The Sentinel=record., 1912-08-10
SENATE PASSES BILL GRANTING FREE TOLLS TO AMERICAN
 SHIPPING INTERESTS.
TWO iMP0RANT AMENDMENTS
Illegal Combinations Cannot Use Ca nal and Railways Must Give Up Water Lines That Might Be
 Competitors.

| Washington, Aug. 9.-The Panama canal administration bill providing | free passage to American ships, pro hibiting railroad owned vessels from using the waterway and authorizing the establishment of one man gov- ernment when the sanal is completed passed the senate tonight by vote l of AZ to Is. The provision for free tolls, which was fought in the senate l Wednesday, was endorsed again just before the passage of the measure. Attached to the bill were two import ant amendments directed at trust or railroad control of steamship lines The first, by Senator Reed, would prohibit ships owned by an illegal in- dustrial combination from using the canal: and the second by Senator Bourne, would force railroads to give up water lines that might otherwise he their competitors if 1t were proved they were stifling competition.
 Opponents of the free toll provision against which Great Britain made formal protest, carried their fight up | to the last moment. Just before pas sage of the bill Senator Root moved to strike out the section giving free tolls to American coastwise vessels; Senator Hoke Smith of Georgia moved to strike out the provision for free tolls to American vessels engaged in foreign trade Both motions were defeated lby overwhelming votes.
 As the bill passed would permit American coastwise vessels to pass ] through taes caHal free, with condi- tions, while American foreign trade ships might pass through free if theiI owners agreed to sell the vessels tt the United States at a fair price in time of war or emergency.
 The great fight of the day centered about the provision. to prohibit rail- road d-owned ships from using the ca- nal The broad terms of the original house bill, which would have required every railroad in the country to dis pose at once of any steamship lines with which it might otherwise com pete, were not accepted This was modified so railroads would be pro hibited only from owning any steam ship lines that may operate through the Panama canal
 The Bourne amendment, however, adopted later by vote of 36 to 25. restored much of the vigor of the an ti-railroad provisions of the house bill. It provided that if the inter state commerce commission should fnl any rairoad had an interest in competitive line of steamers anS such interests were injurious to the welfare of the public, the commission might compel the railroad to dispose CT it's steamer connections
 Senator Brandegee made an ineffec- tive fight on rigid provisions against railroad ships After the amendments had been adopted he moved that the whole paragraph relating to railroad control be stricken out This motion was defeated, 45 to lS A subsequent proposal Iby MT. Brandegee to permit any ships to use the canal. giving to the interestate commerce commission power of control over them, also was defeated.
 The Reed amendment against trust owned ships was called up for 6 sec cnd vote and was adopted on final passage, 36 to 23.
 The completed bill was passed with Senators Burton, Crane, Gallin- ger, Lodge, Root and other opponents ot the free toll and anti-railroad flea lures of it, voting against 1t.
 In the form in which it returns tc the senate the bill adds to the gen. eral scheme for operating and gov erning the canal and provides for the admission to American registry oi any foreign built ships owned bS Americans, provided they are oper- ated wholly in the foreign trade.
 No debate was allowed today or amendments offered by Senator! Bourne and Reed. Senator Brandegee closing the debate, insisted that the provision admitting American vesseA engaged in foreign trade to free pass. . age as an undoubted violation Of thu Hay Pauneefote treaty with Grea Britain. He opposed also the Will. Hams amendment admitting American , owned foreign built vessels to Amer , ican registry, provided they did no , engage in coastwise trade.
 Tt his been proposed that thii , would help built up the American merchant marine. he said. ITO m. F mind 1t would be humiliating spec tacle for Americans to see ships trav - cling around the world under tn 9 American flag with the label built il B Germany attached to them.
 3 Britain Is Indignant.
 ,- London. Aug. 9.--iBritish ship own CTS are indignant at the United State