The Washington herald., 1912-07-19
THE PEOPLES FORUM
PANAMA CANAL TOLLS.
Railroads Deserve Consideration ms
Well as shipping.

1
| To the Editor: In discussing the ques-
ton of making the Panama Canal toll
free to American ships all the emphasis
/ seems to be placed on the question
whether Great Britain or any other power
has a right to object to our doing so. II
the purpose is TO divert public attention
from the question whether such a course
would be to the advantage OF the Ameri-
can people. the plan is rather ingenious.
because II the people can be got to be-
lieve that It is a question OF our own
rights in opposition to foreign dictation
| they will be in no mood for considering
the other question at all.
Yet the other question is really the
one that should be settled first II 1t IS
not to the interest of the American peo-
| pie to exempt American ships from pay
| ing tolls then the decision which our
! own interests require is also the one
| that Will meet approval abroad. and
| there is no ground for a quarrel with
anybody II Il would be cowardice 10
yield OR rights and interests for the
sake Of quietness IT would be some
thing rery like insanity 10 sacrifice
either the one or the other for the
sake " quarrel. A man would
scarceE quarrel with his neighbor over
| his riSht to set his own barn on fire.
| howevtr justly the neighbor might
compliin that his haystacks in an ad-
joinint field would be endangered by the
| spark
sayi Senator o'Gorman; "A free canal
for American ships means lower
cost bf transportation. freer and cheaper
food and the development OF the country
We are against the railroads placing
thelr hands on that canal and making
It a part Of their corporate assets"
It ls fashionable to attack the railroads:
utjthere are shipping combines as well
as railway combines: and however nat
ura 1t may be for Senator OGorman.
as representative of our greatest seaport.
tol favor the shipping as against the
railroads.. 1t is the interest as well as the
dfy Of the American people to hold the
bfance fair and even between the two.
king care that neither be allowed TO
ractice extortion upon them. OF the
20. the railroads. lying as they do Who'll
! within our own territory, are the more
lmenable to our control, and the ma
thinery through which we exercise that
control is gradually becoming more and
more effective.
We cannot dispense with the railroads:
and to render US the services We re-
quire from them they must be allowed
to make a living for themselves and their
100000 employees. That Is. there 10
limit below which we cannot reduce their
rates without Gripping their efficiency
and thus injuring ourselves But that
limit so far as II affects transcontinental
traffic. will indirectly fix the limit charged
on goods passing through the canal; be-
cause we may be perfectly sure that the
shipping companies. in fixing their rates
will be guided by the consideration OF
maximum profit. and will not reduce
them one mill below that point merely
because their freedom from canal tolls
v ould enable them to do so. Nor will
hey reduce them below the rates charg-
u by the toll-paying foreign ships, ex-
,ept by Just such slight margin as may
De necessary to enable them to get such
business as they want away from these
oreign competitors.
Senator O'Gorman is. therefore, IN
rror when he declares that "a free ca
nal for American ships means
over cost OF transportation, freer and
hcaper food" And II it does mean any
eduction at all In the cost of transporta-
ortional to the saving by the shipping
ompanies through their exemption from
oils. II means in the main larger prof
Is for shipowners and shipowning cor
orations and combines, and II does not
mean cheaper food for the millions of
american people. II is to be hoped that
he latter will be shrewd enough not to
y gulled by the use Of the words "Ameri-
an" and foreign" into the belief that
he interests of few rich Americans are
ecessarily identical with the interests
{ the country. That game has often
cen played with success, but the people
hould by this time be able to see through
!. EDwA1D r PETRA