New-York tribune., 1912-08-13
Hostility to Free Tolls for Amer
lean Ships Indicates Postpone
Z. ment of Measure Until Next
Y: Session of Congress.
CONFERREES MOVE SLOWLY
Democratic Senators Said To Be
Wavering, and Opponents OF
Plan Assert It Threatens
Success of San Fran
cisco Exposition.

to that provision which grants free
passage to American vessels engaged
in foreign trade, has become so deter
mined in the Senate that the prediction
was made tonight that the measure
'would not reach the President at this
session OF Congress. 1t was further
prophesied that the two houses would
agree 10 take up the subject next De-
cember. when the stress of campaign
expediency has passed.
The conferrees on the measure met
for the first time to-day. and continued
their discussion tonight, but made
little progress toward an agreement on
the Bourne amendment empowering tho
| Interstate Commerce Commission 10
divorce railroads from control OF COM
peting steamship lines and the Reed
amendment prohibiting trust controlled
ships from using the Panama Canal.
Both houses have Endorsed the plan to
prohibit railroad owned ships from
using the canal, but the Bourne and
Reed amendments are new matter so
far as the House is concerned.
The night session of the conference
committee developed a demand on the
part OF House members that shipbuild-
ing materials be admitted to this coun'
try free of tariff duty II the Senate pro
vision permitting American registry for
foreign built ships owned by Americans
is retained.
| No definite agreement was reached
tonight On any amendments 10 the
bill although many of the minor
changes are acceptable TO all members
of the conference committee. From the
attitude of House members of the com
mittee ii is believed the anti-railroad
provision suggested By the Senate may
be in part retained.
Say Taft Should Veto IT,
The House conferrees will it is ex-
pected, insist strongly on the elimina-
| ton OF the Bourne amendment and the
provision renting tolls TO American
| foreign bound ships. 4 number OF
! Democratic Senators are said TO be
wavering on the toll provision point
| and should the matter again come to
| a vote they made recede from the po-
/ sition they have taken. The Senator's
| who voted against the canal bill. among
whom are several Of the most infuen-
! tial members Of the Committee on For
/ eign Relations. frankly express the
! opinion that President Taft should veto
| the meas sure if it goes to him for APP
provaL
! They say il the United States should
| insist upon making a fight for free
/ tolls TO American vessels the fate OF
the san Francisco exposition. which is
! intended to celebrate the opening OF the
greet waterway. will hang in the bal
ancc. Foreign nations, they point out,
cannot consistently be expected to par
| ticlpate in an exposition which will
| accentuate what they regard as the
mstreatment Of their maritime inter-
ests with respect to the Panama Canal.
Senator Brsndegee, who opposed free
toll provisions in the Senate, is under
stood 10 stand with Representatives
Adamson and Stevens, Of the House
conferrees, IN opposing what they con-
slider violation OF treaty rights and
| too great q concession to foreign bound
| shipping. II Is believed that the free
! toll provision for American coastwise
shipping will be retained.
May Go Over Till Next Session.
II the conferrees should agree upon
report before the adjournment OF
| Congress IL is not improba bic that the
discussion upon the report will be pro
| longcd to such an extent that the
whole matter will go over until the
next session. This is only three
months away, and the necessity OF con-
sidering so important a matter with
deliberation far outweighs In the
minds of the Senators who oppose the
bill the necessity for establishing
government in the Canal Zone and ior
laying down rules for the operation
and maintenance of the canal at this
session of Congress.
| The President, so far as members or
Congress have been Informed, has IN
no way indicated to Senator'S his opin-
ions as TO the kind of bill that should
fbe passed. What the rate of the meas
ure will be, therefore, after 1t has been
finally approved by both houses Is
still largely a matter Of doubt. Ihe
more conservative members OF the
Senate point out that there are sew
eral features Of the bill outside the
question OF tolls which call for grave
consideration and which constitute IN
effect the most revolutionary legisla-
tion undertaken at the present ses-
sion Of Congress.
This legislation, which they insist
should be eliminated and presented IN
the form of a separate measure instead
of being forced through in the form of
amendments to the canal BIZ, wou'u
| be sufficient reason for a veto. they
| assert.
A general diplomatic protest Wli pe
| the result Of the adoption of the meas
Continued on fourth page, Second column.