Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1910-10-28
.sAuRoAps MAY OWN CANAL

The Panama Canal will be COM I
,leted and opened for use by or before
L915. There is no doubt about IT'S
rapid progress, there is no doubt about
It's completion practically on time,
there is no doubt about its ability 10
lessen freights between San Francisco
and New York, but there is doubt as
to whether those rates will be reduced.
There exists in many minds already
the belief that whilst the Panama
Canal was opposed by the great con-
tinen:al railway lines, without effect
during Mr.. Roosevelt's administration
but with success previous to that time,
that now as it is an assured fact, they
will, indeed are beginning to arrange
to control it. If this should happen
after the money of the people has been
spent. building it, there would be a
revolution, but the railroads have the
nerve to try it We are told by some
that such thing is ridiculous that
such statements are bosh, and products
of diseased minds. e...-9 .i-s,.,;... i.
But if we read correctly Mr.. jacob
M. Dickinson, that well known rail-
road attorney, now Secretary OF war
in Mr.. Taft's cabinet, has done every
thing for the Southern Pacific railways
and everything he has been able to &c
against the government, in all matters
of freight up to this time. What may
follow we are not prepared to say
Instead of giving government owned
ships a fair return from the freight
carrying between the Atlantic ano
| Pacific and vice-versa. as well as thu
government owned railroad,-by re
cent contract he has gwen every ad
vantage to the Pacific Mail Steamship
Co., owned and controlled by The
Southern Pacific railway, at leas'
these are the published statements un
denied by him. The steamship line a
bove mentioned is the only STEAMSHIP
| Co., on the Pacific coast entering thu
Port of Ancon, the western Panama
Canal port. It carries goods INTENDED
for New York say about half the dis
tance, but it receives 70 PER CENT.
the freight charges, and has free dock
age and other rights as to purchasing
coal, etc., of an astounding nature
This favored Steamship Company be
ing the property of the Southern ia
clf1c railway does not want to carr.
freight east in competition with it sowl
railway line hence carries none or NJ
more than is forced on it. Here MI
Dickinson is its 'sfaithful ally" AM
here the trans-continental railwa.
lines reap harvest.
The history of the rates down ther
and the freight allowed to- pass owe
the Panama railway is intensely inter
esting and were it known and full
understood there would be a geners
condemning of some authorities now
The Congress to be elected will n
doubt take an active hand IN CnlS ma
ter a little later. There will be n
Joseph Cannon to choke them of wit
his stand pat theories, and possibl
the people may get some of the benz
fits they ought to have. But M
} Dickinson has about turned matter
over to the railroads and their steam
ship companies, and it will be SO vi
: less changes take place in administr
J ton policies. Under the old regim
, the TT ans-continental railways onl
, allo wed the Panama railroad to carr
10000 tons of freight annually, no
: that has been reduced to abo'
: 10000 tons. They may yet actual
own the Canal, who knows?