The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-10-27

ID huOlS COulu Ildhe the Zip vi OVVV
miles from Los Angeles to New York
In a trife less than 20 days, about the
same time as the fastest overland
freight now does it, the only possible
solution the railroads say was to join
together the two or three lines needed |
for handling this traffic from sea to
sea.
The railroads concerned in this par
ticular alliance cover vast and, for
the most part, well developed terri |
tory, and not only is the land haul
much less from east to west by this
route, but 1t is said freight can be
shipped from the Atlantic seaboard
to the Pacific coast cheaper and in
less time than it would take by the
Panama canal route.
1t will not be an easy task for Con-
gress this winter to figure out the
question of canal tolls for traffic ar
rangements affecting great world
highway are intricate. The President
agrees with Colonel Goethals that if
the canal is to do its expected work
| In increasing the facilities of Ameri-
can commerce, especially between the
two coast lines, Congress should fix
the tolls without delay.
Some of the questions which will
come up when the legislation Is put
under way are already appearing. For
instance, there will be strong de-
mand from various parts of the coun-
try that American ships be permitted
to use the canal without the payment
Of tolls. OF course, there Is no way
at this time of knowing how prop
osition of that kind will be viewed by
Congress. If the tolls are not remitted
there will be a strong demand for the
remission of tonnage dues for Ameri-
can ships at the least.
There has been tentative recon-
mendation, in which the President
and Colonel Goethals have acquiesced,
that charges be fixed at 81 ton,
which would be somewhat below the
rates charged for use of the Suez can
! al. 1t is argued in support of such
rate that it would attract much busi
! ness now going by way of Suez to the
Orient. But even this charge will be
J lifted from American ships If the ar
1 guments in that direction can bt
made to prevail. 1t is pointed out II
: support of this free use of the cana
by ships of American registry tina
the canal Is intended primarily tt
D benefit the United States, both II
4 times of war and of peace, and specia
4 favors should be shown American
! shipping.
Foreign ship interests strongly op
J pose this proposed favoritism t
\ American vessels. These Interest,"
4 contend that the Hay-Pauncefot,
Z treaty grants the same rights to for
eign shipping so far as the canal i
y concerned, as are demanded b,
, American shipping, and that any fay
D oring rates to the latter would con
\ stitute violation of the treaty. Fol
lOWlnB ID INC CipuSC VI 'hO tiSo'J ~
: on which this claim is based
"The canal shall be free and opel
to the vessels of commerce and of wa
of all nations observing these rules
4 on terms of entire equality, SO tha
. there shall be no discriminate
against against any such nation or 1t
y citizens or subjects, in respect of tn
D conditions or charges of traffic or otf
erwise. Such conditions and charge
h of traffic shall be just and equitable
\ The advocates of free America
= ships in the canal reply to the fore
going section from the Hay-Paunc'
y fote treaty by saying that the Unite
D States as the builder and owner
D the canal has the undoubted right
n do as 1t pleases toward It's own shil
4 ping and cannot successfully b
Z charged with discrimination as long
Y 1t collects tolls from foreign shiI
y on terms of entire equality and
long, further, as those charges are.
the language of the treaty. "just an
equitable"
= This view of the case is sustains
by the fact that in the Clayton-Bulw'
H.