Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-02
THE NiCARAG VA CANAL
Report of the Majority Of the House Com
mittee in Its Favor
The Estimates of Cost of the Ludlow
Board Are Impcnched-Neccs-
sity of the Work.

The report Of the majority of the House
committee OH commerce in favor of the
Nicaragua canal, signed by the nine MEM
bers. was submitted to the House yester-
DAY by Mr.. Sherman of New York. 1t deals
with the canal project from the financial
and engineering standpoints, and particu-
larry analyses the report of the govern
ment board of which Col. Ludlow was
chairman. The questions proposed for the
board are said to have been the feasibility
permanence and cost Of construction of the
canal. The first two questions are said to
have been definitely settled in the affirma-
i've The notifications of the company's
project suggested by the board are said to
look to results desirable at some future
time. but which the company deem best to
deIer until the demands U; commerce re-
quire larger accommodation, SO that they
may be accomplished when the canal is in
operation, and revenue accrtiinS TO make
the charge less onerous.
10 have charged the railroad system of
this country, in it's incipiency, with the
cost OF the heavy superstrucLure and equip
ment now in use would have been injur-
lous. The deepening and widening of the
SueZ canal after its building is quoted as
precedent. The report impeac aches the COM
missions estimates of unit prices of work
on the canal by exhaustive quotations from
statements OF engineers. Whether the
ueplH VI CdHdl ana ildTDOr snail thirty
feet at the outset, whether four locks shall
be used instead of three, whether the water
elevation should be no feet instead of 1O6,
and other differences between the commits
SION and the company are said to be de-
talIS depending on whether the policy of
making provision for all demands In all
time to come is d iopted. Because Of its
testimony on unit prices the report reduces
the estimates OF cost On the basis of the
board plans from S1:s}, ,aO.HU to $102 co.,
900. but holds that Sl0O,p0go0 will be an
the prospective benefits of he canal to The
Pacific coast states AMI The Allegheny coal
mining and iron int eresrs.
In conclusion the repoI. says that the
board Of engineers have stated that they
believe the canal entirely feasible, but differ
with the engineers of the company as 10
the probable cost of the work. The aG-
Nantages of the canal are great that the
report says the canal should be built by
government assistance to the company,
even if it costs over S1JOG0D,UUO. The off
ference of opinion between the board Of
engineers and the engineers of the COM
pany does not in any way affect the feast
bllity or practicabil;ry of the canal. nor
lessen Its Importance to the United States.
II is no longer a question whether the
canal will be built but as 10 VINO shall
build II, and who shall control it when
built.
The feasibility Of the proposed inter
oceanic waterway has been fully demon
strated, and its importance and advan-
tages to commerce have never been ser-
ously questioned. Its contamination is in
eVitable, for its necessity is present and i'm
perative and when completed it will insure
the safety and prosperity of the interests
and industries of the American people.