The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-12-25
SIR EDWARD GREY'S PLEA.

Sir Edward Grey, the British For.
eign Minister, appears extremely anx.
iouS lest the operation of the Panama
canal may not pay expenses. He is 20.
licitous lest the United States may
lose mouey on account Of the use of
the canal, and has made long plea
for adjustment of bookkeeping. His
special point is that unless the United
States charges the regular Panama
canal tolls against our coastwise YES
sells, the revenues of the canal may
fall below the expenses, and that there.
upon the United States might feel
tempted TO raiso the tolls upon foreign
vessels, He expressly admits that The
United states would be at liberty 10
pay subdidics TO American coastwise
ships or reimburse American vessels
for their payment of Panama canal
tolls by rebates, But the point he
makes is one OF account keeping. in
which be fears that British shipping
might be uuduly assessed to pay short.
age Of expenses.
Thus, if the United States exacted
tolls from her coastwise vessels, the
Panama canal account would show. let
us say, the payment OF $4,000, 900 in
tolls by those vessels. aud so the canal
account would be credited with that
amount, and the United States could
make good from out of its treasury
the amount of tolls so paid, by paving
TO those American vessels subsidies or
rebates. But if the United States did
rot collect this s5,000,000 from Amer.
lean vessels, he fears that the United
States would make other nations that
use the canal mako good this defici-
ency,
II is keen point in bookkeeping.
but in substance, so far as the United
States is concerned, il win be for US
not question of taking the money. out
of one pocket and putting it IN an
other, but Of substance and actual
money account A trick of bookkeep.
ing will not suffice for the American
public. We want actualities. and not
the nero Pigments OF technical ac-
counts
Whether the tolls which the United
States has fixed for the use Of the
Panama canal by foreign ships and
BY American vessels engaged in the
foreign trade, will be sufficieut TO
maintain its operating expenses and
provide q reasonable sinking fund, is
question that tho British need not
concern themselves about Sir Edward
Grey is altogether too technical in this
matter. If the United States shonld
assess tolls against foreign and Amer.
lean sea-goiDg vessels using the Pan
anna canal in insufficient amount TO
| pay the operating expenses and provide
sinking fund, the matter would not
be mended BY this country paying re-
| bates TO American vessels; for by such
payment We would be out Just that
much money.
Tho fear that Sir Edward Grey ex.
presses lest the British ships may be
compelled to pay more than their share
OF tue tolls at Panama is needless All
nations will be treated alike in the
use OF the Panama canal, according 10
the treaty. Tho United States, ss
builder and owner of that canal, and as
sovereign in the territory through
which the canal passes. has complete
| commercial and political supremacy
! aud viii attend 20 the bookkeeping
accounts in It's own way. No man put.
ting in an improvement aud partly
using that Improvement himself per