The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-10
No Preference to Be Oven
 American Ships
IS NOT UNANIMOUS
The Maximum Toll Per Ton Is $l.25. Would Exclude Ships Owned by Railroads or Shipping Com
 bines--Minority to Report

zone and l1e operation or the cdllai was agreed to today by the House com mittee on interstate commerce. It would give to the President authority to fix tolls within certain limits, d ma ximum of s1.25 per ton being pre- scribed with minimum not below an amount suffieing to maintain and opp crate the canal No preference would be given to American ships.
 Exclude Ships of Combines l Ships owned or controlled by rail- roads and operated with the intention to restrain trade, or ships engaged in any agreement or ship ring, or com | lbine under the terms of the bill would be prohibited from passing through the canal.
 The bill was adopted by the commit tee by a vote of IA to 1. It ratifies and legalizes all the work done by ex- ecutive authority since the taking over of the strip. and defines and legaizes the courts there until changed by sub seauent legislation. The bill provides that the government procure title to lands not yet acquired.
 Dismissal of the Panama commission when the canal approaches completion is sanctioned and the President Is au- thorized to appoint q governor of the Panama strip at $10,000 per year to serve terms of four years when deslg- mated.
 Will Be Minority Report
 There will be a minority report on the bill. Representatives knowland of California. Broussard of Louisiana. Calder of New York, and Ioremus of Michigan, dissent from the measure. The bill would authorize the Pres l ident to open, operate. make rules for governing the canal and fix the tolls The provision relating to rates Is as follows:
 That the President Is hereby an- thorized to prescribe and from time to time change toll charges for the use of the Panama canal by all yes sells except those belonging 10 the gov ernment of the United States, includ- ing those of the Panama Railway com pany, and the government of the re- public Of Panama, which excepted yes sels shall be charged no tolls.
 Tentative Rates Charges may he based upon gross or net registered tonnage displace- ment tonnage or otherwise and may be based on one form of tonnage for warshf fps and another for ships of com merce, but the tolls shall not exceed S125 per ton, based on net registered tonnage for ships of commerce nor be less than Il registered cost of an ap- portionate cost of the maintenance or the canal.
 It's provisions include:
 That it shall be unlawful for ships to pass through the canal which are owned, leased. operated. controlled by any rail- road company engaged in interstate com merce or by any other corporation in which such railroad company has any interest whatsoever or by any other per son or corporation with intent to restrain or prevent, or with the effect Of restrain ing or preventing competition through the Panama canal. either between ships ship lines and ship companies, or be- tween ships ship lines or ship companies and railroads
 That it shall be unlawful for any ship 10 pass through the canal if the owner shall be engaged in any agreement com bination ship ring or conference with intent 10 restrain, or prevent. or with the effect of restraining or preventing com petition through the Panama canal among ships ship lines or ship companies or between railroads and such ships, ship lines or ship companies
 The bill would establish one United States district judge with magistrates and baiIiffs in the various towns throuehout the zone and would provide jury trial on demand in all criminal cases and cases at law The district courts should have power 10 appeal to the supreme court Extraditions would also be provided.