The Van Buren press., 1900-12-08

| Chagres division, Sl,929,9i6.
Gatuncillo diversion, Sl00, 900.
Panama railroad diversion, 81. 2oi 1vJ.
| Engineering. police, sanitation and gen.
/ eral contingencies S23, 123 763.
| Aggregate sli2,3 So
| This estimate is capable of reduction 10
| $ll5 81. 2l5 IL single locks and narrow
| bottom are adopted. An alternative est
| mate is submitted, based on having tne
| Alhajuela dam built to impound the wa
! tiers of the upper Chagres. This estimate
The commission reports that the value
| of the French work already zone Is es'i-
mated at S33 1874, 1853. -.
II is estimated that the tonnage that
would use the canal will amount to -
| $50 027 tons in lsW9 ,...
of an isthmian waterway, the report says;
| "As compared with Europe, the united
| States will derive from the canal Iar
greater. benefits, beth commer 81 Eyur one
with the Pacific coast OF North, Cen.rai
| and South America, under existing cohui
| tons Is somewhat larger than tne totai
volume of the present traffic OF the INIT
| tary to the canal; but TINS tact uoes ny
indicate the relative ADVANTAGES wnicn
the canal will possess for the traoe oa
| Europe and that OF the United states. AS
soon as 1t has been opened, our traoe
! with the west coast of South America
| will rapidly increase, as Will also ,I ue
volume of our trade with the orient, Inc
| amount of the American commerce
through the canal will quickly snrpass
the total amount of European trafhc
| IAN isthmian canal will strengthen the
| unity of the national and political inter-
ests of the United States, develop its Pa
! citic territory and promote the commsrce
and industries of the entire country. Inc
benefits which Europe Will derive from
ton to this ours will be political and In,
dustrial. BY bringing the eastern ana
western sections Of our country mo
closer relations, by reducing the time anu
| cost of transporting our western products
| to Europe, and by enabling the eastern.
southern and central states to reach me
raw materials and markets OF Pacinc
countries cheapy ana expeoltlously, tnG
and social interests and quicken the IN
dustrial activity of every section OF the
| United States.
| The iron and steel, the textiles and
the other manufactures of eastern and
| southern states, the coal from the min
ing regions, the cotton from the south.
and the grain and forest products IRON
| many sections will flow out to foreign
countries in an increasing volume, and
this larger trade will be shared generally
| by the ports Of ell our seaboards-the At
lantic the Gulf and the Pacific, The
canal will cause the competition of the
| United States with Europe in the coun-
tries of western South America and the
orient to be much keener. with the re.
| sui lndI the lldUt VI OuI NouhNiS WI
Increase more rapidly than will that Of
our rivals. The canal will aid the United
States in securing and maintaining a pc,
sition of primary in the international
| The commission concludes with care
full comparison of the Nicaragua and
| Panama routes. 1t shows that distances
between ATLANTIC and Pacihc ports arc
shorter by the Nicaragua than the Pana
ma route. This is in part Offset by the
increased time in getting through the
| Nicaragua canal The latter route IS re-
ported to be more favorable for sailing
| vessels. The Nicaragua route Is also re-
| garded as advantageous through Its de-
| velopment OF the country through which
II passes. 1t Is pointed out that the Pana-
ma concession, now held by the French
company prohibits cession OF rights &c
any nation or foreign government The
| concession Is limited, so that III the Unit
ed States acquired II. there would not bt
an absolute ownership in perpetuity, as
the concession provides that the cana
shall pass to Colombia after 80 years,
The commission has asked President
uutin Of the FRENCH Oh. company to to-, na am
pose OF It's property and interests to the
United States, No formal reply was re-
ceived until the commissions report was
conferences have resulted In no offer &c
| dispose of the property to the United
States upon any terms, nor had the com
pany expressed any desire to negotiate
l
such disposition: II was proposed b,
President Hutin that the United state,
might obtain control OF the canal scheme
as majority, stockholder OF new or
ever, to re-incorporate In the United
States, and accord to this government
such representation on Its board Of d.
rectors and such purchase OF interest q.
its concessions permitted.
| The final conclusions or the commits
sion are stated as follows'
| II. The estimated cost OF building thu
| Nicaragua canal Is about 35S 0O0, 900 NOR,
than that OF completing the Panama
canal leaving out the cost OF acquiring
the latter proporty. This measures tn,
difference In the magnitude OF the obsta
cles to be overcome In the actual con
struction OF the two canals, and covers
all physical considerations such as tn,
greater or less height OF dams, the great
er or less depth OF cuts, the presence o.
or absence of railroad, the exemption
from liability to disease ana the amour
on work remaining to be done.
1.-THE new Panama canal company ha
shown no disposition to sell It's propert!
to the United States. Should that com
pany be able and willing to sell, there I,
reason OF believed that the price would no
| be such AS would make the total cost I,
the United States less than that Of tn
| Nicaragua canal
! III. The Panama canal after compile
ton, would he shorter, have fewer lock
canal, The measure OF these advantage
~ W. VII. a. ,os,itn,iod ,nr az w pas
si1 Wt.olwo bomrs fo, pn, ~ "N a,
nBv silP ~. wjn,ran,,n ''' "'"''" ~"
90 nuuih iui ~ hnn,I ,ho a,s,o,oo e.o.,
: on we o,ner Snaa VIZ W. 11 ~ ao- ,ro oa
san rrancisoo " 20 T n, ' onn 70 90, n,i,es
70 New orloums oP u,,'cn umu W. t,vorpoo
| Nicaragua The time required to pas
eyer tmese uast a., pe,nE sre.'o, ,neI
NE udhetymeu o,nno,s" no Mon ", uan n
Wp,ousn MY ,vomId ho a sev nm y
more odyontagoo,us, Of the two to tn
"lIi' The government OF Colombia l