The Sentinel=record., 1914-04-08
GRANT HEARINGS ON CANAL TOLLS
COMMITTEE GRANTS PETITIONS FROM GULF AND PACIFIC
 PORTS FOR HEARINGS.
Win Give Interested Parties Fifteen Days Be Heard in the Repeal of Coastwise Tolls.

Washington. April 7.-Confronted by telesrams from gnIf and Pacific coast ports urging public hearings on the bin proposing the Panama ex- emption repeal the senate inter. oceanic canals committee today de- cided to give fifteen days, beginning Thursday, to hearing both proponents and opponents of the measure which passed the house. Meanwhile tue committee will hear various senators who have offered substitute plans for the flat repeal measure passed by the house. The committee today en- tered into no discussion of the merits of the bill itself
 In the senate the repeal fight occu- pied virtually the entire day, al- though formal presentation of the matter will not come until the con clusion of the committee hearings and it's deliberations.
 The first roll call on the general subject was taken on a motion to refer to the foreign relations com mittee a resolution offered by Sena- tor PoindeXter asking that the presi. dent explain what matters he had in mind in writing in his repeal mes sage of matters of even greater delicacy and nearer consequence" and what connection those matters might have with the Panama canal regulations and tolls.
 The administration forces by a vote of 5 to 27 sent the resolution 10 the committee, seven democrats voting in the negative and nine re pubicans in the affirmative.
 The senate adopted without dissent resolution offered by Senator Brandegee calling for all correspond enee relative to negotiations for tine Hay-P -Pauncefote treaty. It was stated that subsequently all of this matter already was in print in senate docu- ments
 Throughout most of the day the senate listened to an elaborate an alysis of the various treaties in volved in the repeal controversy by Senator W orks, California, who de fended the treaty rights of the United States to exempt any of her shipping from tolls.
 Before the canals committee, Sena or Ransdel presented telegrams from New Orleans asking for a hear ing, and Senator Thornton, who is a member of the committee, urged that tine interests of the gulf city should be heard though he vigorously ob- iected to extended hearings. Sena- tor Thornton charged that the effort to delay action was the scheme of coastwise shipping interests, who were busy arousing sentiment against repeal
 Senator Brandeeee suggested that | the wisest plan would be to send the l bil to the senate without any recon mendation. He was the only member l to vote against the agreement as to hearings. although virtually all mem bers of the committee except Chair. man O'Gorman and Senator BristoW seemed inclined to hasten disposition of the problem.
 Chairman O'Gormans suggestion that a program he arranged brought from Senator Shields a proposal that former President Taft, former Secre- tary Knox, Secretary Bryan and other government officials past and present should be called. This pre- cipitated general discussion, dur ing which Senator Simmons said he opposed the inclination to make She hearing an inQuisition with the ad- ministartion as the defendant Mir. Shields disclaimed any snch inIen- ton. No action on a program was taken.