The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1914-04-09
WHO FOOTS THE CANAL BILLS?
WHOSE RIGHT TO GOVERN IT2
The Portland Journal an Administration Paper R.hu,ss
the Claims of President Wilson in
Strong Article

american pohc} OF charglne tolls on au,
nome ships through our home canal III,
our home trade
lney say our adopted policy of u.r,.
Tolls as approved by the senate ,l..
mouse, the president. the supreme ,n,,,,
eX-President Roosevelt. richard olro,
hahnls Taylor. many eminent Rritish
authorities and 10y the Democratic, ana
Progressive platforms is national dis.
hohor than to abjectly surrender free
horor than to ahjectly surrender free
toIlS' abandon an essential part of our
control OF our canal to "A foreign mower
ana forever bind ourselves ana nur ms
'eHty to the principle that, thourh we
built and own the canal, a chief control
OF II is in Sir Edward Grey. British
foreign secretary.
| If any such Interpretation as is now
put forward had been urged at the time
the treaty was before the American sen
ate Tor ratification, the treaty would
nave been buried under the oblivion of
the indignation of 80 900 900 Americans.
NO senate would ever have ratified IT,
NO secretary of state would have negot-
lated it. No American president would
have signed it. No nation in the world
would have ratified a treaty under con
ditions such as the United States is now
| asked to accept
II is argued by those who take the
British view, that the RENTED tolls
would all go to the ship owners, Then
why are American lumberman in the
great South and West pleading for free
tolls? Why are American apple growers
pleading with the American congress to
continue to be an American congress
and listen to the advice of President
Hayes. who said, "the United States
cannot consent to surrender this control
to any European power?
If it is the shipowners who will get
i; all the benefit, who prospers from
dredging rivers, harbors and channels,
in lighting dangerous places along the
coast, in charting the waters used by
, commerce? If it is only the ship own
ers who will benefit, why has this ma
ton, exclusive of the Panama canal
. spent $625, 900 900 on rivers and harbors
of the United States in the past 4C
, years? The logic of the ship owners
, argument is that the United States, on
all rivers and harbors that it improves
should charge tolls, because the owners
of steamboats, and steamships will get
all the benefit. The argument is the
voice of the owners of the five trans
continental railroads in the United
, States and the American stockholders
! in the Canadian Pacific railroad.
Free tolls would be a reward Offered
in stimulation of American ship buildn!
and bonus for rehabilitation of al
American merchant marine. Returnin;
from a 10000 mile trip around Souti
America party of American business
men made a public statement declaring
that though in almost every port the'
saw the flags of every nation, the!
, did not get one glimpse of an American
flag flying from the masthead of al
American ship An official of the Por
, of London stated some time ago tina
no vessel flying the American flag ha
been seen ON the Thames in Who'll
I year
When President Roosevelt sent GU
battleship fleet around the world, wha
Chrstendom beheld was an America
war fleet accompanied by a fleet q
foreign vessels flying foreign flags acf
ing as golfers. We had not enouS
American vessels available to carry coa
for our battle fleet out on warhk
parade around the world What woul
we do for Golfers for our war fleet l
time of war?
1t costs $4,000 to $4,000 year MOI
TO operate an American vessel than
!. foreign vessel because of American nav
CATION laws and American shipping reg
lations These regulations have drive
our ships from the sea. Free tolls Won
stimulate American coastwise naVisatlo
because huge volumes of traitlc no
moved by rail would be moved
American ships.
With democratic leaders in congre'
irving to force repeal of the Panah
act at the behest of Great Britail
how nrouhetic are the words of Thoma
jefferson, who said;
That the marketing of our pro
ducts will be at the mercy OF any
nation which has possessed Nseh
exclusively of the means OF carrying
them. and our politics may be III
a fluenred by those who command our
= commerce,
n What is the proposed abahoohihe'
= NJ free tolls by an American cohsre'
hut exercise of the Influence Jetferso
, feared from chose who command ~
commerce.?