Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1912-04-12
BRIsTOW FEARS
CANAL BILL JOKER
Would Keep Railroads Out of
Any Possible Dis
elimination.

WASHINGTON. D. c.. April r.
Senator Joseph L. Bristow is not at
all satisfied with the bill relating to
Panama canal tolls. recently reported
by the House committee on interstate
and foreign commerce. Senator Bris-
tow. who made a thorough study Of
isthmian trade as special Panama rail-
road commissioner in 10 5. is especially
dissatisfied with that paragraph of the
bill which purports to discriminate
against steamship lines the stock OF
which. in whole or in part. is owned
by railroad companies. He thinks there
Is a joker in it. He also differs with
the House committee as to the proper
iates of tolls to be charged.
My own views,v he said yesterday.
"are represented in my own bill. In
that the rate is fixed at 81 per ton of net
registered tonnage, American measure
ment, for all vessels other than yes
ses Of the United States and of the
republic OF Panama, with further
proviso that for vessels of American
registry the charge shall be so cents
Ger net registered ton, American
measurement for vessels in the coast
wise trade. % cents per ton.
MY bill further provides that the
25 Gems charge shall be conditioned
upon agreement by the owners that
such vessels may be taken and used
BY the United States in time of war
uron payment to the owners of the
fair. actual value at the time of TAX
ing.
Il would favor free tolls for Ameri-
can vessels in domestic commerce If I
thought that tolls on foreign COM
merca alone would pay the operating
expenses of the canal. But it seems
certain that the tolls paid by foreign
shirs would not pay operating ex-
penses. and therefore / have fixed in
M bill the nominal charge for vessels
In coastwise trade of % cents per net
registered ton, which is equivalent to
Approximately 1919 TO 10 cents per ton
of cargo. This will not be burden
and will at the same time produce q
good deal of revenue.
II think these views are entertained
by a great majority of senators who
feel that 1t would not be just to tax
the American treasury to operate the
canal after the American peo-
pie have already put more
than $4O0,0o0,000 into the con-
struction of tine canal / do not be-
lieve that an absolutely free toll pro-
position would meet with the approval
of Congress. A great many not favor
ing free tolls do heartily favor nom
inal charge such as have suggested
In my bill
Just word with reference to Pa
ciilc mail lines. These lines have been
commercial pirates, run wholly In the
interest os the transcontinental rail-
roads for the purpose OF using the
Panama canal in private commerce
and to destroy any steamship lines
that wished TO establish legitimate
competition with the transcontinental
railroads by the isthmian route.
Absolutely forbidding of the use OF
the canal to steamship lines the stock
of which, or any part of it, is owned
or controlled directly or indirectly by
railroads or railroad interests doing a
transcontinentai business is necessary,
and If such provision is not incor
porated in the bill the canal will be of
little benefit to the American people
and American commerce. The great
American railroads have destroyed the
American merchant marine. assisted
by antiquated navigation laws. Take
New England as an example No
steamship line can operate on the New
England coast except by the permis-
sion of the New York, New Haven and
Hartford railroad. The financial power
of this railroad is so great that no
man will risk investment in any enter
prise in competition with them.
when Bernard Baker OIL baltimore.
undertook to organize a company with
fifteen million dollars capital to put
on an American steamship line to sail
between the Atlantic and the Pacific
coasts through the canal. he had his
project practically completed and the
capital subscribed. when the railroads
and bankers which they controlled
gradually began to take his support
from him, and through their influence
even ship building companies refused
TO construct ships because they did not
care to incur the enmity of this pow
erful corporation, and his project
failed"