Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-08-02
TAKING ACTIVE PART IN LEoi8.
LATloN REGARDING CONTROL
AND TOOL CHARGES.
PLANNING TO REAP BENEFIT
BELONGING TO TAXPAYERS
Railroads With stsam Connections
Attempting to Shape Legislation "a.
vorab!s to Lines-British Protest
Believed TO q. Bluff in interests Of
the Roads.
Especial Correspondence

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2.-Evtdence that
the railroads are keeping In closer
touch with the Panama canal bill than
seems necessary If the canal is to be
operated for the benefit Of indepen-
dent shipowners and the taxpayers OF
the country who paid for it. has Just
come TO light in Washington.
This evidence is significant enough
that It ought to convince every citi-
zen that the railroads are planning 10
reap for themselves every possible
benent that should go to the public
and to convince them that right now
IL the time to save one OF the most
gigantic nroiects ever undertaken LOT
general good from the Unsuitable nav
Of Transportation ogres whose sieU
seems to know no bounds.
Calls hsnehmsn to Duty.
ON July 8. when the. Panama Dill
was lust getting under way In the
senate, Senator Brandegee OF Con
necf,cut in charge of the bill, called
I'm President Charles H. Mellon OF the
New York New Haven & HARTFORD
railroad and said to that railroad mos
was getting beyond him ana urs"e
,ha ,ailroad president to send back 70
.sbineton senator Mclean OF Con-
necticut and senator Lippitt OF Rnooe
,s,and al once. All these senators
,resunabIy are drawing their pay
go, tha government for transactlhss
h,,sinass snr the people Of the unlteo
s,atss hut when Mr.. Mellon snapped
~
s.,,,nca te,erhone they hurried PACK
.r yashinston and got into the hg h''
A. they had left the scene Oh ac.'o1.
aa then hurried back at the ordeF Oh
,;,.ond president, it seems plausi-
s,a ,ha, ,hey got into the fight IN Tue
o ~. ,a,iroad rather than to en-
alu - hos, noss;ble canal bill.
-. steamship Connections.
Naw york. New Haven &
T. connected directly and lnol,
io.u Len most of the principa,
reus yves in New England. anu
it seems doubtful II these SEND ~ the
pect to overlook chahce ~ canal
most possible benefit from 'N
for these railroads and shps ,,o, 1ot
II i. significant, TOO 'na. ;n,erests
into touch with other ram o ,,.r,ous
ana many resolutions IRON ,,.ad IN
-,.rts Of the country were - rrsa
Tho senate urging the aoop.on oln.
,,,l. But Just as soon as MS came
,;ons began to appear. Dit.
t,rr,edly information tnat .,a.-
air would object TO 49,. nd
u,-6er the Hay Pauncefote
+ba.. the granting Of free Tolls 10 l,,-
ican ships would be regarded d
cr;rripation. Persons In "aee
Who are interested in seeing "
or,v the best possible canai oiit -
,c.ec have wondered at the euooe hiieeS
WITH which this Information became
nublic Just at time wheh se g
DELAY was needed to periect some "
tho MANS necessary to the RAILROADS "
got the bill in shape to suit them.
British Protest Not Received.
Added to this is the fact ina. ai.n'
tho matter was laid unotiiclaiIy oe
fore the secretary OF state ana oy nan
transmitted to the senate, the oiiic'a'
automatic protest has not yet oeen re-
eeiyed 1t looks very much. say moss
in touch with the situation. tnat III
urging the adoption OF resolution LUZ
free tolls, the railroads lolioWeo Inc
biblical Injunction not to let the Fish'
hand know anything ABOUT lne oSso
of the left hand. In other words. there
is a suspicion that American raliroAos'
aided by the Canadian lines, including
the Hin system. which knows no coun-
try. deliberately set about to get TINS
protest from England. First, 1t granted
delay; second, 1t gave an apparently
important reason for the opposition 70
free tolls, and third, it opened the way
to the possible establishment OF pre-
cedent az to discrimination that might
ultimately permit railroad owned ships
to use the canal.
Big Fight Ahead.
But the fact remains that the rail-
roads are deeply interested. and II ev-
ery bit of advantage gained by the
| construction of the canal is to be con-
served to its rightful owners. the hon
est members Of congress are going t.
have one OF the greatest fights in his
I tory on their hands. The stakes are
enormous and the railroads are not IN
| the business for their health. They are
going to win this battle II they can and
have one more tentacie. probably the