The Washington times., 1911-09-06
GIANT STEAMSHIP
!. LINE TO COMPETE
With RAILROADS
Atlantic And Pacific Trans
port Company Viii Have
SIS, 900, 900 Capital.

At last the trans-coDtinental railroads
Of the United States will have conpe-
tition and the Panama Canal will be.
come of use to the commercial inter-
ests Of the country as well as to the
navy.
A steamship company was chartered
Yesterday in Trenton. N. j.. by Wash.
ineton and Baltimore interests to bid
upon the ocean mail contract advertised
by Postmaster General Hitchcock two
The Atlantic and Pacific Transport
Company, capitalized at 05,00.00c, has
been Incorporated to engage in steam
ship transportation between New York
and New Orleans on the East coast and
San Diego, San Francisco, Portland, and
Seattle on the West coest.
Under the specifications Of the mail
contract for ,whi:n this big company
interest int direct or Indirect in a trans
continental railroad. It Is the deter.
mination Of the Postofice DEPARTMENT
make the Panama Canal a means Of
giving the shippers on the two coasts
actual and not theoretical lines that
are competitive.
The Capitalists Interested.
The company which has just been orr
ganized and which is backed by Washt
ington and Baltimore capital Is headed
| by Bernard N. Baker, OF Baltimore
former president and founder Of the
Atlantic Transport line. Adrian II.
BooIe, of this city, is associated with
Mr.. Baker as an incorporation, and viii
be vice president of the company. He
was originally In New Orleans as repre-
sentative Of the Wilson line, later in
Il ha1 IT, oGhf franf bon
/ only a few months. He expects to make
| this city his permanent home and to
| look after the interests of his company
before the Postoffice Department.
| Mr. Boole is not in Washington today.
He has been called to New York for a
4 conference with Mr.. Baker and other
| capitalists. James s. Whiteley, Charles
| G. Helm and Thomas B. Harrison, all OF
Baltimore. are among the incorporators
| of the company.
| II is the purpose of the Atlantic and
| Pacific Transport Company to operate
| fifteen palatial steamships between the
| two coasts and to have them ready for
opened. They viii be 1000 ton vessels
| and will have a speed Of from twelve to
| fifteen knots an hour.
| One line of steamers will sail from
| New Orleans and the other from New
| York for Colon. The seilings will be
weekly. Weekly saiings between San
Francisco and Panama will be put on
| and fortnightly sailings between Seattle
| and Portland and the canal.
This, In a general way. is the plan
| of the new corporation. 1t has the
| money to finance the scheme and II the
| mail contract is awarded to it, II Is
| prepared to give bond for any reason
| able sum to have it's feet of steamers
| ready for operation on the day the
Panama canal Is opened
Opposition Is Expected.
The new corporation expects de-
| termined opposition from the railroad
| interests The Hartman lines have
i prevented all competition from steam-
ship lines for the trans-continental traf<
! fic by operating steamer line Of them
own and cutting rates far below the
cost Of operation This has driven
every steamship company out Of the
Atlantic and Pacific trade.
So far as could be learned at the
Postoffice Department today no othef
pose to bid for the contract for carry<
ing the United States mails to Panama,
the Pacific coast, and to South America,
II no other line enters the field the
Raker-Boole Company will undoubtedly
. . be awarded the contract.
Mr.. Baker, the president Of the new
company, Is a steamship man Of wide
experince, and is a man Of great wealth;
; He was president of the National Con@
servation Congress which entertained
both President Taft and former Presi.
dent Roosevelt at st. Paul last year
Later he was considered by President
Taft as the successor to Secretary Bal.
linger as head Of the Department ot
| Interior.