The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-08-10
AMERICAN SHIPS
FREE THROUGH
PANAMA CAhA
Senate Passes Bill, w it'll
Amendments, by Nverwhelm-
ing Vote of AZ to Is
CANAL IS BARRED
TO LAW NIOLATORS
Ships Owned by Those Doing
Business Contrary to Anti g
trust Regulations
Cannot Use 1t

WASHINGTON, Aug s.ThS
Panama canal bill giving to Amert-s
can ships the right Of exemption from 4
tolls for passage through the -PanA-t
ma canal was passed today. ~ to 1b.4
One of the amendments attached
TO the bill denies the use of the canai%
to any ship owned or controlled by
any person or company doing business
In violation of the Sherman ants
trust law. the question of fact Involves u
to be- determined by any federal court 4
of competent Jurisdiction in any case
pending before ii to which the owns
ers or operators Of such ships are
parties
offered BY senator Reed.
This amendment offered BY Sena@sl
tor Reed. is supposed to be aimed par-s;
ticulary at the oil tanks of the stand-N
ard Oil company and the ships char
tered by the sugar trust for trans
porting the sugar product of the Ha-S8
waiian islands to the Atlantic sea-
board.
The most far-reaching propositions
of all was submitted at the last mo-
ment by Senator Bourne in the shapaS
of an amendment providing that
when ever the Interstate commercAS
commission finds that any raiiroa6a
engaged in interstate commerce other
than through the canal has any ktnfks
Of interest in the ownership of water
transportation companies. which IL
otherwise owned might compete with
any line of railroad owned or operated
by said company and that the effect
of such ownership in Injurious to th04
public" the commission shall re-
qutre such railroad company to dis
vest itself of its ownership or inter~
est in ssch water line or shall re-
quire such water line to be operated
under such restrictions and reguia-
tons as IN The judgment If the conn
mission shall be necessary to protect
the public interest
This amendment which was adopted
BY A vote Of 81 To Is gives the com
mission a control il has long sought
and which up to this moment has been
denied by Congress
Undoubtedly vigorous attempt will
he made In conference 10 get rid oE
this and the Reed mendment, but the
House provision regarding railroad
owned steamships is of itself so dras-
tic that IL Is probable the conferences
on the part Of that body will accept
these senate amendments.
Separate Votes Demanded.
Separate votes We're demanded after
the bin passed from committee of fhAs
whole into the senate on the pres icIiAs
action granted passage free from lnlis
10 American coastwise ahip, and those
engaged IN the foreign trade and tna
previous action Was again sustained.
the vote granting thlz exemption ia.4saafess44
| SO to 20.
The house provision regarding raii-T
road ownership of steamship iisses
amended the general interstate eaifl-
merce act So 10 prohibit such owners
ship, directly or indirectly in any
common carrier bY- water with wst.et1ss
said railroad or other carer aforesaid
does or may compete from traffie.
Senator Fioke Smith had inserted af-a
ter the words Carrier by water the
words Operated through the PaaaanAs
| canal, and that was again enluf@d8
by the senate, ~ to is.
This coupled with the BournAa
amendment gives the commission farN
greater power than that IL ever ha4a
had TO deal with trans pss taatiass- esak-
pany. both on land and water.
Tho voting against the bill wsra.
Republicau-Burtou. catron, 1.ransAS8
Fail. GaHinger. Hepburn. Lodge. M s~@
! CtiHaher@ pliper- PapEose,- Rect San
ders and Eetmore
Democrats anhhead. ShiveIy. To-
tal. Is S
of the canal and Que that should hGsS
lodged in single 0erson, to he ap~S
pointed by the president who Was tNa
be governor with absolute power over
the canal and the zone. s#
Board Of Three. sa
The senate committee reported iN%
favor board OF three commissioners
each with supreme authority In hs0&
respective sphere The senate ov41.8
turned this and accepted the hOumQ3
bill plan. one-man government. $sS}
Another important feature Of the hallSs
which did not enter into the fight sva1#
the admission of foreign built anin4$
To American registry If owned exCatM&
siveN By Americans and engaged &&9
the foreign trade. This. many HefI1S
tors believe to be OF Importance eQu1AA
10 anv provision In $50 entire bill fa&@
it is looked Ito By many senator's Nl
the FIRST practical step towards tNM&
upDuildng of the American merehAM4#
marine.