The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-28

lea. 1t Will be tho ocean highway
from ono part Of the country to tho 9th
err and the ocean highway for Eurone.
BESIDES Asia is just awakening, and
the soo,ooo.ooo and more of that con
tinent VIII eventually be sending tholr
goods to both sides of our hem,sphers
AS II Is now the distances betwe.p
ASA ana Europe favor Suez. but ALL
m.us' 40 a great business with North
and South America. Indeed. The nos.
sipiiitles are inest!mable.
HIorc About Tolls.
Now let us look at tho oue,,,o,
OF tolls" said Colonel t;octho,. CO
pose We should eventually have a traF
Tic equal TO that of Sucz have loo,1a,
over tho figures OF the suez Can.I
Tor i9os. During that year more than
r,VVo vessels paSsed through II. ana
200 oo ross tonnage was upward Of 2l.-
VVVooo. have not the RECENT, for
mat year but in 1907. when the ton
mage was 100000 less, the actual re
ccipts were more than $4,000 ooo
trahc Ike that would more than INV
per cent. interest OH the cost or
aie canal ana leave large surplus
above the OF rating expenses az woIi
Inc Sucz Canal has in times past
charged tolls OF 81 ton. I, ms
gradually reduced them. until with Inc
beginning of this year the charge. wiz
nc W." per ton. They are getting
.canS 10 meet our one-dollar tolls. ana
mat perhaps because the shippiny ~
the world has been complaining of lie
excessive rates and suggesting that IL
may favor Panama"
How about the rates on pasze,.
Ecrs?"
That Is another question. II the
'oh is levied on the gross tonnage
Of ship IL should perhaps tako in
t'e passengers. as tho passengers arc
part OF the weight This was tho
complaint made at Suez by the British
"hcn they sent through their troon
SHIPS. They had 10 pay for the gross
tonnage and then pay so much per
man. ~ one time tho rate was 81
per head. and that on 5000 .roops
would be $4,000.
This taxing the passengers wa,
ono OF the subjects OF the CONSTANT
noplc convention. and st resulted in
the present basis OF measurement OF
tonnage at Sucz. The tolls are now
based on the net tonnage. and the pas-
senEcrs are charged FOR In addition
~ 50 much per head. II VIC should
charEc for passengers in the Same
way look for a considerable revenue.
not only from tho tour!s, travel. hut
also from the great immigration which
VIII probably come from Europe to
south America in the near future.
believe that this viii be n passenger
route as well as a freight route.
should American Ships 60 Free,
Blu; how about our American YES
se's. Colonel Cocktails? Would YOU
charge them the same rate as those
OF foreign nations?"
II think that American ships ought
TO he favored. but by our treaty with
ENGLAND don't see how we can dis
eliminate In their favor as long as
they are engaged In transcont!ncntal
commerce. Under our coastwisc laws
we can discriminate In favor OF our
own vessels' since all others are pro-
hibitcd from engaging In trade be-
tween American ports. would make
lower rate for such yesscIe''
And tlicn there is another question
that comes up right There" SAID COL
onel Cocktails. and that is whether II
Is lair TO give such rates IN justice to
the interior OF the country. As II Is
now. the coast cities are the favored
ones as TO tho transcontinental rail-
way haul. They get propor;Ionatcly
lower rates than the towns OF the IN
terior. il YOU cut the rate ot tolls this
Will give those places additional adj
vantagcs. Another point is that tho
coas,wisc shipping viii make a rate
just az high as the traffic Will stand
and any cut We may make in tolls on
It's behalf Will result in benefit TO
the shipping interests and not to the
merchants who ship nor to the Will
mate consumer
, How about the intcrcontinental
railways? WIN the canal seriously ar
feet them
II. viii to some extent. OF course.
There are certain commodities that
Will always be handled BY rail and
. La
freight which Is sure 10 go on the
ships. The intermediate classes OF
commodities Will bc sought after by
both railways and ships and the aues-
ton. as to just what the tolls are will
To some extent determine the route"
| Copyright, 1912. by Frank G. Car.
penter.)