The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-03-20
PASS MORGAN BILL
DUvAL ARMSTRONG TALKS OF PAM
 ANA CONDITIONS.
Newspaperman Just Returned From The Ishfmus Declares That Craft CTS Are Keeping South From
 Receiving Any Benefits.

Mobile, March 19-(Specfal.)-F. D. Armstrong. of the editorial stan of The New Orleans Picayune. and Y. P. Nicholson, of The Picayune estate. brought today some information from the Isthmus of Panama about the work ings of the operators of the Canal Zone that Is laihle to create a stir in Wash ington politics. These two gentle men were passengers on the United Fruit Company's steamer from Port Ldmon, Costa Rica.
 Mir. Armstrong, who discussed condi- tions on the Isthmus very freely, has hecn in Costa Rica for several months. and paid frequent visits to the Isthmus
 He says that the keynote to the Pan- anna Canal situation Is that the way. and the only way for the South to reap any benefit from the building of the hig ditch is by the passage of the Morgan bill. which abolishea the Panama Rail- road Company as a private corporation and turns 1t, and necessarily It's com. nissarys department, over to the Canal Commission.
 T have nothing 10 say about the shipments of materials and surplies" said Mr. Armstrong. The South is the market for vegetables and substance products, and the South is getting none of this trade and we know it, and fl wc get it we will have to go at it in eAnotner way tnah py estaDiasninG steamer lines from the Zone to the South.
 The fact of the situation is this. the Panama Railroad Company, con- troIled by New York capitalists, buys all the food stun used by the canal workers. All this stun is bought in New York and is bought by sable and not by bid. either. The commissary Depart ment bttys from the Panama Railroad.
 Henry Burnett Chief of the Com missary Department, must be removed. too. if the South expects to send any food stuff to the Isthmus. He has his purchases made in New York for per- sonal reasons unknown to me. ] asked him to give me one reason why he did not buy anything in the South, and he made this statement:
 The Jamaica negro on the Isthmus will not eat the groceries which come from the south The absurdity of such a statement. and the inconsistency of 1t when 1t Is known that he bought all his food supplies In New Orleans when he waa General Manager of the Guata- umana Railroad Company. Possibly he does not realize the fact that this same Jamaica negro he was speaking of lives well on Southern grown vegetables on the many vessels that are always In Southern waters"
 Mr. Armstrong denounced Burnett in vehement terms III feSdfu to tHc way he uses his office. and he said that the South ought to have its Senators and Congregsmen to remove him IL possible. Tn this connection, 1t might be Interesting to know that Burnett was discharged from the position of General Manager of the Guatuaamana Railroad Company; he was discharged from the C,ommfssary Department of the Quito Guyocile Railroad Company, and he was discharged from the Cuban Central Railroad Company, ,,,
 "steamer lines to Southern ports will not do any good in the Commissary Department" said MT. Armstrong. We must have that Morgan bill passed go that the Canal Commission Will take charge of the Commissary Department and give the South chance to bid on these food supplies, and there IS no doubt in my mind that the South can pet some of tho contracts when this iF done.
 '.John F. Stevens admitted to me, vvhan I saw him on the ISthmuS. that 1 he was in favor of the Morgan bill' all though he did not like some parts of | it."
 sneaking of Costa Rica. Mr. Arm strong said 1t was very clean country and there is no danger of fever break . ing out and Port Limon Is one of the cIeanest ports in the world. tn his es- 1 timation. He asserted that there IS no probable chance of Costa Rtca be- ing dragged into the Central American controversy.