The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1912-04-26
CANAL TOLLS
ARE OPPOSED
As They Must Ultimately Be
Paid by the Con-
sumer.


the shock Of the Titanic disaster Ii
somewhat assauged by the days since
its occurrence, the American people
are once more turning to the things
in which they are vitality concerned
as nation, the Panama canal ques-
ton with its regulations as to tolls,
the manner in which tonnage is to
be computed and the settlement Of
controversies growing out Of rail and
water competition looms large on the
legislative horizon.
More and more is the impression
growing that the question is one Of
the largest Congress has been called
upon to consider since the enactment
OF the Sherman antitrust act or the
Hepburn rate bill.
w. K. Kananaugh, of St. Louis,
president OF the Lakes-to.the Gulf
Deep Waterway Association and one
of the leading business men of the
Mississippi valley, is an outspoken
opponent to tolls on the Panama canal
as they may apply to domestic COM
merce. While in Washington last
week Mr.. Kayanaugh appeared before
the Senate committee on interoceanic
canals, which is having hearings on
the subject OF Panama regulations,
and presented arguments in favor OF
free tolls which were listened to with
close attention by those entrusted
with formulating regulations govern
ing the users OF the canal, domestic
as we'll as foreign.
Mr.. Kananaugh in an interview on
the subject said: "This is one OF
the burning questions of the day.
How any man in the interior OF the
country could urge preferential tolls
on domestic commerce is beyond my
comprehension. Let me cite con-
crete case Of a shipment of barley
and canned goods from San Fran
cisco to st. Louis via water routes
and the difference between the rail
charge and the water charge. If
toll is to be added to the water rate
then the Panama canal will fail of
its mission.
This cargo of 1900 tons Of barley
and 300 tons of canned goods des-
tined to st. Louis left San Francisco
by boat. 1t was hauled to Colon and
there trans-shipped over the Panama
railroad and reshipped into a vessel
on the gulf side of the Panama rail-
road to New Orleans. There the car
go was put on the dock and the Miss.
issippi Valley Transportation Com
pany loaded the cargo into big
steel barge and delivered the barley
and canned goods to the consignee at
st. Louis at sixty cent rate-a dis
lance of 1850 miles by water and
rail haul from San Francisco to 81.
Louis.
This is striking illustration of
the benefits of water transportation
and what must come ultimately to
the interior OF the Mississippi valley
through the agency of the free tolls
on the big ditch and the people Of
the Mississippi valley would resent
any burden in the shape OF tolls or
tax on any commodity destined to or
from points in this watershed.
THE arguments advanced by some
that the toll would be absorbed by
the vessel is misleading. Any toll or
tax assessed through the Panama
canal must appear in the bill of lad
ing ultimately and must be paid for
= by the consumer. That is automatic.
1t would be just as logical to assess
tolls of the 500 canal on the sixty
million tons of freight that pass
through that canal or to place bur-
den on the commerce that passes over
the Mississippi river and its tribu-
taries as it would be to assess tolls
through the canal on domestic COM
merce.
30 Tar as 1 know atl nations uni
formly follow the policy Of favorlng
and protecting their own commerce;
certainly We can do no less.
%In this connection desire to ex-
press not only my own appreciation
but the appreciation of our people
living on the Mississippi of the edu-
cational work being done by the Ma
tional Rivers and Harbors Congress,
whose unselfish efforts to arouse pub
lie sentiment not only on the Pan
ANA canal question but on all other
questions relating to the development
of the rivers and haroors Of the coun-
try, deserve to be crowned with sue
cess"
NEW ROUTE.