The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-22

ton Of any contract N order to carry
cut one of its principles The President
Las become SO iirmly convinced that
Great Britain is right In her contentious
ihat he has asked Congress 10 repeal the
law eNempting our eeastWise vessels and
thus there is Joined What appears TO he
the irst real issue between the Presl-
dent ana Congress since the democratic
party came into poWvr. for there can
ne no doubt but What iaany Of the ahlest
men in Congress are lust as firmly eon-
Ymeed that Great Brtans interpreta-
ton of the treaty IS selfish and errou-
eous.
Without ndulging in speculation as to
The eventual outcome of the struggle
which IS bound to come in Congress there
can be no harm in calling attention 10
the advantages that viii accrue TO the
south and particularly 10 Alabama II it
50 happens that In the end ii is ascer-
tained that those who believe that there
is no violation Of the Hay-Pamcefote
treaty in the Panama canal law. prove
to be right
Alabama has based her hopes Of BEN
efits from the Panama canal upon the
assumption that k would open for her
products the great markets. of the west.
shich heretofore have Teen closed to her
because of prohib,uve freight rates out
side of her agricultural products. which
are practically the same as eVcrN other
southern states Aiabaua has great pos
sihillties in the develo pment Of trade
II her unlimited resources OF iron and
coal. The development Of the iron and
steel industry of thu state depe nds upon
an expansion of her present limited mar
ket. The Panama canal opens this mar
hct great field for coal and for iron
and steel products lies In the great west.
A1A4r Il. ~
ther iron and steel producing center and
the Panama canal furnishes the means
and opens the door for her to enter.
The opening of the Warrior river to
transportation by NAVIGATION and the
eventual Improvement Of the Mobile har-
Dor and the Panama canal gives Az
hama most direct aud peculiar adj
vantage and am opportunity for wonder
ful development and expansion.
Serious Blow to Alabama
But If it should happen that the
ay-Pauncefote treaty binds this coun-
try to a policy of eNacting tolls from its
own vessels engaged In the coastwse
trade, it will be n serious blow to the
advantages that Alanama had hoped to
reap fronthe construction of the canal.
The preesut canal law levies toll OF
Sl20 per ton on cargocs of vessels pass
ing through the canal excepting, of
course, those vessels engaged in the
coastwise trade, now Under dispute with
Great Britain. Ii it should so happen that
our eastwise vessels corie under this pro-
vision 1t would mean that an extra 81 %
per ton must be added to the trauspor-
| tatlon charges of Alahama's s products. 1t
can easily be seen that this charge Of
S12o per ton additional on coal, pig iron.
and iron and steel products viii operate
against Alabama and may close to her
greater part of the new field of COM
merce opened up by the building of the
canal. There will be no way open eth
err to escape this charge. Pig iron can
not be carried as ballast and escape the
tolls. The law provides that this charge
of Sl.20 per ton be levied against the
tonnage of the vessel and not upon the
aggregate tonnage of its cargo In other
words, vessel may have only 10000 tons
of goods, but if its capacity is 15,oO0 tons
1t pays upon the capacity. There is pro-
vision that vessels passing through the
canal light. that is. without cargo at
all. pay only 40 per cent of the regular
tolls ON It's entire tonnage capacity.
There is hope that if Congress finally