The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1913-05-16
RAIL ROADS BACK
or TOLL REPEAL

of tolls must be settled either by anbi7
tratfon or by the repeal OF the toll
exemption clause of the Act of August
81. 1912 The view which our govern
ment may hold as to the meaning off
the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty cannot
finally determine the meaning OF THAI
treaty IL our. view is not the one enss3
tertained by Great Britain. for the
reason that Great Britain may, anda
presumably will, demand arbitration
under the treaty of i eos, and our gov-
eminent cannot honorably refuse %
arbitrate. 1t is a source of satisfac7
tim TO the people OF the United states |
that this view of the obligation OF the
United states under the treaty OF lsps- |
is held both by ex7Fresident X ooseveitF
and ex-President Taft.
AS between arbitration of the ques-
ton of the exemption OF the owners OF
the coastwise shipping from the pay-4
n1ent of Panama tolls and the repeal |
of the toll exemption clause OF the
Canal Act, the latter course seems the
simpler and the wiser one to pursue.
IL we arbitrate and lose, we must1
either return the tolls that have been
collected or make some other equiva-.l
lent condensation for the tolls col 4
leeted in violation of the treaty, and
henceforth either charge no tolls ort
collect the same tolls on all vesSeis
using the canal. If we arbttrate and;
win. we Will but have established our
right to pursue a policy which IS. al
least. of doubtful wisdom. 4
| The Panama Canal ought not to oe.s
continuing burden upon the general
taxpayers of the country. It Is out
: inst that the burden of carrying the
/ Panama Canal should be placed upon
!, the producers, traders and shipowners
who. make profitable use of the canai
I'm carrying on their business.
/ 1t will require at least S19J25O,O 600
,ner ann,arn to make the canal CONNER
tcially self-supporting Careful inves-
| tigation indicates that the revenues;
al the end of ten years will, IL the
tcoastwise vessels are exempted from
1.-THE payment of tolls. be less than the
estimated annual outlay for operation
and maintenance, Zone sanitation and
i government the Panama sannaiity'
and the interest on the amount IN
lVested in the canal. The revenues
1 would yield no surplus for better
d ments and nothing for the amortiza-
.ition of the $s75, O0O,0 900 or more which
the people of the United States VIII
have paid for the canal
The coastwise steamship companies
h and not the shippers and the pnnllc
generally will be benefited by the eX-
lemption of the owners of the coast
\ wise ships from the payment of PAN
anna tolls. and the charges will be the
same by all lines. Rates Will be ad-
iusted by the coastwise carriers wiin
preference to the railroad tariffs. and
II in general, the rates by water between
the two seaboards will be such as the
L traffic viii bear and the rates paid by
shippers patronizing the steamship
Il lines will be the same.
The railroad companies will not
make large reductions in their rates TO
meet the competition of the water
lElines for the simple reason that they
win probably not lose more than one
tenth their through traffic II they
maintain rates.
I'm advocating the policy Of adher-
Ing. to business principles in the man
II agement Of the Panama Canal. It Is
not recommended that thezrate OF tolls
/ should be high. Indeed. the schedule
OF charges fixed by the president es-
tablIshes relatively low rates--rate:
that VIII not unduly restrict the Hss
lof the canal.