The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-03-06
THE SAME OLD GAME Railroads Working to Ob- tain Control of Panama
 Canal Rates


 trade Is more yitally interested than the question of tolls on the Panama Canal which, in view of the opening of the "b'g ditch next year, must be speedily settled in order that all nations may be advised in due season of the position taken by our govern ment.
 There are now pending before Con- gress several hills which have for their purpose the separation of the water carriers from the rail carriers Tc be more explicit, it is the purpose of these bills to prevent railroads from owning or controlling competing water lines, either directly or indirectly. An effort is being made to prevent the enactment of this legislation by try ing to make to appear that, if such a bill is passed, it is doubtful whether there will be any American lines of steamers engaged in traffic through the Panama Canal.
 During the past week William R. Wheeler, representing the San Fran. cisco Chamber of Commerce; D. O Ives, the Boston Chamber of Com merce; N. B. Kelly, the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, and J. N. Teal the Portland Chamber of Commerce have appeared before committees o1 Congress, the Secretary of War and other officials ard have urged with du IH6 1OTC6 dIIQ dI tiCiA command the necessity of the legs lation proposed; while R. P. Schwerin vice president and general manager o1 the Pacific Mail Steamship Company ard Maxwell Evarts. general counsel of the Hartman lines. have been equally busy in opposing 1t.
 Joseph N. Teal. of Oree on. who has made transportation problems study for many years, and who is looked upon as an uihority upon the ques- tion of rail and water rates, said fn the course of an interview upon the subject:
 '"The principal opponents of this leg s'ation-at least those who are mosl in ev'dence-aEe the representatives of the Southern Pacific Company. whl h. through it's ownership of a. cor troll ns interest in the Pacific Mail Steamshir Company, operating from Panama ,t6 Pacific coast points, has for years done all in its power to eliminate not only water competition hut the use o1 water for transportation.
 "Cre of the principles for which tht National Rivers and Farbors Congress has continuously contended fo~ years has been the elimination of this rail road control of competing water car riers and the securing for water trans portat:on the position 1t deserves q: an instrumentality of commerce. nave no n0SltduCy III SdyiuS that CFCi ore who believes in the use of Wate' for transrortation purposes should | this time, while this 1egisla tion i' bending, use all his influence In 1T favor, for if it fails now twill b. very difFoult to secure its enactmen in the future.
 'sIt is a strange situa ton to find tn Southern Pacific Companv endeavor ing to secure this legislation, wh'rl 1 it claims will enable it to compete with itsele hv sea; but this $ the nc sition it claims to occupy and the con di+ion 1t asks the peonin to accept l The Southern Pacific alleges that l | is it's purpose, through it's control 0 i the Pacific Mail Steamship Tine. t' i r1,ild four 1s-knot vessels costing ST, ! OoO GOO. which it expects to .ope-at r through the canal between New Yorl ard the Orient: but it insists that T order so to do it must at the sam | time engage 'n the coastw'se tra'e be | tveen New York on the one hand an'
 Los Angeles and San Francisco o' the other, making these cities port | of call.
 "In view of the general desire f | build ur an American Merchant Ma i rine this is a very ingenious dev'c 1 tv which to ohS"'1re the real purpose which is to obtain the rower to fl,
 rates for transportation bv water be | l abled to maintain transro-t'nental raj i rat tes It IS obvious that the propose co-struc.icn Of. trese four la-ge s.ea m isships is held out as a consolat1o
 prize to those interested in the un
 hnild'ng Of an Ame-scan Mercran
 Nar're. hut anyone who is fa~il'a with the history Of railroad controlle stea r~hin lines understands that tN l establishment Of such a ine wil pre
 vert investments by rrfvate ownHr in the hui1ding and operation of frde rerdent fires. Even if anyone va foolish enough to es'ahlsh an inde rerdent lire 1t would speedily r | driven out of bes'ness, as has hau rened in r-anv similar cases before for the railway company woul1 sim ply operate it's boats at loss unt
 the irdeperd dent line was destroye and then make back it's loss by nut ting rates as lirh as it nleased. Wbe the true inwardness Of the situation
 uuderstood the proposition of th Southern Pacific Comranvt is not l'Fe ly to te received with favor either b ;! Congress or the public"
 QUICK RELIEF FOR RHEUMATISN George w. Rooms, Lawton, M oh
 says: "Dr Detebon's Relief for Rheu matism has given my wife wonderfl