The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1912-03-14
PANAMA BILL
PROVIDES tolls
MEASURE AGREED UPON WOULD
AUTHORIZE PRESIDENT 70
OPEN AND OPERATE CANAL.
AMERICANS ARE
Boats Controlled by Railroad Inter.
ests Prohibited From Using Chan
neI-other News Of
Congress.

VooAAAA6lOA MATCH ll.-lu6 Dill LOT
the government of the Panama canal
zone and the operation of the canal
was agreed to by the house commit
tee on Interstate commerce. 1t would
give to the president authority to fix
tolls within certain limitations, a max
imum Of slips a ton being prescribed
with a minimum not below an amount
sufficient to maintain and operate the
canal. No preference would be Civ
en- to American ships. 5
The bill would authorize the presi-
dent to open and operate the canal and
to make rules for the government OF
the canal and ixe the tolls.
Prohibition Clauses.
The prohibition clauses, summarize
ed, include:
That it shall be unlawful, for ships
to pass through the canal which are
owned, leased, operated or controlled
by any railroad company engaged in
interstate commerce or by any other
corporation in which such railroad
company has any interest whatsoever.
or by any other person, association
or corporation with intent to restrain
or prevent, or with the effect of re-
straining or prevention of competi.
ton through the Panama canal, either
between ships, ship lines and ship
companies, or between ships, shin
lines or ship companies and rail.
roads,"
The Government.
That it shall be unlawful for n
ship to pass through the canal if the
owner shall be engaged in any agree
ment, combination, ship ring or con-
ference with intent to restrain or. pre-
vent, or with the effect of restraining
or preventing competition 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 bailiffs in the various towns
throughout the zone and would pro.
vide jury trial On demand in all Grim.
inal cases and cases at law. The dis
trict court would have appellate iur-
fsdiction with the circuit court of an.
peals at New Orleans. Extradition of
criminals also would be provided.
Democrats Would Hasten LEGISLATION.
Curtailment of the Democratic tar
III revision program with a view to
speeding up" congress to permit ad-
tournment before the national conven-
lions is now the expressed aim of the
majority in the house. Re-
publicans and Democrats in the sem.
ate and house are chatting over delay
In actual legislation that threatens to
crowd congress later on. Democratic
Leader Underwood of the house, chair
man of the ways and means commit
tee, indicated that the wool tariff re-
vision bill, which is to be reported
probably within ten days, will be the
last of the revision measures at this
session of congress.
Senator Smith of Georgia, who was
secretary of the interior under the
last Cleveland administration, is lead
ing an attack IN private pension bills
and says many of these are for the
benefit of deserters.
Replying to these allegations. Sen.
ator McCumber of North Dakota.
chairman of the senate pension COM.
mittee, says that the only basis for
such a charge is the fact that in a
few instances where congress has by
special legislation removed the charge
OF desertion and given an honorable
discharge to a soldier, such soldier ia
granted a pension by the pension bu-
reau, If it is disclosed that he ia
entitled to such pension as a resplt
of disabilities incurred in the ery-
ice. . . ~
There are now pending in the house
committee on pensions. of which the
Democrats now have a majority of the
membership. more than 10000 private
pension bills. In a great majority of
these cases, the committeeman saw
the private pension bills are
because under the general pension
laws these soldiers or their widows
are not entitled to either pension or
increase OF pension under the gener-
al law and special reasons exist whv
such pension should be granted.