Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-07-23
COAST STATES 70 DERIVE ONLY
PROFIT 10 CLAIM OF INTERIOR
orArEs LEGISLATORS.
TAKE SMALL INTEREST IN
CANAL BILLS PASSAGE
Some See Possibility Of Reduced
Freight Rates % Result But Others
Claim interior Must Share Expense
Of Maintaining Waterway for Benefit
Of Coast States.
Especial Correspondence

Washington, July 23.-The indiffer-
ence of the interior to the prospective
opening of the Panama canal is one Of
the chief factors entering into the con-
s!deration Of the Panama canal bill
which is now pending before the SEN
late.
one OF the most important facts the
discussion in the senate and house has
thus far brought out is that in reality
the great interior of the country is ex-
pecting little commercial benefit from
the canal.
This explains why it is there is not
stronger insistence on free tolls thru
the canal for American ships in the
coastwise trade. If the members Of
the senate and house who come from
interior cities and localities believed
the canal would be the means Of re-
ducing freight rates at interior points
or on interior business. and could fig
uTe out that free tolls to American
ships In the coastwise business would
cut interior freights, then the British
protest against free tolls to American
ships would not amount to the snap
Of finger
No Esnefit to Interior States.
But the members from the interior
| for the most part are not convinced
the interior is going to get any benefit
out of the canal. They are not being
stirred up by constituents who believe
they are going to be helped by the
canal in the way of lower freights.
Only here and there can be found
a member Of the senate or house from
the interior who is eager for free tolls
because he thinks lower freight rates
to the interior will result. The posi-
ton OF most Of the interior members,
whether in senate or house. is this:
Position Of Interior Members.
The canal has cost nearly half bill
lion. 1t Will cost good round sum
each year to maintain 1t. 1t will do
the interior no good. 1t will be big
benefit to the Atlantic and Pacific and
gulf coasts II tolls are free or very
low. for 1t will compel lower transcon-
tinental freight rates. What is the use
OF the interior states helping bear the
burden of keeping up the canal after
helping to build it. for the sake Of
beneffting the coast regions? Why not
charge enough in tolls to maintain the
property and operate It?
few interior member of senate
and house take a different view and in
sist that If transcontinental freights
are lowered. such lowering will be re-
flected in lower interior rates. But
this Is not the general view Of the in
terror statesmen. They look on the free
tolls question as largely question Of
the coast versus the interior and con-
slider the granting Of free tolls to ships
| in the coastwise business as a sort Of
granting Of subsidy by the interior
part Of the country to the interests en-
gagged In business along the coast,
whether Atlantic. Pacific or gulf and
so are not enamored Of it,
| Great Lakes Statements Attitude.
| Some Of the members Of senate and
house In the great lakes region. In
fact most of them, are for free tolls
to American ships in the coastwise
business. They are for it substantially
on the same grounds as are the repre-
senatives Of the coast regions.
The result is that while the war on
free tolls, which was waged unsuccess-
full3 in the house and which is beins
waged in the senate, is largely talked
OF as VIZ Of the transcontinental rail
roads against the canal. this is- only
partially true. II the interior mem
bers and their constituencies were not
indifferent to large extent on the
theory they will get no benefit out OF
the canal. the opposition to free tolls
would have short shrift.
It Is surprising to discover how gen.
eral is the feeling among members OF
congress from the interior that the
canal will be Of little practical use tt
the United States as q whole except II
a military sense, and that the COM
mercial benefits will accrue almost en-.
tirely to the coast regions.
Zone System Of Freight Rates.
Another factor In the situation
(which lessons materially the interest IL
free tolls, is the widespread belief II
congress that the interstate commerce
commission is going to bring about :
zone system of freight rates. 1t II
argued that the commission is NOR
and more reaching the point where !
is going absolutely to regulate freigh
rates in this country and to regulat
capitalization Of railroads, and that tn
more thoroughly it does this. the les
useful will water competition via tn
: canal ~ os a ro0,,Ia <or NJ tho rateR n