Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-04-14
CANAL TOLLS ON
COAST TRADE
American Ships Only Can En-
gage in Coastwise Trade,
and WiYNot be Affected
oua oa NOT POLITICAL
Lex .;on oP oPterests Affected
ONLY ~. II b Canada Lumber
Coy rs .erl rlAmerican Ships

10y er( American Ships
.t9
A Mime lis daily paper, that Is
very much lnnelfavor of the reIeal of
that section o. the Panama canal law
which provides for free tolls for
American vessels engaged in the
coastwise trade, remarks that the
question is not political ore. TO
that extent We can heartily agree,
says the Mississippi VaEey Lumber
man, but when the editor Foes on to
say that it is . moral question with
the repeal on the side of morality, we
join with many other people in disa-
greeing. We believe that the ques-
tion is one entirely of Interpretation,
with the argument as good on one
side as on the other aud with every
economic factor in favor of the as
sumption that the trainers of the
treaty-and particularly Mr. Hay, who
represents this cOuntry-could have
meant no other understanding of it's
terms than that we should build the
canal and offer its use to all other
nations on equal terms We will go
little further than that and agree
that where there is any possibility
of competition in the carrying trade,
the vessels of our own country should
be on terms of equality with the ves-
sells of other nations.
But the coastwise trade, so far as
it concerns the vessels of other ma
tions, can hardly enter into the pro-
position at all, for our laws do not,
permit foreign vessels to engage IN
our coastwise trade. We cannot, uni.
der any circumstances, open the canal
to the vessels of any other nation
on terms OF equality with those of
our own vessels engaged in the coast
wise trade unless we admit those ves-
sells to the right Of carrying mer-
chandise between the ports Of this
country, and no one has proposed
such action.
As a matter, of fact, the argument
cf those who would appeal the clause
of the Hay-Pauncefote treaty under
discussion carries them beyond the
realm of water trans portation and
into the realm of merchandising. So
far as concerns the ocean carrying
trade alone, the matter of free tolls
through the canal for our coastwise
vessels has no bearing at all on the
subject. 1t is only when transporta-
tion is taken in connection with COM
petition between the merchants of
this and other countries-chiefly
Canada-that there is any room for
argument That England is the only
nation that has shown any interest
in the matter is evidence that her
interest is largely because of the
effect free tolls may have on the in
dustry of one Of her dominions. The
question is only as to whether or not
the lumber manufacturers, and some
other business men OF Canada, shall
be given still greater advantages than
they already enjoy over those en-.
gagged in like industries in this coun-
try. With free lumber the manu-
facturers of British Columbia can
reach our eastern markets on a low
er transportation basis than can the
lumber manufacturers of Washing
ton, Oregon, and California. Even
the tolls to be charged for passage
through the Panama canal, if applied
to foreign vessels and not to our own
coastwise vessels, will not overcome
this advantage entirely, for foreign
vessels can still deliver British
Columbia products in New York for
less than Washington and Oregon
can deliver similar products at the
same port.
Free passage for our coastwse YES
sells through the canal does not in
any way disturb the equality of rates
with those charged the vessels Of
other nations. Our own vessels en-
gagged in the foreign trade will pay
the same canal tolls as the vessels
of other nations. Foreign vessels
carry merchandise from the
Hawaiian islands, from the Philip
pines, from Alaska, or from our west
coast states to our eastern markets;
or from our eastern markets to Cali
fornia, Oregon, Washington, Alaska,
the Hawaiian islands or the Philip
pines and it is only the vessels en-
gagged in that trade which are ex-
empt from tolls. It is not question
Of transportation competition, it Is
a question as to whether or
not we shall cease to protect, in a
measure, the merchants OF our own
country and their business from COM
petition with the cheaper labor used