The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-12-23
PANAMA CANAL AND TOLLS.


Panama. canal aud canal tolls in his
message to Congress on Thursday. is
thoroughly eolightcuing and satisfac-
tory treatment OF both questions,
First. be speaks of the tentative gov.
ernment established by the President
in the Canal zone, aud shows the ef-
ficioucy Of il. The main thing there.
however, is the construction of the
canal and the control of those engaged
In that work. There is little occasion
for the canal authorities 10 come 10
contact with general civil administrat-
i've questions. all the relations existing
being in the nature of those that come
between employer and employee.
The progress OF work on the canal
is approviDgly pointed out, and look
$4,000 or $4,000 population now IN the
Canal zone (Which is forty miles long
and ten miles wide) will have departed.
There will be few natives there. and
the Presideu S idea is, that the control
of these and the general control Of
the zone fought TO approximate mill
tarv government He thinks that
"with a few fundamental laws Of Con-
Cress, the zone should he governed by
the orders of the President issued
today and indeed, no better form or
government need be desired than that.
Necessarily, the War Department, uu-
der whose auspices the canal is being
constructed, will remain in charge Of
il for the control of the operations OF
the canal, and for dredging aud re-
pairs. There would seem TO be no rea-
son why the Civil Government should
be segregated from the active aud re-
spousiblo workings of the canal, for
canal operatives will chiefly comprise
the population.
As to tolls on the caual the PrcsI-
dent thinks that ''witbiu limits which
shall seem wise 10 Congress. the power
of fixing tolls should be given to the
President He urges this because, III
order to arrive at proper basis for
fixing the tolls there must be some
experiment, and this cannot. be done
if Congress does not delegate the power
to one who can act zpeditiously. The
President states as TO the matter Of eH-
empting American shipping from tolls
on the canal: 81 am very confident
that the United States has the power
to relieve from the payment of tolls
any part OF our shipping that Congress
deems wisc;n and he argues: We own
the canal; it was our money that built
it; we have the right TO charge tolls
for its USE He agrees that these
tolls must he the same TO every one.
adding: But when we are dealing
with our own ships. the practice OF
many governments of subsidizing their
own merchant vessels is so well estab.
lished in general, that Il subsidy equal
10 the tolls, an equivalent remission OF
nation in the use Of the canal He
cites the practice in the Suez Canal as
making this proposition clear; and he
touches the main question when he
says: "Tbo experiment IN tolls TO be
made by the President would doubtless
disclose how great a burden of tolls
coastwisc trade between the Atlantic
and Pacific coasts could bear without
preventing lis usefulness in competi.
ton with the trapscontineptal rail.
roads. But, If we are to give sub
sidy 10 our shipping equal TO the canal
tolls, il is difficult to see the rcls
tiou between that subsidy aud the cx.
pcrimeutal effort TO see how great a
burden of tolls American shipping
could bear and still be useful in com
petinC with the traUscontiuental
roads. Proposed tolls on that basis
is one thing: subsidies which would
clear the American shipping Of tolls
altogether is quite another matter. Not
only are these propositions entirely
distinct and even antagonistic in them.
selves. but they are Of such a character
that ono must give way if the other is
accepted.
Speaking further on this question
the President SAYS that perhaps the
tolls may have 10 he wholly remitted
adding; - do not think this IS The
best principle. because | believe thnt
the cost Of such Government work
as the Panama canal ought 10 be i'm.
posed gradually. but certainly, upor
the trade which il creates and make:
possible. And the principle at the
basis OF his recommendations Is. a,
stated by him, $50 far as VIC can. con.
sistent with the development Of the
worlds trade through the canal. and
the benefit which it was intended tc
secure 10 tho East and West eoastwisc
trade, We ought 10 labor 10 secure
from the canal tolls sufficient amour,
| ultimately 90 meet tho debt which wc
have assumed aud 20 pay tic interest.
Whether the trade using the canal
will develop the dimensions Sufficient
TO meet this view OF the President :
is for the future 10 determine But
certainly that trade will have 10 bc
enormous 20 meet both propositions