Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1914-06-12
SENATE PASSES
TOLLS MEASURE
MEASURE NOW GOES BACK To
HOUSE WHICH Is ExPECT.
I'D To AGREE
ANOTHER WILSON VICTORY
senators >earl, Come io Blows FOL.
lowing Storm, sccne During
losing Hours of the
Debate

~ Nrr'fihf0 HHS
WASHINGTON. u. G.. June H.
Repeal OF the Panama Canal tolla
exemption bin for American coast
wise shippinr passed The Sen
ate tonight. by vote OF fifty tp
thirty-fiSc. The measure nov gocs
back to the House which g. expect
ed 10 accept the simmons Norris
amendment specifically rcscrying
any rights the United States may
have under the llay-Pauncctolo
treaty.
The passage oi the bill. after
months OF bitter struggle. is regard
cd al another victory tor President
Wilson.
Senators Nardaman and West came
near 10 having blows following a.
stormy scene iu the closing hours ui
the debate. The incident demonstra
ed the deep feeling engenderd by
the bill
The question of making the Panama
Canal free to American vessels was
brought to the front when the House,
on May %. 1919. Incorporated In
the act providing Tor the establish
ment of civil government In the ca
nt zone, provision authorizing
the President to charge tolls 10 yes
sells using the canal. with a proyis-
ion eXempting American coastwise
vessels from such charges. Presi-
dent TAFT. in message TO Congress
had urged the exemption. The bill
had been reported to The House pro-
yiding tolls for all vessels but the
exemption provision was adopted as
an amendment This amendment was
In the bill a. IL went TO the Senate.
Before the bill passed the Senate,
Great Britain. ON July H. 1912. Ill
ed formal protest against the pro-
posed exemption. The note trans
mitted to the State Department con
tended
The British Government thinks
that To allow American vessels to
pass through the canal without the
payment of tolls would be 10 vio-
late the Hay-Paunceiote treaty
'wrother the tolls are not COLLECTED.
'or whetners II eoiieCied tissz AZ -
funded As to coastwise trade. the
British Government thinks II would
be difficult to frame provision
which would not do injustice To the
interests
The -PaunccfOtc treaty super
seeded IN, Clayion-Bulwar treaty un-
dor which Great Britain and the
United states were. jointly. to build
the canal. The llay-raunceioie
agreement. after providing rules Tor
the regulation of the canal. based
on the rules governing Sucz canal
traffic. set forth
"The canal shall be free and
oprn To the vessels ~ commerce ana
OF war of all nations observing these
rules on terms OF entire equality, 80
that there shall he no discrimna-
tion against ans such nation or lls
citizens or subjects In respect oi mo
conditions or charges of traiiic or
otherwise. Such conditions or char
ros of traffic shall be just and epul
able
The British note OF protest start
cd lengthy diplomatic correspond
cncc on Tho subject. Great Bri'dih
throughout claimed that the United
States could not. under the terms oi
the treaty make toll exemption oi
any vessels. whether ~ oWn. or "i
other nations Secretary Knox. who
conducted tho correspondence Tor
tho United states. in several lengthy
notcs commended that the exemption
OF American coastWise shipping Wa
Ina mo- va, % discrimination against
ether traffic using the canal. Tie as
serted that the exemption was In the
nature Of subsidy. paid, not hy
imposing the tolls for certain Amer
lean vessels upon other ships pas
ing through the canal but by tho
American taNpayers themselves in
paying for the maintenance OF the
canal
The avoidance OF possible iric-
tion. " said the note. has been one ol
the main objects of those methods
OF arbitration of which the United |
States has been Tor 50 long tore
most and consistent advocate.
Throughout the first year oi Pre- /
sident Wilson administration there
Was constant agitation Tor the re- /
pea of the exemption clause lhe I
President let ID be- known that ne I
favored the repeal. and on March 81,
1914. he delivered an address 90 Con 4
gress In Joint session. earnestly urg /
ing the repeal The exemption ho I
said. vas mistaken economic /
policy" and vas in plain contra I
yaution of the Treaty