The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-07-13
|CANAL BILL FIGHT
READY FOR SENATE
Measure Has Been Submitted
Without Committee Re-
port-Tolls Question.
palladium Specially

WASHINGTON, d. c., July 49,
Shall shipping controlled more or less
by the railroads be excluded from the
use of the Panama Canal and shall
ships engaged in the coastwise trade
be permitted to use the Canal free OF
toll, are problems shortly to be solv-
ed by the senate when the bill pro
viding for the opening, maintenance,
protection and operation of the Pana-
ma Canal is taken up for considera-
ton by the upper branch of congress.
The House bill relating to the regu-
lation of the Panama Canal was
amended in a number of important
particulars by the senate committee
on Interoceanic Canals, OF which Sena-
tor 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 re-
port from the committee. While
amendments were adopted by MAORI
ty votes in a number of instances, a
majority could not be found to stand
for the bill as amended and so it's max
ing is entrusted to the senate, which
will probably debate the questions sug-
gested at considerable length.
The House Measure.
The bill as it 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 it
came from the Senate Committee on
Interoceanic Canals extends the pro-
vision 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 of war or other
public emergency, and allows railroad
owned ships engaged 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 Orien-
tai or European ports.
Upon these provisions, as lively and
interesting debate as the senate 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 Sena-
tor George E. Chamberlain, of Oregon
today. h.
Coastwise vessels should be permit
ted to use the canal without the pay
ment 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. a.,
"If railroad companies are permitted
to operate steamers through the canal
and engage in coastwise traffic in COM
petition with acknowledgement
steamship companies, the result will
inevitably be that by reducing rates
below a renumerative basis steam
ships owned by railroad companies
will drive the independent companies
out of business entirely and leave the
railroad companies to fix the transcon-
tinental rates, at figures that will not
only compensate for carriage but for
losses sustained by their steamers.
"This has been the history of trans
portation on both the Atlantic and Pa
cific coasts and railroad companies
have for years operated steamers at a
loss, driving independent lines out of
business and fixing arbitrary rates for
interstate and all continental traffic.
ut is a part of the history of the
Pacific coast that the Southern Pa
cific company and other transconti-
mental roads have operated steam
ships on the Pacific, between Panama
and points north, at heavy expense
and yet have been able to recoup these
losses by excessive rates by rail-"