The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-02-29
PANAMA CANAL LEGISLATION,

AT last the House Committee on In.
tcrstate and Foreign Commerce has
agreed upon bill for the regulation
and government of the Panama Canal
zone, and fixing roll rates for the use
of the isthmian canal. The first note
worthy feature of this proposition Is,
that United States vessels of CON-
marce arc to be treated precisely the
same as foreign vessels in charges for
the use of the canal This Is strictly
in accord with the treaty stipulations,
and any official enactment would nee
essarily have TO be OF this nature. The
suggestion made by President Taft that
American ships should be repaid the
amount of such tolls is something that
would have to come later and in Il
separate bill, which would provide for
the refund by the Treasury Depart
meut. Such bill could easily he in the
nature Of subsidy or subvention such
as is familiar to Great Britain, to Ger.
many, and TO other European nations,
and being in that form, Il form which
use, and under which they pay large
subsidies to their steamship lines there
would be neither misunderstanding nor
cause for complaint. For, surely
those nations would hardly have the eff
froptery to object to the United States
doing the same thing TO her merchant
ships that they themselves customarily
do TO their own.
The next main proposition is the gov
ernmcut of the canal. This is placed
practically in the hands of the Pres
ident as an executive function, TO be
exercised, no doubt. substantially as
is done now under the government Of
Col Goctbals. who has shown such
magnificent capacity, not only for the
technical work involved, but for the
general administration of the canal
zone. This is au admirable feature of
the bill. and it will undoubtedly be the
best possible means for the govern.
meut of the canal zone and the admin
istration of the operations Of the
canal. Col. Goetbals has already sug
gested many things that the Govern.
ment will necessarily be obliged to do,
in the way of keeping large reserves
of coal aud Of supplies of every kind
TO be disposed Of TO those that need.
thus forming great commercial basis
or depot for all nations needs at
the canal II it should trauspire that
this new method of turning over the
government of dependencies TO the
President as An administrative or OK
ecutive proposition without interfer
cnce from Congress or from politicians,
and should be applied TO the Philip
pines, 10 Porto Rico. to Hawaii, and
10 the other outlying dependencies, it
would be the hest possible thing for
the country.
The bin provides that the caual tolls
shall not exceed $l.25 a ton on the reg
istry OF the ships of commerce. All
ships will pay alike. save only that
the ships of the Government, the L. S.
Navy, its colliers, and such trans
ports as are necessary for the Govern
ment service, shall pass through the
canal free; this, as a matter of course.
Other commerce of the United States
will be treated primarily on the same
basis as the commerce Of foreign ma
tions; and so the treaties viii he fully
met aud the Government will keep
faith with all the world At the same
time, the canal will afford an opportu.
nifty of changing the routes Of com.
merce Of the world in large degree,
and will make the United States the
center of the commercial world as be-
tween the western li.toral of the Pa
cific and the great civilized nations
of Europe The United States will
thus be in the commanding position Cor
tbe great commerce of the world, and
will be certain to benefit accordingly