The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-01-09

agents answered that they had not.
OF course, we investigate every COM
plant of discrimination. 1t is the
purpose of the Government, If we can,
to see to it that the railroad is used
as link by everybody who chooses to
use it at the same rate.
Several Senators became interested
in that testimony and there were many
questions. The discussion was brought
to close with the following:
Senator Perkins, understand you
to say that if the Oceanic Company or
the Pacific Coast Steamship Company
or any other recognized steamship COM
pany on the Pacific Coast had a
steamer advertised to sail from Pana-
ma at a certain time-not q regular
sailing-you would not waybill through
or issue through bills of lad1ng.
Mr.. Shonts.-Not unless they have
regular sailings. If they come there,
we treat them just the same. We take
their freight on the same rates and
divisions as that of the other people,
but in order to get competition we have
made provision that we would issue
through bills of lading only
Senator Perkins.-But if ,ne cf The
steamships of this company was aGver-
| tised to sail from Panama on a GER
tain date, although not belonging to a
regular line, and there being ample
time for the freight leaving New York
/ to reach there, would you not issue
through bill of ladingl
Mr.. Shonts.-We probably would,
but that question has not yet come up.
Senator Berry.-Why do you exclude
the trampsl Why nor give them a
! chance?
Mr.. Shonts.-We do give them a
chance on rates and divisions, but the
tramps come there and dump the stuff
on our docks and fill up our facilities,
with no provision made on the other
side to take care of it. They use our
cars. We have not sGy facilities to
waste. We are thinking of establish
ing a demurrage charge pvc- aud above
a reasonable delay. Somebody has to
be responsible for tlat.
Senator Perkins-That is done al
ways.
Mr.. Shonts.-We have not so far
done so, but / think we will get to it.
CONGRESS IN BAD HUMOR.
1t is many years since Congress has
; adjourned for the holidays with its
case Thursday. Everyone was sur
prised at the developments of less thar
{ three weeks, during which the only
a legislation of consequence enacted wa'
? the Panama Appropriation Bill, carry
: ing 100000. Usually the House
) passes an appropriation bill or two, be-
, fore the holidays. 1t took up none of
, the appropriation bills this year, ex
, cept that for the canal, which did not
| come from the Appropriations Com
> mittee. The Canal Bill seemed to put
everybody in the House in bad humol
and afterward it had the same effect
upon the Senate.
, There seems little doubt that the
Senate may use the whole canal ques
. tion, with which it will have to dea
before the session is over, as a weapon
: of attack upon the President, who ha,
been trying to force railroad rate legis
lation upon that body against its best
l judgment. Because of this canal cam
paign, which grows out of apparent
loose administration of affairs, rather
than out of any dishonest administra
l tion, there is a feeling that the rail
road rate cause has been losing a lit
l tie ground. Most earnest efforts have
. been on foot to bring about an agree
a ment on rate legislation, and these eff
forts have been progressing satisfac
torily. The criticism of canal affairs
: of course, is proceeding directly from
e the Democratic side, but Republican
l meet it with Indifference and even en-
/ courage the Democrats to criticise.
n 1t may be that both houses will re
n sumo their sessions at the beginning o
d the New Year in better temper, but j
n looks now as though a tempestuous ses
Il sion was ahead. A lot of material i
! being collected for use against Chair
man Shonts and the President. AS tn
a President of a railroad company MI
Il Shonts was accustomed to doing thing
i as he wishes and consulting others bu
r little. He did some things as chairma
: of the Commission, such as authorizing
$ an issue of $62s,000 of bonds by tn
t Panama Railroad, which is owned b,
y the United States, and such as estat
IS fishing a currency for the Canal zone
s which the Democrats are prepared t
L make the most of and which the Reput
II licans sincerely regret, because the
concede the chairman should have lie
L Congress deal with such matters. 1t
7. declared to be unusual under such
l. government, such as ours. that a sir
=, gle individual should have authorit
n over coinage and that to carry out h
lie own wishes with reference to it
al should enter into contracts with istl
l. mian bankers. who were the men this
IN financed the Panama revolution.
'r In years gone by it has been FIR
1t. quent that important measures could
IL enacted by the Republican majoriti'
)r in Senate and House without frictio
m During the last three weeks nothin
20 has begun with reference to importaI
IN legislation but what an incipient r
" volt against il has been organized
'e the House, in spite of its ll2 Republ
IN can majority. That was true of Il
c. two statehood bills, on which thel
e, was conference, and of the Phil
he pine tariff bill, which was reported (
VI vorably 10 the House and will be take
up early in January, And " each cal
be of friction among the HOUSE Repuh
x cans, il has been promptly intimat,
'li by certain Republicans that the
th measures were sure To encounter tro
di BILE at that ond of the Capitol. II
m, certain that the statehood hin win n
re nass the Senate, except after ha