The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-04-10

his position on this question he said,
II never expected that any condition
would raise which would prevent my
supporting President Wilson on any
question involving our foreign policy,
but after most careful study of the
arguments for and against the eX-
emption of tolls, and hearing the de-
bates on this measure, feel that we
are not bound by the terms of the
treaty against eXempting our own YES
sells from tolls and that the best in
terests of my constituents and the
country at large require my voting
against the repeal of the present law
The people of the eastern country
have been looking forward with keen
anticipation to the completion of the
Panama canal, believing that water
competition with the trans-continen-
tai railroads would make it possible
to market their products with less
expense and thus bring greater pro-
fit to the producers. A careful con-
sideration of the treaty convinces
me that its provisions are not be-
ing violated by our insistance that
coastwise vessels shall pass through
the canal free of tolls; and in view
of the fact that we constructed the
canal with our own money at an ex-
penditure of $500, 100000 upon land
absolutely in our control, for the ben
eft of our own people l can find no
good reason for not maintaining the
absolute control thereof. While |
have the greatest respect for the
opinions of President Wilson and
Senators Root and Lodge, regarding
the provisions of the -Pauncefote
treaty, l cannot overlook the fact
that just as intelligent and capable
lawyers and patriots, such as former
President Roosevelt and Taft, former
Secretary of State Knox, former Sec
rotary of State Olney, under the
Cleveland administration, former
Senators Foraker of Ohio, Town of
Minnesota, and Turner of Washing
ton, and the great leaders in the pres
ent congress, Speaker Clark, Mr.. I'm
derwood and Mr. Mann, take the OPP
posite view. fail to see where the
vessels of the British government will
be benefited by the charging of tolls
to our coastwise vessels, nor where
the exemption of tolls will discrimi-
nate against them to their disadvant-
age and therefore believe that the
suggestion of the British government
that the present law be repealed is
an unwarranted interference with our
domestic affairs, which should not
be tolerated."
Star Route Salaries to be Adjusted
Representative Burton L. Franch
introduced house joint resolution
directing the post office department
to adjust the compensation of star
route carriers upon the basis of ac-
tual increased expenditures required
of them in meeting the service that
has been imposed under the parcels
post law.
Mr.. French has had this question
up with the department for several
months and urges that as screen wa
gon contractors in cities have been
compensated for their service upon
the basis of actual expenditures
necessary in meeting the parcels post
law, star route carriers ought to re-
ceive the same compensation,
Mr.. French has received numerous
letters outlining the disaster and ruin
that is being worked upon star route
carriers and their bondsmen in at
to comply with the law. A
start route carrier on one of the i'm
portant routes is south Idaho notified
his bondsmen last fall that he had
mortgaged everything that he owned
FOR every cent that it was worth: that
he was flat broke" and called upon
his bondsmen for assistance.
The star route carrier on = the
otites-Elk route from August 18th,
1913 to January list, 1914, received
rom the government daily $22.4O,
but cost him daily $4S.0O or in other
words he was complying with his
contract at loss of $3.50 per day.
since January 1st he is paying out
800 per day in addition for men
md wagons to haul the mail and at
he time he wrote to Mr.. French there
we're five tons of mail matter at
sites to be delivered and five tons
Of ore at Elk City to be shipped out
by parcels post.
Mr.. French has presented the mat
.er fully to the committee on post
'ffice and post roads and is urging
hat the congress instruct the depart
nent to relieve the situation by pay
ng star route carriers upon the basis
If the expenditures they have under
gone in complying with their con-
ract.