The Washington times., 1912-05-16
CANAL BILL CALLED,
AND DEBATE MAY
LAST THREE DAYS
Waterway May Be Closed to
Ships Owned or Con-
trolled by Railroads.

With prospects that the debate will
run for three days, the Panama canal
Dill was called up In the House today
by Congressman Adamson of Georgia,
chairman Of the House Committee on
Interstate and Foreign Commerce. The
Dill provides form of government for
the Canal Zone. authorizes the Presi-
dent assess tolls for the use of .he
canal, prohibits the remission of tolls
to American-owned vessels, and closes
that man-made waterway to all ships
owned or controlled by competing rail-
road interests.
Those sections of the bill relating to
tolls and the embargo upon railroad
owned ships are the stumblinng- blocks
which will prevent an early disposition
Of the bill.
Five members of the Interstate Com
merce Committee-three Democrats and
two Republicans-f1led a minority report
vigorously opposing that section of the
nili which provides that no preference
snali be given American vessels. This
provision, 1t is contended by them, is a
blow, at the coastwise trade and the
merchant marine, and a strong plea Ia
made, for free tools for American-owned
The majority of the committee take
the position that the ships of all ma
tions. excepting vessels owned by the
fovernments a1 OF the United States and
the Use of the ca nal. There is a prohi-
bition, however, that ships of commerce
snall not be required by the President
70 pay more than $1.25 per ton regis
tered tonnage.
One Radical Provision.
A most radical provision is that sec
ton of the bill directed at railroad.
owned ships. Not only does the pending
Dill provide that these ships cannot pass
through the canal, but Section II of the
Panama bill would prevent railroads
from owning stock in competing steam
ship lines engaged in interstate COM
merce on ocean, lake, or river. The COM
mlttee report says:
The proper function of a railroad cor.
porat1on Is to operate trains on its
tracks, not to occupy the waters with
ehlps IN mock competition with itself
t;d W;nlch IN reality operate to the extinc.
Ing demands for the exclusion of rail.
road-owned ships from the tanaL by
amendment Of the act to regulate com.
metce' Insr the committee thinks it wise
amendment so as to serve the higher
wider, more pressing, and more neces.
sary purpose of excluding the railroads
from operating vessels in competition
with their tracks anywhere in the coast
and rivers"
II this sweeping provision is enacted
into law, some of the railroads will bt
required to sell their steamship holdings
amounting to millions of dollars.
When Chairman Adamson moved tt
consider, the Panama bill, which ha,
been on the calendar for several weeks
there was much parleying concerning
the length of the debate. Congressmar I
Broussard of Louisiana declared the
Panama bill was the most important
> measure considered at this section OF
Congress. He wanted at least three
days discussion. Mr.. Adamson said the
bill was worthy of lengthy discussion
but he saw no use of devoting too much
time to general debate.
Adamson Gets Applause.
''Why should we paw the air herr
before empty benches?' asked Mr.
Adamson. That Is what general de
bate generally amounts to. When
see that the House is losing Interest
in this subject I shall moye to begir
reading the bill under the minut,
rule" Applause from both sides o.
the chamber followed the remark.
Debate was then begun without fixinl
a definite time for its close. The sleds'
hammer blows against those sections
of the bill over which there will b,
contests will be delivered while the bIl
10 being read section by section.
with the semi humorous observation:
."It seems to have become the habi
here that anyone in charge of a bill
must explain it's provisions. It's {
perfunctorJ performance, but will nov
analyze the bill"