The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1920-02-14


commercial ships numbered 2G1. In
cluded in the total boats that went
through during the month were ~
United States government ships. The
total tolls collected in December
amounted to 1891 1870, Of which
S44S, 541.5S was on traffic bound from
the Atlantic to the Pacific and S442,-
S34.12 on that bound from the Pacific
to the Atlantic. On the basis of the
December business the annual income
from the canal would be approx
mately S11,OO0OOO.
Second Canal May Be Needed.
With the treaty of peace in force Is
to the governments of the world, With
the exception of the United States snd
Germany, the traffic through the canal
is now beginning to represent daily 'hc
important nations of the world. fhe
first ocean-gOing German vessels to
pass through the canal under the Gar-
man flag since the war began in 1Ill
were two tugs which made the tranlt
from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oh
January II, on their way from Haai-
burg to Valparaiso. They wee
manned by German crews, but were
travelling under orders of the British
admiralty, and their mission was TO
tow disabled ex-German vessels from
Valparaiso TO Liverpool for overhaul
ing. There is every reason to believe
no hnc of 20
continue TO increase at a rapid rate,
and so firmly is this belief estab-
lished that in government circles there
| is good deal of talk to the effect
that 1t is only q question of time. and
probably of a limited period of time,
until a second canal will have to be
built to take care of the traffic pass
ing from the Atlantic TO the Pacific
| by this shortened route. Some we'll
informed men whose duties pertain to
the business of the canal express the
view that within ten years congress
will be called on to order the construc-
ton of a second canal.
OF course this may all be idle talk,
but 1t can be said with certainty that
the canal has proved a great success.
success even beyond the dreams Of
the men who were most active in pro-
noting the enterprise, among them the
late Theodore Roosevelt.
Congress Wants to Quit June 1.
The leaders in congress are be-
ginning TO talk of an adjourn
Inent by June 1, so as to enable
the senators and representatives to
attend the national political conven-
tons, but meantime good progress is
not being made with pending legisla-
ton. Men who are influential on the
steering committees of the two branch.
es of the legislative body have passed
the word down the line that If the
memberships of the two houses desire
ali adjournment as early as June
they will have to get down to work
and see that necessary legislation is
disposed of promptly. OF course the
six months discussion of the treaty
of peace with Germany in the senate
is to a large extent responsible fol
the legislative congestion. Although
this congress came together the third
week in April last year, it was moi
until the first of January, this year
that the senate was in position to be-
gin giving serious consideration tC
general legislation. Even at that late
date deliberations were frequently in
terrupted by outbreaks on the treaty
The house of representatives nat
urally feels that good deal of its
work since last April has counted fol
nothing. 1t has sent over to the sen
ate long list of bills that have moi
been touched by the upper branch OF
the legislative body.
Worried About Railroad Bills.
Just now the situation with respect
TO railroad legislation is giving the
leaders in the two houses a good dea
of concern. In brief the situation witt
respect to the legislation is this: Ii
the message which he sent from Paris
in April last year President Wilson
said to congress that unless it had IL
|
return of the railroads to the com
panies he would turn them back or
January 1, 1920. Congress on the
strength of that warning began to give
some attention to railroad Legislation
but it was late in the year before th'
III subject was well in hand. Toward tn,
end of the year. ii will be recalled, the
president, seeing that congress would
not be ready with legislation for the
, regulation of the roads under private
management by January 1, an
} nounced through proclamation that h
would turn the roads back on Marcel
l, 1920. That decision afforded con
! gress two additional months in which
to complete its legislation. Z
The senate passed what was known
as the Cummins bill and the house thu
Esch bill. Taking the position that III
bill offers constructive Legislation
while the house bill merely propose
corrective legislation, the senate i
disinclined to yield on the main pro
vision of its bill, and as long as thii
situation exists the legislation cannO
be completed. In the meantime Prep