The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-08-24
HOW CANAL BILL
 HITS N. Y, N. H. & H.
Vice President Buckland Calls Attention to Ad- verse Effect on Interests of New England.

l Vice President E. G. Buckland of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Company has issued the fol- lowing statement regarding the effect l of the Panama legislation on railroads | like the New Haven, that have large interests in steamships in position to use the canan <~-. cee There is a grave question whether Congress has fixed definite standard to govern the commission in determin- ing whether railroad owned ships may be operated after July 1, 1914. The terms in the interest of the public, advantage to the convenience and commerce of the people exclude, pre- vent or reduce competition are too vague and uncertain expressions to form a standard by which the commis- sion may be governed.
 ITO impose upon only railroad own- ed ships the obligation3to publish and observe port to port schedules while leaving other ships free as at present; to make it unlawful to continue to operate a line like the Fall River line, which the railroads originally built, the reputation and, good will aof which it has developed; to compel it in effect to tie up it's boats because they, are useless elsewhere; to compel it to- sell them at a ruinous loss; all these are taking property without due process of law. 2s.,s
 ssTo compel a. railroad to build. a track to a wharf over land which it does not own and which it has no power to 'acquiresis clearly beyond the power of Congress or. the commission. Yet this is what is attempted.
 Hearings on the Panama Canal bill were. begun. at the Canal Zone in De- cember, 1911, i They were continued -1,s M when the hearings were closed. Dur ing all of this time the only subjects considered were those indicated by the title: that fs to, say the opening, maintenance. protection and operation of the Panama Canal and the santa zone.' At no time was there any thought of amending the interstate commerce law by this bill. At no time was there any,talk of prohibiting railroads from operating. steamboats, excepting steamboats running through the canal.
 "The law has distinctly favored railroads extending their lines, con structing new lines and adding shorter ad better lies between common points, even though the effect is to bring them in competition with their existing lines. It has always been thought that the more transportation a railroad company could offer the better the public would be served. Section II, however, reverses this policy regarding water lines hereto fore constructed by railroads and used in competition with them.
 s',The effect of this portion of sec ti enacted is seen in the following statement before the senate commit tee by George Stuart aterson. gen eral solicitor of the Pennsyivania n
 :. The Pennsylvania Railroad Com pany reaches New York city either through the tunnel or by the ferries operated from Jersey City. Under the bill those ferries disappear, ana IL means that everybody who travels oy the Pepnsyiyania raiiFoan ,s.ItI'' system
 ssSo. also. the Long Island Railroad Company, a part of the Pennsylvania railroad system, serving all or Long Island, reaches New York city elrneF1 by the tunnel under the East River or by the boats from Long lsland City to lower New York. Under this Dill the Long Island Railroad Company will be compelled to part with these boats, and this whole residential sec ton of Long Island will be compened to use the uptown rail terminal in steal of as at the present time being able to go downtown by poat; ,r,a
  New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad Company runs from Norwolk to a connection with the Pennsylvania railroad system at Delmar The traf- fife of the New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad Company is handled between Cape Charles and Norfolk by boat. Under this bill that boat service has to be given up. and you might just as we'll probihit the New York, Phil adelphla and Norfolk Railroad Com pany from continuing further in busl- ness.
 "One hundred per cent. of the traf- fic which the Pennsylvania railroad system from the, south and from the east gives the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Company is ham dled by car floats and lighters from Jersey City. In handling that traffic it competes with the traffic which moves all rail via the New Haven road and it's through southern connections over the Poughkeepsie bridge; and un- der this bill that traffic, which IS much the greatest proportion of traf- fic handled by the New Haven road, that traffic which comes from the west, and south and is handled through the Pennsylvania system, has to stop at Jersey City, and not one pound of it can go into New England"