Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-04-12
Repeal Unwise, Unjust, Protests
From All Over U, S. Declare.
Pacific Coast People See Aid
to Railroads in Wilson Plan.
Contracts on Coastwise Trade
Being Made Under Two Rate
Lists, One Anticipating Tolls,
But Consumers Pay in End,

WASHINGTON. April 11.-sena-
tors from all sections Of the country
are being flooded with letters and
kilograms protesting against the re-
peal of the coastwise exemption
clause of the Panama Canal act.
"Nine-tenths of my mail on this
subject is against the repeal plan OF
the President" said Senator Cham
berlain. These protests come to me
from all parts Of the country and
from all classes of citizens"
"Of course, l receive letters uphold
ing the Presidents point of view
said Senator o'Gorman. but they are
in the minority Many women inter-
ested in this subject write about it.
I have heard from men all over New
York and other sections. and they
voice a general sentiment Of OPPOSE
ton to the repeal plan, believing 1t
not only unwise. but unjust and UNI
fair to this country
Protests From Pacific Coast.
Practically all the letters re-
ceive are strongly expressive Of OPP
position to the Presidents policy.
said Senator Poindexter. THE peo-
Pile Of the Pacific coast are vitality in
terested in the canal and its success.
They had hoped, and had every rea-
son to expect, that the canal would
be the means of lowering freight
rates.
IF the Presidents views are to pre-
vail the railroads across the country
viii still exercise their same old mo-
nopoly of transcontinental service.
THE benefits for which the people
Of the coast have worked through,aIl
these years will not be realized. The
Pacific coast people are not hesitat-
ing to express themselves against any
alliance Of this sort with Great Brit
ain which means the supremacy OF
the Canadian Pacific Railroad and
the keeping OF our region of the
country still under the dominion OF
the railroads.
Hits Monopoly Plea.
Senator O'Gorman recently received
a letter from an old sea captain in
San Francisco who writes intelligent
ly and gives some potent facts well
worth studying. In his letter he says:
Il have read with much interest the
extracts Of speeches made in the
House on the toll bill.
ut seems TO me that one Of the
best arguments against the Presi-
dents point of view has been over
looked. The President says his prin-
cipal reason for repeating the ex-
emption OF the American ships from
the tolls is that by granting free tolls
to American ships. he will be build
ing up monopoly.
How little real merit there is IN
this statement is proven by the fact
that all contracts made within the
last few months for the carriage OF
freight between the Eastern and
Western coasts, or vice versa. after
the opening Of the canal contain two
rates. one rate being fixed provided
there are no tolls and the other rate
II tolls are charged.
Consumer Pays Differences.
1.-THE second rate is exactly the first
rate plus the tolls, so that It does not
make one particle of difference to the
ship whether 1t pays tolls or not But
It does make a difference to the mer-
chants and consumers. These are the
people who really will have TO pay the
tolls, not the ship people.
THE imposition Of the tolls, how
ever. not only increases the rate on
every ton Of freight carried by sea,
but also by the transcontinental rail-
roads which otherwise would come
into competition with the steamships
BY repeating the clause providing
that American ships in the coastwise
trade shall not have to pay tolls. Con-
gress win not only add much to the
cost 10 the consumer for the goods
shipped by sea, but, in addition, Will
enable the transeontinental railroads