The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-11
REPORT OF
 MIR. BRISTOW Panama Railroad and
 Steamship Company. THE TRADE CONDITIONS Policy Which Government
 Should Pursue. Special Commissioner Recently Ap- pointed Tells of His Findings After Several Months of Careful Investigation.

Washington. July 10.-The report Of Joseph l.. Bristow, who was appointed as special commissioner to investigate trade conditions and other matters ar 'fecting the Panama Railroad ana Steamship Company, was made public
 today.
 The report discusses from several
 points of view the question of what
 policy should be pursued by the gov
 ernment in the management or the
 railroad and makes a number or im-
 portant recommendations. Among
 these are those of improved facliities for handling commerce. including dou-
 ble tracking and reauippins the me
 with modern rolling stock; the en-
 largement of i-s port facilities; the
 retention of the steamship line be-
 tween New York and Colon; the can-
 cellation of the contracts with the
 Pacific Mail Steamship Company and the South American Company. and the
 opening of the pCIts of Colon ana Panama to all steamship lines on equal
 terms; and, in certain contingencies, the establishment by the railroad of
 steamship lines between Colon and
 gulf ports, and Panama and important
 United States Pacific coast ports. It is also recommended that in traffic con
 nections American steamship lines be
 favored as far as consistent with the
 treaty obligations of the United
 States.
 MT. Bristow spent several months in
 his investigation, visiting the Isthmus
 of Panama, important ports on the
 western coast of Central America, the
 Isthmus of Tehuantepec and the Pa
 cifc coast of the United States. His
 report reviews of the entire history of the railroad and discusses allega-
 tions that its local freight and pas
 q
 traffic contracts with steamship lines
 monopolistic. The report in full Is as follows:
 Mr. BristOw's Report. In making this investigation l nave visited New York, the lsthmus or Fan
 anna, and the important ps,oo ports, on the the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Mexico, vera Cruz. Mexico City. all the important ports on the Pacific Coast of the United have also corresponded with all the American consuls and consular agents on the west coast of Mexico. Central
 The Panama Railroad Company was organized under the laws of the State of New York in 1S49, and began the construction of the railroad across the | Isthmus the same year. The road. for- 1 ty-seven miles long. was completed Tn ls55 - | of Colombia or New Grenada, as 1t was called, gave to the Panama Railroad l Company the exclusive right to build | a railroad across the 1sthmus. and pro vided that no canal should be construct | ed without the company's consent. In l 1881, when thetFrench company under | took to construct canal. they secured control of the railroad by purchasing sixty-eight seventieths of the stock. for which they paid about $17,000,O0O. When | the United States purchased the prop | erty of the French canal company, fJA stock. .~ At the time of it's acquisition by the United States Government, the road had | a bonded indebtedness of s2,372,000 and the concession required the payment or an annual indemnity of s250,000 to the Colombian Government.
 From 1853 to 1881, the latter being the date of its sale to the French. the av- craze annual dividend was fraction | under Is per cent. From 1881 until 1t was acquired by the United States. the under per cent.
 The equipment of the road is old and out of date. :.. The railroad practically owns all of the land on which Colon. its Atlantic terminus Is built, and has three wood en wharves there. It also has three pier at La Boca. For twelve years 1t has operated a line of steamers be- tween New York and Colon. Six ships
 are now in use-three owned and three chartered. Complaints. At the time this investigation began, | complaints had been made that the railroads local freight and passenger charges were excessive.
 That 1t had traffic contracts with the Pacific Mail Steamship Company. and with two South American lines. that were monopolistic in their character. and injurious to commerce.
 That it had maintained monopoly for its own steamers on the Atlantic | side. -.*+
 That shipments by Panama were | carelessly handled. resulting in heavy loss by damage and theft.