says that $4,000 tons OF
| canned salmon, fruit and vegetables
are shipped annually to Liverpool and
London, aud that if proper facilities
existed this trade could be moved via
Panama at rates much lower than
those charged by transcontinental
roads for shipment to Europe via New
York.
Seattle Also Sighted.
1.-The same lack of facilities prevails
at Portland. Tacoma and Seattle as at
Los Angeles and San Diego.
In 1898 there was q congressional
investigation of the Panama railroad
and its relations with the Pacific Mail
steamship company. In its report it
stated that the organization known as
the Transcontinental Railway Pool
paid the Panama railroad $4,000 per
month for the privilege 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 number
Of citizens called my attention to this
report, and stated that the government
now has the opportunity to carry ont
the recommendations Of this COM
mittee.
Gulf Ports Complain.
"Ths important gulf ports Of Pen.