The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-04-30
ID Relief FOR
PACIFIC COAST
ut Has Little Chance of Breaking
\ Grip Of Railroads By Establishing
Steamship Line.

M
EABHINGTON. d. c., April So
- D little help to be expected
ra3 the Panama canal officials and
orWar1 department In the light now
no Dode by merchants ON the Pa
cpooGst TO secure an outlet for their
nmerce via the Panama canal.
Iov1nG talked with officials at the
< department and directors OF the
nnma railroad and TO senators and
MDeru Of the house OF representa-
~ Who Will have the say in matters
(0&D r1ort. feel confident that the
1ouco of the trans-contfnentai rail-
o1e the dominating one In all these
1or years the trans-continental rail-
40 have smothered trade by way OF
MAMA In 1889 the trans-continental
lway pool paid the Panama rail-
~ 10000 per month for the pFi-
oxo o. liking rates by way of Pan
- This amount was afterward re-
Nd 70 $7b, 900 per month and later
@tb,O00 These sums, II the railroad
~ not earned anything else, would
I'VE paid fair dividend upon its In
o11 capital In 1893, after a con-
rgiOnal inquiry. this subsidy was
1continued.
D5Dce 1893 other methods have been
"a By the trans-continental railroads
control and suppress the Panama
Ifc4d competition. During these
orB. and ut the present time, con-
h amected by the Pacific Mail
oo1nohip Co., which Is itself con-
o1>&Q-t The HARTMAN trans-contin-
~ lines. The Pacific Mail Steam
lp Co. n the only line running ships
Tween Ancpp. the Pacific port OF the
MAMA railroad, and the Pacific
on the PaO{dc coast Is San Fran
oc0 san Diego, Los Angeles. Port
I'D, Seattle and Tacoma are without
~ water connection with the Pan
Ion rallr0ad.
The Panama railroad has a fine line
Dteamers on. the Atlantic side. They
~ from Colon to New York and do
&hriving business In freight and pas
1oers- IL the government had
D1laT Iine OF steamers on the Pacific
y, sailfng from Panama and touch
~ San Diego. Los Angeles, San
QclscD, Portland, Seattle and Ia
-, th8ro would be competing wa
frou(o between the Atlantic and
Pact0c elites. This route would
1lnte the trans-continental railroad
The Harrinan-Morgan-Hill trans-con-
entail rpilroad interests have sue
B{uIly throttled the Panama compe-
40 by controlling the Pacific Mail
omship Co. A chain IL no stronger
- ite weakest link. The weak link
<A&D chain is the link between Pan.
o1d the Pacific coast cities.
~ the United States government
- his three-quarters route from
~ York to our Pacific coast ports.
nQgIecttng to complete the route
the addition OF steamships from
- 70 the Pacific coast cities the
1lment stands charged with com
~ In maintaining the monopoly
~ trans-continental railroads.
y m Illustration of the way freight
onpelled to use the railroads one
only to note how lumber goes
n tho vicinity OF Portland. Ore, TO
Panama canal to sbe-useti IN the
rtruction of the canal Instead OF
~ straight down the Pacific ocean
Wafer the 5.500.O00 feet of lumber
D}Io1 used In a year are shipped
Nv the continent and then are
kouth to Colon by way OF either
w York or New Orleans.
- hecr6tafyN OF war Is president
- board of directors ofthe Panama
mad. ~0en: Clarence Edwards. OF
Insu1nr~60reau.f lisa -member OF
Board of directors. The secretary
<nx has anpounced that he will.do
..-X -. -