The times., 1899-01-14
CANALPRQJECHI IN DANGER
Nav Be Smothered TO Death
in the House.
ENEMIES NOW IN DISGUISE
The Panama scheme to BE Pushed Ia
the Front-Supposed to he Aided
hy the Pacific Railroads Too
Many BILLS Hearing Upon the Snhe
Question-Timc Sure 10 BE Wasted

The House Committee on Interstate and
Foreign Commerce is proceeding very
rIowIy with the Nicaragua Canal bill. Only
seven weeks remain of the session. yet
after brief session the committee ad-
journed until next Tuesday, when it will
again proceed with the bill.
At yesterdays meeting Representative
HawIey explained his bill for a canal now
pending before the committee. In its gen
eraI lines this comedies with the Morgan
bill now in the Senate. 1t provides for
paying So 000. 600 10 the Maritime Canal
Company and for the building of the canal
through that company
on Tuesday Representative Corl!ss VIII
explain his bill. which is along the lines Of
Chairman Hepburn's bill, for Government
ownership. but goes further and provides
elaborate machinery for supervising the
work of the Government.
on Wednesday the representatives OF the
new Panama Canal Company will be heard
by the committee. The popular belief is
that this scheme is merely a dummy be-
hind which the anti-canal railroads OF the
country are hidden. No one has any faith
in the Panama scheme. Its representatives,
contend that the Panama Canal, which
swallowed up so much of the wealth OF
France. Will be cheaper and better than
3 Nicaraguan canal.
On Thursday the representatives. OF the
Grace syndicate will appear and tell the
committee what il proposes. This syndi-
cate owns the concession obtained by Mr.
Cragin. which goes into effect on OCTOBER
10 next, when the Cardenas-M -Menocal con-
cession. owned by the Maritime Canal
Company. will have expired. On Friday
the Maritime Canal Company will appear.
Later Representative MahOn OF Pennsyi-
vania will have a chance TO explain his
bill and then the committee, when less
than six weeks of the session remain. will
leisurely take up the preparation of a bill.
The feeling is growing that the plan for
q canal is in great danger of being smoth-
cred by pretended friends who are really
inimical to its construction. II is freely
predicted that the bill will not leave the
committee if at all until too late for ac-
tion by the House; that the canal bill
cannot be put through the House Com
mittee much less find a right of way
through the House. The enemies of the
canal have adopted n clever way of sup
plying a multitude Of good things" from
which TO make a selection. So many ex-
cellent plans for building canal are sug-
gested that fIiznGs of canal construction do
net know what TO unite on. They are
troubled with an embarrassment Of riches.
A member of the Committee on Interstate
Commerce put il this way:
The railroads and other hostile influ-
ences are putting feather beds on The track
of the canal bill and trying to ditch the
train so gently that nobody will realize
what has happened till all is over. They
are proposing endless schemes for liggirg
the ditch-alI Of them better than the one
embraced in the Morgan bill. 1t looks as
though they might win out along that line
but Congress may become impatient ani
take matters out OF the hands of the fill
busters and pass a measure out of hand" d"
The opponents Of the canal are drawing
fresh encouragement from the failure Of
the Walker Commission 10 submit 4 full
report. The partial report submitted by it
is unsatisfactory as TO the cost Of the
canal, leaving this somewhat indefinite