The Oskaloosa herald., 1914-03-12
APPROVES ANOTHER. !.
PART OF SIMS BILL
House Body O. KS Section Of
Canal Act.
OMISSION IS CORRECTED
President Willard Of 3. & o. Road and
Commissioner Clash at Rate +
Hearing Before Interstate
! Commerce Body.

Washington, March 1.-The house
Interstate commerce committee by a
vote of ID to 2. adopted a second sec.
tion to the Sims bill repeating the
free tolls clause of the Panama canal
act, the new section correcting an
omission in the original measure.
The correction relates to section 6
of the act wherein this language oc.
ours.
When based upon net registered
tonnage for ships of commerce the
tolls shall not exceed $1.25 per net
registered ton nor be less, other than
for vessels of the United States and
its citizens, than the estimated pro-
portionate cost of the actual main
tenance and oneration of the canal,
subject, however, to the provisions of
the United States and republic oil Pan
anna entered into November IS, 1908. -
Language of Amendment Changed.
This language is altered to read in
the amendment adopted: When
based upon net registered tonnage for
ships of commerce the tolls shall not
exceed S1.25 per net registered ton,
nor be less than rs cents per net reg.
istered ton, subject, however, to the
provisions of article 10 of the con-
vention between the United States
and the Republic of Panama entered
into November 20, 1913"
The sentence which follows this Ian
guage ia the act reads:
IF the tolls shall not be based upon
net registered tonnage they shall not
exceed the equivalent of $1.25 per net
registered ton as nearly as the same
may be determined nor be less than
the equivalent Of rs cents per net
registered ton
The members voting against the
amendment were Representatives
,Shaughnessy of Rhode Island, Dem
ocrat, and knowland OF California,
Republican.
Those voting for the amendment
were Representatives Adamson, Sims,
Covington, Talcott, Stephens of Min
nesota, Stevens of Nebraska, Stevens
Of New Hampshire, BarAley, Rayburn,
Montague, Decker. Esch, Hamilton
and Willis.
Clash at Rate Hearing.
President Daniel Willard of the Bal.
timore & Ohio and Clifford Thorne,
chairman Of the committee of state
railroad commissioners clashed at the
increased rate hearing before the in
terstate commerce commission when
Thorne charged the railroad with jug
Cling its books to strengthen its plea
for five per cent advance in rates.
Willard denied the charge and init
mated that unless the rate increase
was authorized the road would lay Oft
more men. Six thousand were laiG
off last year, he said.
Thorne said that the Baltimore q
Ohio had boosted of its ookkeep-
ing accounts in order to obta n credit.
He declared that the company credit
ed certain bookkeeping accounts with
sums which should have been properly
accredited to other accounts.
You have charged, Mr.. Thorne,"
said President wizard, that we have
resorted to & 4derhand methods in
keeping our books"
No, you have failed to acguaint the
general public with your methods in
describing your income" said Thorne.
There has ,Eeen an attempt on your
part to prove declining revenue as
an argument for increasing rates"
No Dishonest Effort by Road.
Examiner Gerry, who was present,
declared that there was not any dis
honest Effort on the part of the TOAD
to iuggle with bookkeeping accounts,
and the manner in which the books
were, kept was in conformity to the
rules of the interstate commerce com.
mission.
Thorne's purpose was to show that
the not income of the railroads in
official classification territory gen.
orally had increased, and that by Ger.
tain bookkeeping methods, mainten-
ance charges had been increased as
high as Is per cent over preceding
year.
Willard explained that roars gen.
orally we're retrenching on thei main
tenance charges because Of decreas.
ing income.