PANAMA CANAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1329, 5 January 1912, Page 5

PANAMA CANAL.

SHIPPING DUES. By Telezrauh—Press Assaeiition-Oopyrieh* London, January 3. Sir Ow«n>Philipps hopes that America will make the passage of the Panama Canal free as the ocean, and adds that if it is decided to fix a toll of between 2s. and Is. per ton it is important that all nations shall be treated alike. PRIVILEGES FOR AMERICAN SHIPPING. Writing on November 15 the Washington correspondent of the "Times" states: —A highly important contribution was made last night by Mr. Stimson, Secretary for War, who is officially responsible for tho Panama Canal, to , the controversy which has lately broken out with renewed vigour about the shipping dues. The question which oscrciscs American public opinion is whether the Hay-I'auncefoto Treaty of 1901, with its clear provision about equality of treatment for vessels of all nations using the Canal, precludes the possibility of extending some kind of special privilege to American shipping. Sir. Stimson evidently thinks that thfi thing can be managed.- Various couutries, ho pointed out, reimburse their mercantile marine for the expense of traversing the Suez Canal. Let tho United States (and presumably other countries if they want to) adopt the same principle at Panama. "I think," said Mr. Stinuon, "that the United States h.is a clear right to appropriate to vessels sums paid into thoTreasury by those vessels in tho form of Canal tolls.' To Jl'r. Stimson's remarks may be appended a passage of the speech delivered recently by the President at San Francisco, which for some reason or other failed to attract much notice. The President, is reported to have said :— "The Government must see to it that the tolls charged in the Canal, at least to American vessels, shall bo met either by tho reduction or the wiping out ot tho tolls, or, if that cannot bo done under the Treaty, by a contribution from the Treasury" of the United States amounting to the sum of the tolls. A Bill has already been introduced into Congress with just that end in view. Whether it will pass is, however, another question. It will be opposed by those- who oppose, shipping subsidies on the ground that American shipping needs, not financial aid, but the repeal of the obsolete navigation laws. Its feasibility under tho Hny-Pauncefote Treaty is nlso questioned in certain quarters. The "Journal of Commerce," for instance, is quite sure that it would violato the British Agreement.