Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-12-14
WASHINGTON LITTER.

Since the frst session Of Congress a
large amount Of work has beel accom-
plished, considering thet this is the
first session of a new Congress. Little
legislation of Importance has been act
ually enacted, but gratifying number
of parliamentary details have been dis
posed of.
Among the bills which have been in
troduced are measures providing for
Chinese exclusion, the enforcement of
the Dingley tariff schedule in the Phi
lippines Ia measure made necessary by
the setting aside of the present tariff
Jaw as applied to the islands by the SUI
preme court decsion), numerous bills
intended to suppress anarchy and pun
ish attempts on the life of the Presi-
dent; a bill providing a pension of
$1,000 per annum for Mrs. Mckinley;
bill providing for the reservation of
1000, 900 acres of forest land in the
Southern Appalachian mountains to be
known as the Mckinley National Park,
and numerous bills intended to remedy
the evils attendant upon the formation
of trusts.
The Is,hmian Canal commission IA
vors the Nicaraguan route, the cost of
which it estimates at $3.50, s64, 062. This
canal will have to be provided with
locks and will be without harbor facil-
tiles at either end. 1t is estimated that
it can be completed in eight years, and
the total length will be 1873 miles. The
cost OF completing the Panama canal is
placed OF S144, 233,35S, and the amount
required to purchase the canal from the
French company SlO9. 14l.000. although
the commission values the work done at
only $40 100000. Ia favor of the Pana-
ma route it may be said that it would
be a sea level canal, only forto nine
mills long; that it has harbors at each
erd, and that it would cost 81, 100000
per annum less to operate than the
Nicaragua canal. The commission un-
qualifiedly recommends the Nicaraguan
route, and Senator Morgan has already
introduced his bill providing for its
construction.
In view of the fact that at the expir-
alton of fifty years the original cost of
the Nicaraguan route, plus the in
creased cost of maintenance for that
period, will have equalled the total
cost of the Panama route if it were
chosen, and that subsequent to that
time the United States would be re-
lIeyed of an annual expense 1900, 900;
that vessels would find Il harbor at
either end of the canal, and that the
time consumed in traversiug the Mica
raguan canal will amount to thirty
three hours as against twelve hours for
the Panama canal, it would seem diff
cult to understand the grounds on
which the commission recommends the
former route.
A further consideration should not
be lost sight of, however, and that is
that the French company holds out for
price Approximately $40, 900, 900 in ex-
cess of the amount at which the com
mission values the work done. Inview
of this fact reasonable surmise is
! that the commission and Congress in
tend to proceed with the preliminaries
| looking TO the construction of the Mica
raguan canal with the hope that it may
induce the French owners of the pana-
ma route TO listen ) reason and accept
the commissions valuation of $40, 900
600 on their plant. If they can be in
duced to do this, the total cost of the
canal would not exceed assuming that
the commissions estimates are correct,
$3.50, 900, 900 and an annual saving OF
81, 800, 600 would have been effected
The statement in the presidents mes
sage that The men who seek gains
not by genuine work of head or hands
but by gambling in any form are al
ways menace, not only TO themselves
but to others" is not Gathering
tribute to the gentlemen who do bust
ness in Wall street,
Those people who expected the presi-
dent 10 indulge in denagogismin hand,
ling the subject Of trusts" are dfsap-
pointed-and yet what could be more
wise than the presidents recommends.