The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1912-07-15
of Toll for Shipping through
the Panama Canal at
Early Date.


less by the railroads be excluded
from the use of the Panama canal
and shall ships engaged in the coas-
wise trade be permitted to use the
canal free Of ton. are problems
shortly to be solved by the senate
when the bill providing for the
opening, maintenance, protection
and operation OF the Panama canar'
is taken up for consideration by the
upper branch OF Congress
The House bill relating to the reg.
ulation of the Panama canal was
amended in number Of important
particulars by the Senate commit
tee on interoceanic canals, of which
Senator Brandegee is chairman, but
the bill, which is on the calendar
and is to be made the unfinished
business after the sundry civil bill
is out of the way, was submitted
without report from the commit
tee. While amendments were
adopted by majority votes in num-
Der OF Instances, majority couid
not be found to stand for the
bin as amended and so its making is
entrusted to the Senate, which will
probably debate the questions sug-
gested at considerable length.
The bill as 1t passed the House
gives vessels engaged in the coast
wise trade free passage through the
canal and prohibits steamships
which are owned or controlled by
railroads from using the canal. The
bill as 1t came from the Senate COM
mittee on interoceanic canals ex-
tends the provision for free passage
to American ships in the foreign
trade. provided the owners of such
vessels agree that they may be taken
and used by the government in time
iof war or other public emergency,
and allows railroad-owned ships en-
gagged in foreign trade to also carry
coastwise commerce through the
canal provided that at least half of
their cargo, in tonnage, is destined
to or shipped from oriental or Eu-
ropean ports.
Upon these provisions, as lively
and interesting a debate as the SEN
ate. has listened to in years may be
expected. ~
"In my opinion the Panama bill
should be amended in the Senate to
conform to the House bill" said
George e. Chamberlain. OF Oregon,
today.
Coastwise vessels should be per-
mitted to use the canal without the
payment OF tolls, but this privilege
should not be granted to steamships
owned by railroads or by companies
the stock of which is owned in whole
or in part by railroads.
'Tf railOad companies are per;
mitted to operate steamers through
1.-THE canal and engage in coastwise
traffic in competition with independ-
ently-owned steamship companies,
the result will inevitably be that by
reducing rates below remunerative
basis steamships owned by railroads
will drive the Independent COM
panies out of business entirely and
leave the railroad companies to fix
the transcontinental rates, at figures
that will not only compensate for
carriage but for losses sustained by
their steamers.
This has been the history Of
transportation on both the Atlantic
and Pacific coasts and railroad COM
panies havel for years operated
steamers at loss, driving independ-
ent lines out of business and fixing
arbitrary rates for interstate and
ali continental traffic.
ut is part of the history of the
PacDfc coast that the Southern Pa
cific Company and other transcon-
tinental roads have operated steam
ships on the Pacific, between Pana-
sba and points north, at heavy ex-
pense and yet have been able to re-
coup these losses by excessive rates
by rail.
"Not only has this been the HIS
tory of the Pacific coast, but it is
1.-THE history OF transportation wher-
ever a navigab'e waterway is par
alieled by lines of rail. Whenever
an independent company undertakes
to operate steamers on such water
ways in competition with railway
ithese latter companies install theil
own vessels, reducing rates by wa
tier so az to drive out all competi
tion, thereby leaving the railroads
masters Of the field and able to fl
such rates as they may see Mt.
!. built fnl