Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-10
GRANTS FREE TOLLS
Senate Passes Panama Canal
Bill AZ to Is.
HARD FIGHT Is WAGED
Ships Owned by Illegal Industrial
Combinations Barred.
RAILROAD OWNERSHIP HIT
Carriers Must Give Up Their Water
Lines Which Might Be
Competitors.

Inc Panama canal administration bill,
providing free passage to American ships.
prohibiting railroad-owned vessels from
using the waterway and authorizing the
establishment of a one-man government
when the canal is completed, was passed
by the Senate last night by vote of ~
to ID. The provision for free tolls. which
was fought out in the Senate Wednesday.
was Endorsed again just before the pas
sage of the measure.
Attached to the bill as it passed the
Senate We're two important amendments
directed at trust or railroad control OF
steamship lines. The first, by Senator
Reed. would prohibit ships owned by an
illegal industrial combination from using
the canal; and the second, by Senator
Bourne. would force railroads to give up
water lines that might otherwise be their
competitors, if it were proved that they
were sitting competition.
Two Motions Defeated.
Opponents of the free-toll provision for
American ships, against which Great
Britain made formal protest carried their
fight up to the last of the bills consid-
GRAFTON. Just before it's passage SEN
ator Root moved to strike out the Sec
ton giving free tolls to American coast
wise vessels. and Senator Hoke Smith of
Georgia moved to strike out the pro-
vision for free tolls to American ships in
the foreign trade. Both Of these motions
We're defeated by overwhelming votes.
AS the bill passed it would permit
American coastwise vessels to pass
through the canal free. without condi-
tons. while American foreign-trade ships
might pass through free If their owners
agreed to sell the vessels to the United
States at a fair. price in time Of war
or emergency.
The great fight Of the day centered
about the provisions to prohibit railroad
owned ships from using the canal. The
broad terms Of the original House bill.
which would have required every railroad
in the country to dispose at once Of any
steamship lines with which it might
the Senate. This was modified so that
railroads would be prohibited only from
owning steamship lines that may operate
through the Panama canal
Much Vigor Restored.
The Bourne amendment, however.
adopted later by vote of So to %. re-
stored much of the vigor of the anti
railroad provisions Of the House bill.
1t provided that If the Interstate COM
merce commission should find that any
railroad had an interest in a COM
petitive line Of steamers, and that such
interest was Injurious to the welfare
of the public, the commission might
compel the railroad to dispose Of its
steamer connections.
Senator Brandegee. chairman Of the
Senate, made an ineffective fight on
the rigid provisions against the rail-
road ships. After the amendments had
been adopted to the House bill. he
lating to railroad control be stricken
out. This motion was defeated, AZ to
Is. A subsequent proposal by Mr..
Brandegee. to permit any ships to use
the canal. giving to the interstate
commerce commission power OF control
over them, also was defeated.
Reed Amendment Passes.
The Reed amendment. against trust
owned ships, was called up for a Sec
ond vote before the bill passed, and
was adopted on final passage by a vote
Of SO to %.
The completed canal bill finally was
passed with Senators Burton, Crane. Gal
linger, Lodge, Root and other opponents
of the free-toll and anti-railrOad features
of it voting against it.
In the form in which 1t returns to the
House, the bill adds to the general
scheme for operating and governing the
Panama canal, provisions for the admis-
sion to American registry of any foreign
built ship owned by Americans. provided
they are operated wholly in the foreign
trade.
No debate was allowed yesterday. under
the agreement made Friday on the
and Reed. Following the adoption of the
latter amendment, Senator Fall intro
duced a facetious provision, requiring the
canal authorities to hold up all ships and
search them for trust-made goods. II
any such should be found it was provided
that the vessel should be held while the
case was tried in court. On the vote Sen
ator Fall deserted his own amendment
and it received no support.
Sees Treaty Violation.
Senator Brandegee, closing the debate
insisted that the provision of the Senate
bill, admitting American vessels engaged
in the foreign trade, to free passage in
the canal was an undoubted violation of
the Hay-Pauncefote treaty with Great
Britain. He opposed also the Williams
amendment admitting American-owned
foreign-buiit vessels to American registry,
provided they did not engage in coast
wise trade.
III mas Deen pTOpOSeu tHdt tiiS WOuiu
help build up the American merchant
marine" he said. ITO my mind it would
be humiliating spectacle for Americans to
see ships travelling around the world
under the American flag, with the label
built in Germany attached to Them
Senator Simmons Of North Carolina
advocated the absolute enforcement Of
railroads from water carriers, except
where the latter were necessary to COM
plete railroad routes.
1.-The problem we are trying to solve"
he said, "is to protect the people from
railroad control of competing water
lines" He declared it was the duty of
congress to prevent monopoly and not
allow vessels controlled by the railroads
to run rampant through the Panama
canal
Position of Railroads.