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130 Vessel Ager THE MARINE REVIEW ts at anama What the Bags Think of Some of Our Administrative Methods HE refusal of Panama _ canal authorities to deal with inde- pendent agents has aroused con- siderable feeling in Great Britain, which Fairplay voices in the following article. The discussion is of interest in its rev- elation of the English viewpoint. The book of sailing directions and general information issued by the Panama canal authorities is a revised edition, and contains a mass of useful information for owners and masters of vessels using the canal. In this vol- ume the dead-set of the canal authori- ties against the employment of inde- pendent agents is dealt with at length. The Panama railroad is now dragged in as a suitable agency, if shipowners are so self-willed as to have agents at all. Now, it cannot be too clearly understood by owners and time-char- terers, who are naturally much _ in- terested in dispatch, that the executive of the canal and the Panama railroad Co. are for all practical purposes iden- tical. When the canal was projected what happened was this: The railroad company. was an American concern - which dealt with transhipments over the isthmus. The government saw that it would never do to tolerate competi- tion with its own canal, and bought out the company, with the exception of a few recalcitrant shareholders who held on to their stock. The governor of the Panama canal. was thereupon appointed president of the Panama Railroad Co., and the fiction. of a separate entity was maintained for reasons which will soon become ap- parent. Under the constitution of the United States the government is not allowed to trade, so the railroad com- pany, as an incorporated concern, come in handy for dealing: with vari- ous commercial monopolies which were promptly instituted. Thus all coal supplies, stores, stevedoring, wharves, boating, etc., are the privilege of the railroad company, working under the governor of the canal. Now the United States government is fortunate in securing as governor a man of the sterling and administra- tive qualities of Colonel Goethals, whose work in connection with the canal has won the admiration of the world; but, unfortunately, the Ameri- can political system does not permit of the gallant colonel’s talents being utilized to full advantage. The politi- cian from “way back” has a friend who wants a job. His previous occu- pation may have been cattle-punching in Arizona or sticking porkers in Chi- cago, but by a judicious use of the “pull” he finds his way to the canal and, in his capacity as boss of the bottle and jug department, assists the seafaring experts of all nations in tak- ing their vessels through the ditch or it may be to administer, say, the red-tape department, thing like that. But not content with filling his own niche with more or less success, he insists upon replacing the subordinate officials, who are just beginning to know something, by his own particular friends, who are, of course, new to the business. As this is constantly going on, it is not to be wondered at that from time to time complaints are received as to the con- duct of affairs in the zone. Delays are incurred; payments of tolls have not been notified, or, if notified, have been overlooked; disputes arise, and if the captain of a ship has no one on the spot to consult or advise him, valuable time is lost. But, instead of welcoming assistance from practical agents on the canal, every endeavor is made to induce the confiding shipowner to entrust his in- terests to the arbiter who is consti- tutionally almost bound to decide against him in any dispute that may arise. Last week we dealt with the irony of the situation where the canal authorities deprecate the use of agents at all, laying special emphasis on the saving of fees, and in the same breath put forward the railroad company— their noble selves—as really useful agents, thus demonstrating out of their own mouths that an agent is desirable. The Canal Record was silent on the question of fees, though we ventured to express the opinion that the busi- ness would not be done for nothing; but the book now under review states, with naive simplicity, that in the case of vessels only passing through the canal no fee will be exacted, but a commission will be charged. This is really refreshing, and reminds one of the old riddle, “When is a door not a door?” “When it’s a jar’—and a nasty jar, too, for an owner who has to answer the conundrum, “When is a fee not a fee”, by replying (inan: un- known number of dollars), “When it’s a commission”. Now this sort thing is all very well in the land of the free, when their own compatriots are solely concerned or any simple --we have our own little jobs in the old country—but where internationa affairs are involved the game otight ¢ be played. If the United States goy ernment chooses to pass a special act of congress to the effect that “no agents need apply”, that is a straight. forward performance,. however much — it might be held to interfere with treaty rights; but when a great nation descends to the hole-and-corner busi- ness which we have just described, then it seems to us that it is up to the shipowners of the world to insist upon their own representation, and to see that they get it. Ship Purchase Bill - (Concluded from page 124) ' gesting that the most adequate way to build ships is through standardization of types and pointing out that build- ing material could be produced in large quantities by steel companies of the country and shipped knocked down to shipbuilding plants anywhere for pur- poses of fabrication. An Inland Sailor Speaks Secretary of the Treasurer William G. McAdoo in his testimony suggested that the bill be passed as quickly as pos- sible, and explained its features in de- tail. Benjamin J. Rosenthal, a member of the Association of ‘Commerce of Chicago, said that association favored the bill and strongly praised that pro- vision of the bill proposing regulation of the operation of common carriers by water and said it was necessary to pre- vent foreign ships discriminating against American ships through rebates. Former Governor J. N. Gillette of California, representing the Matson Navigation Co., said the bill ought to make it clear that the government will not operate vessels in the coastwise trade where there is already an adequate private service per- formed. John A. Penton, publisher of The Ma- rine Review, strongly urged that the most constructive -plan of building tp the American. merchant marine is through subsidies. He pointed out also that now is the most inopportune time imaginable to pass a ship purchase bill, Shipyards are so. congested, he said, that if awards were made for vessels at this time they could not be delivered before 1918. Moreover, he said the cost of material is extremely high. - Announcement was made recently of — the appointment of J. H. Torney, as- sistant manager of the Southern Pa- cific company’s Atlantic steamship lines, to the management of R. Mar- tens & Co., Inc., New York.