The Washington times., 1912-08-08
DENY CUT TO
ROAD-OWNED SHIPS
Senate Expected to Take Stand Today In Opposition to
Use of Panama Canal BY Shipping Lines
Dominated BY Railways.

well known the Connecticut Senator
Is opposed to divorcing the railroads
from control Of shipping lines.
Senator Works stoutly defended the
San Francisco chamber of commerce
from all charges that II had shifted
its position. He charged that inter-
ested parties had manipulated things
to get protests sent in here from some
OF the members of the chamber of
commerce and thus to make 1t appear
that certain resolutions the directors
OF the chamber had passed did not
represent the membership. But Sem
ator Works made II plain that these
protests represented only small
minority Of the membership.
The views OF the Los Angeles cham
Der Of commerce In favor of preventing
railroad-owned ships from using the
canal were presented by Senator Works
and inserted In the record.
SO far as 1 know" said he, no
telegrams have been received from the
members of the chamber of commerce
at Los Angeles opposing the canal bill.
The views OF the chamber of commerce
at Los Angeles point out the attitude
not only Of that organization, but, the
attitude OF business interests generally
along the Pacific coast
One of the remarkable facts brought
the committees Schwerin testified the
coastwise business OF the Pacific Mail
! was only 10 per cent of the foreign
business. Yet when the bill before the
ships to go through the canal II they
| had 80 per cent of foreign tonnage.
Schwerin promptly protested.
Senator Works. however, wanted a
ships from the canal, in accordance
Meh the House tns ef,HinS' bi sweeping provision IN
| Il believe in the exclusion of all
he said. THE Southern Pacific has
| owned and controlled the Pacific Mai
| Steamship Company for years. II has
throttled competition on the Pacific
| chance"
| He recalled the throttiing by the
J Southern Pacific of the attempt to es
tablsh a line of ships connected with
the Salt Lake road.
Reads Letters.
| One of the features of Senator Works
speech was his opposition to allowing
the railroad-owned ships to use the
| canal subject to the regulation Of the
Interstate Commerce Commission.
| He read letters and testimony which
| showed that both Chairman Prouty. o.
the Interstate Commerce Commission
and Commissioner Lane felt that thu
commission could not effect the neces
! sarv regulation, and that II was bes
for Congress SO TO legislate as to insuN
unrestrained competition.
| senator orks also said he was per
! mtted to present recent correspondence
between President Taft and Repre-
sentative knowland which showed tn,
President, having been convinced tn
Interstate Commerce Commission coul,
not regulate the shipping through th
canal II the railroads were to own tn
1 ships, reverted to his original belle
| that the railroads must be divorce,
| from control OF ships using the cana
and railroad-owned ships not allowed
| to use 1t.
| Senator Chamberlain of Oregon ais,
made a strong speech in favor of pre-
| venting railroad-owned ships from
| using the canal He appealed to tn
Senate to enact the bill as 1t came from
| the House.
Senator Burton spoke at length II
| favor Of striking out the provision per
| mitting free tolls for American vessel
in the coast business, and Senator Ree'
spoke against IT,