Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-08-10
RAILROADS LOSE IN
DEBATE IN PASSAGE
Of CANAL MEASURE
Bill Provides Free Passage to Amer
lean Ships and Bars Railway.
Owned Ships.
PROVIDES 0NE-MAN GOVERNMENT
Law Passed by Vote of Forty.Seven
to Fifteen. s-
PRIVILEGES FOR AMERICANS
No onditions for Vessels Of Coast
wise Trade.
BRANDEGES STRUGGLES IN VAIN
Chairman of Committee Makes Ipef-
fective Fight Against Provisions
Against RailrOad-Owned
ships.
PRIVILEGES FOR AMERICANS
No onditions for Vessels Of Coast
wise Trade.
BRANDEGES STRUGGLES IN VAIN

WASHINGTON. Aug. 9--The Panama
canal administration bill providing free
passage to American ships, prohibiting
railroad owned vessels from using the
waterway and authorizing the establish
ment of one-man government, when the
canal is completed, was passed by the
senate tonight, by vote of Al to 10, .
The provision for free tolls, which was
Tough out in the senate Wednesday, was
of the measure.
Attached to the bill as 1t passed the
senate were two important amendments
directed at trust or railroad control OF
steamship lines. The first, by Senator
Reed, would prohibit ships owned by an
the canal; and the second by Senator
Bourne, would force railroads to give up
water lines that might otherwise be their
competitors il 1t were proved that they
were Sitting competition.
Opponents of the, free toll provision for
American ships against which Great
Britain made formal protest, carried
their fight up to the last moment of the
bilfs consideration. Just before its pas
sage Senator Root moved to strike out
tie section giving free tolls to American
coastwise vessels. and Senator Hoke
Smith of Georgia moved to strike out
the provision for free tolls to American
ships In the foreign trade Both Of these
motoins were defeated by Overwhelming
votes.
AS the bill passed, it would permit
American coastwise vessels to pass
through the canal free without condi-
tions, while American foreign trade ships
might pass through free If their owners
agreed to sell the vessels to the United
staaes at fair price in time of war or
emergency. 4
Fight Over Railroad Ships.
The great fight Of the day centered
about the provision to prohibit railroad
owned ships from using the canal.
The broad terms Of the original house
bill, which would have required every
railroad in the country to dispose at
once of any such lines with which it
might otherwise compete. were not ac-
cepted b ythe senate. This was modified
so that railroads would be prohibited
only from owning steamship lines that
may operate through the Panama canal
Tho Bourne amendment, however.
adopted later by a vote of Se to 20
restored much of the yigor OF the anti
railroad provisions of the house bill. 1t
proyided that if the Interstate Commerce
commission should find that any railroad
had an interest in competitive line OF
steamers and that such interest was in
furious to the welfore Of the public, the
commission might compel the railroad to
dispose Of its steamer connections.
Senator Brandegee, chairman OF the In
teroceanic canals committee OF the SEN
ate madt an ineffective fight on the
rigid provisions against railroad SHIPS
After the amendments had been adopted
10 the house bill he moved that the whole
paragraph relating to railroad control be
stricken out This motion was defeated,
AZ 10 IS. A subsequent proposal by Mr.
Yrandegee to permit any ships to use
the canal giving to the Interstate COM
n,erce commission power of control over
them, also was defeated.
The Reed amendment, against trust
owned ships waS called up for second
vote before the bill passed and was
adopted on final passage by a vote of '6
to %.
The completed canal bill finally was
passed with Senators Burton. Crane, Gal
iinger, Lodge, Root and other opponents
of the free toll and anti-railroad features
of it voting against 1t.