The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-01-05

tribution to such development, because in some form advantage must come to us.
 The Panama Canal will, of course, greatly increase the efficiency of our Navy and no doubt will prove to be
 American commerce and navigation ever provided by. Congress. If these were the only considerations, It should remain under the act of 1894, but that act was properly amended on March 4, 1909, so as to exclude the Panama Canal, because we can not be expect ed to maintain an untaxed waterway for the navies and merchantmep of
 Before entering upon the undertak-
 ng we assumed cer tain obliga tions, to other na1aons. Srecited in theS first sec tfon of Article III of the Hay-Paunce e fote Treaty of 1901 and reiterated in Article XVIII of our convention of 1903 with Panama, as follows:
 1. The canal shall be free and open to the vessels of commerce and of war of all nations observing these Rules, on terms of entire equality, so that
 there shall be no discttmination against any such nation, or it's citi- zens or subjects, in respect of the con- ditions or charges of traffic, or other wise. Such conditions and charges of traffic shall be just and equitable. tion shall contribute with mo dis elimination" to the support of the ca nal in proportion to the use it makes of the can:tl. TT at principle will of course be observed. At the same time the purp ose f section of the r'ver and harbor act of July 5, 1884, may be preserved in the most important en- gineering work that we have ever un- dertaken. This may be accomplish ed by the enactment of law which shall provide that all tolls and tram sit charges witch may be imposed on public vessels of the United States
 .1r f Hrea TE1Tf faaN States for passing through the Pa-.- anna Canal shall be paid from any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and that here shall ee q appropriated annually, cut of any n1ou- ev in the Treasury not otherwise ap- propTt ated, such .uTDs aa may be necessary for the purpose, and thar SuCa appropriations snail 2 deemed pc. n ai.ent annual appropri:ILi 'ps.
 About 25 per cent. of the Suez Ca nal toIs on foreign merchant ves- sels are now paid in some form from the treasuries of the nations whose flags those vessels fly, and we may as- sume tbat like orDviss on, in at least some instances, will be mace for the payment of the tolls that we shaF as- seSs on foreign merchant vessels. For e-gn precedents, bow yer, are merely l I--strative. EN cry S-ate in the Un- ion with nav'gaDle waters crossing it's boundaries furnishes precedents of congressional appropriations for the est tablf shnent and maintenance of i'm provernents. at the continuing expense of the Federal Treasury and without do lars heln from the vessels which enjoy tie advantages Of such improve ments. Where the future oF A Ar~"~'- 4on ~hiDDino fs at stake, and the do- mestic commerce of both seaboa ,S and the Cuff is involved there is no apparent reason to depart from a principle which has been so constant ly invoked.
 The subject of Panama Canal tolls has been considered at some length because it is vital to the future of American merchant shipping Our opportunity Immediately after the war with Spain to adopt reasonable measures to secure creditahle mari time rank was neglected. The Pan ana Canal is being built in the be- lief that it will benefit all sections of the country and nearly every form of ships and shipyards are as essential to the Nation as our battleships. They have at least a claim to equal con sideration in canal legislation and ap- propriations with other American in- dustries. Every argumen to tax the American merchant ship which uses the canal would apply with equal force to a tax directly on American cotton, lumber, fruit, coal, grain and other 'cargoes carried by the ship through the canal. It is feasible to use the canal for the promotion of American navigation in a manner consistent with treaty obligations, with precedent at home and abroad. and with our fixed policy of untaxed navigation on improved waterways.