The Detroit times., 1909-05-01
NO RELIEF FOR
PACIFIC COAST
West Has Little Chance of Breaking
Grip Of Railroads By Establishing
Steamship Line.
BY OLSON GARDNER.


WASHINGTON. ID. C., April 30
There is little help to be expected
from the Panama canal officials and
the war department In the fight now
being made by merchants on the Pa
cinc coast to secure an outlet for their
commerce via the Panama canal.
Having talked with officials at the
war department and directors OF the
fahama railroad and to senator's and
members or the house OF representa-
yves who VIII have the say In matters
OF THIS sort. | feel confident that the
influence OF the trans.continental rail
roads the dominating one In all these
quarters
FOR years the trans-continental rail-
roads have smothered trade by way OF
Panama. In 1889 the trans.continental
railway pool paid the Panama rail.
road $4,000 per month for the pri-
viiege OF fixing rates by way OF Pan.
ANA. This amount was afterward re-
duced to $4,000 per month and later
10 100000. These sums, II the railroad
had not earned anything else. would
nave paid fair dividend upon It's in.
vested capital. In 1898, after a con-
y
discontinued.
Since 1893 other methods have been
used by the trans-continental railroads
TO control and suppress the Panama
railroad competition During these
years. and at the present time. con.
troll Is affected by the Pacific Mail
steamship Co. which is itself con.
trolled by the Hartman trans-contin-
entail lines. The Pacific Mail Steam
ship Co. is the only line running ships
between Ancon, the Pacific port OF the
Panama railroad and the Pacific
coast cities, but the only city touch.
cd on the Pacific coast is San Fran.
cisco. San Diego. Los Angeles. Port.
land. Seattle and Tacoma are without
this water connection with the Pan.
ANA railroad.
The Panama railroad has fine line
Of steamers on the Atlantic side They
run from Colon TO New York and do
n thriving business In freight and pas
sengers. III the government had n |
similar line OF steamers on the Pacific |
side, sailing from Panama and touch. !
ing at San Diego. Los Angeles. San |
Francisco Portland. Seattle and Ia |
coma. there would be a competing wa. t
ter route between the Atlantic and !
the Pacific cities This route would !
regulate the trans-continental railroad |
rate.
The Hartman Morgan-Hill trans-con-
tinental railroad interests have sue
oessfully throttled the Panama compe- |
'ition by controlling the Pacific Mail /
Steamship Co. a chain IS no stronger |
than its weakest link. The weak INK
Of this chain Is tho link between Pan
anna and the Pacific coast cities.
But the United States government |
owns his three-quarters route from |
New York to our Pacific coast ports.
In neglecting to complete the route |
by the addition OF steamships from
Panama TO the Pacific coast cities the |
government stands charged with com
plicity in maintaining the monopoly
OF the ns-continental railroads.
AS an illustration OF the way freight
Is compelled to use the railroads one
has only to note how lumber goes
from the vicinity OF Portland. Ore, TO
the Panama canal TO be used in the
construction OF the canal. Instead OF
going straight down the Pacific ocean
W water the 100000 feet OF lumber
supplies used In year are shipped
across the continent and then are
sent south to Colon by way Of either
New York or New Orleans.
The secretary OF war Is president
OF the board OF directors OF the Panama /
railroad. Cen Clarence Edwards. Of
the Insular bureau, is p member Of
the board of directors. The secretary
of war has announced that he will do
nothing at present with the complaints !,
against the Pacific Mail Steamship
Co. He has returned the papers in
the case to Gen. Edwards with the sug-
gestion that the whole matter be re-
ported next winter to congress. Gen.
Edwards is frankly opposed to Install
ing line OF steamships to compete
with the Pacific Mail ships.
II am against operating ships at
loss or operating our Panama canal
corporation at a loss" said Gen. Ed
wards. so long as | am director
Of his fictitious Panama corporation
I shall act just as would IL were
director OF an ordinary private money
making corporation. | will try to make
II pay. II is big question. | was
talking with Speaker Cannon the other
day and he agreed that II was big
question. He agreed with me that the
best thing to do about IL would be TO
report the whole thing up 10 congress-