Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-11-05
The Intpr-Ocpanic Canal.

aspects Of the proposed Panama Canal.
Mr.. Nimmo does not agree with the
rose. colored views of NJ. de Lesseps
and other distinguished engineers, in
regard either to the commercial i'm
portance or the profit pecunlary Of
the scheme. It may be justly said,
perhaps, that he goes to the 9th er ex-
treme; but his arguments are we'll
worthy of consideration. The one
hundred and sixty millions or more of
money which would be required under
NJ. de Lessep's estimate is q vast sum
of money to be locked up in single
enterprise, and capitalists will DOUBT
eddy look at all sides of the subject be-
fore they invest their fortunes in it.
Taking as basis for isIconsiderations
the tonnage which might have passed
through the proposed canal during the
latest year for which commercial sta
tics can be collected. and drawing the
probabilities as to tonnage and receipts
from the results given by tho actual
workings of the Suez Canal, Mr.. Nimmo
concludes that the canal would not pay,
and that it is scheme of small com
mercial consequence. The points
made in the report are, in brief, that
the shipping that would annually pass
through the proposed canal would
amount to about l. 500 vessels, or .625.-
600 tons annually; that the traffic
would probably be confined. as is the
traffic of the Sue4C Canal, to sailing YES
sells, continuing to take the passage by
Cape Horn ar Cape of Good Hope
that last year the American canal nigh
have furnished passage for 7.3 per
cent of the foreign commerce of the
United States, 2 y per cent of that of
cent of the international commerce of
the globe upon the ocean. Attention
is called to the fact that there has been
q large diversion of traffic from the
route between San Francisco and New
York Ola the Isthmus of Panama to the
Pacific Railroad; and that the bulkier
freights would continue to be carried
by way of Cape Horn. 1t is shown, in
support Of these statements, that the
tonnage which might naturally ha, g
passed through the Suez Canal last
year, since both time and distance
would have been saved by doing 80,
only SO per cent did pass through. The
conclusion is that this would be the
case with the Panama Canal; and per-
haps even to still greater extent, since
the extension Of the Pacific Railroad
system would have tendency to draw
freights by land rather than b. water.
But it should be noted, on the other
side, that Mr.. Nimmo, in taking the
present tonnage which might use the
canal If it were now importation. POUNDS
lis arguments on q narrow basis; one
not accepted at all by the advocates of
the enterprise. No one supposes, so
far as we know, that the Panama Canal
would be paying investment, uni ess
it should be the means OF building up
q largely increased commerce. One
Of the chief arguments in favor of the
canal is that it would open the way to
new markets for our products: Such
enterprises look to the future Of this
mighty continent. The fact is REQ
ognizsd that we are only at the begin
ming of our development; that the
weli-nigh inexhaustible resources of
this country have been as yet only
touched at the surface. There are far
sighted business men who see in Low
er California the great fruit center of
the continent, with demand for quick
passage to the Western coast through
the Panama Canal. The future of
Mexico in its relations to the United
States is yet to be determined. Then
there is the whole of the Eastern coast
and countries of South America to be
brought into new and close COM
mercial connection with this country,
The large trade of Chill should natu-
rally seek the United States. The
view of those men who believe in the
Panama Canal is nothing less than that
it would revolutionize our commercial
relations with the people of the Pacific,
and in every way to our advantage.
Another point of which Mr.. Nimmo
apparently takes no account is the fact
that the steamship has been rapidly
superseding the sailing. vessel in the
ocean carrying trade of the entire
world. The superiority of iron over
wood, Of steam over sail, has been rec.
ognized for twenty. five years. and in
that period the actual carrying cap.
acity OF the steam tonnage of the world
has grown to be greater than that of the
sailing tonnage. Steam vessels. as
Mr.: Nimmo admits, would naturally
seek the canal. In drawing conclu-
sions from the operations of the Suez
Canal, moreover. it should be consid.
cred that the enterprise opened the
path of commerce for nations that had
already developed their resources
pretty nearly to their full extent, and
that had no such opportunities for
growth as are presented here. 1t is
well, therefore, to take both sides into
careful consideration. There must
be mean between the two extremes of
over-enthusias IN and over-discourage-
ment.-N. Y. B:cdn,iner & Chronicle
To PRESERVE Roses Till WINTER
1t is pleasant to see the summer
flowers in mid winter. and those who
cannot have roses blooming ut that
period within doors Can preserve them
IN summer to decorate their rooms in
winter. First, select from your rose
trees the most beautiful specimens as
they are Just ready to blossom; tie
piece OF line thread around the stalk OF
each; do not handle the bud, or the
stalk: cut il from fhe trsa with thu ,kolk