Milford chronicle., 1901-12-13
WASHINGTON NEWS.

Probably the most important
work in the House of Representa-
tives has been the nomination of
Speaker Henderson of the Ways
and Means Committee, the Appro-
priations Committee and the Com
mittee on Enrolled Bills. The
Ways and Means Committee is
composed ofRepresentatives Payne,
Hopkins, Grosvenor, Russell, Steele,
Tawney, M'Call, Long, Babcock,
Metcalfe, (Republicans) Richard
son, Robertson, Swanson, M Clellan,
Newlands and Cooper, (Democrats).
This includes one more Republi-
can and one less Democrat than
formerly. Speaker Henderson be-
lieving that, in view Of the in
creased majority in the House, s.the
Republicans were entitled to in
creased representation on this i'm
portant committee.
Immediately after the appoint
menf Of the Committee it met in
the Capitol 10 discuss the Philip
pine tariff situation and another
meeting was held on Saturday. No
time will be lost in reporting a bill
which will meet with the approval
of a majority of both the House
and the Senate. It is the hope of
Speaker Henderson and Chairman
Payne that this necessary 1egisla-
ton may be enacted before the hol-
iday adjournment. Senator Lodge
introduced a bill into the Senate
providing for the application ofthe
schedules of the Dingley bill to the
Philippines but, as all revenue leg
islation should originate in the
House, it is probable that the Sen
ator's bill will give way to that re-
ported by the Ways and Means
Committee.
On Wednesday the Senate re-
ceived from the President the re-
port Of the Isthmien Canal Com
mission and the Hay Pauncefote
treaty. The provisions Of the
treaty accorded with the predic-
tions made in these letters. 1t calls
for no compensation to Great Brit
ain in return for the abrogation of
the Clayton Bulwer treaty and
leaves the United States the sole
master Of the canal with the right
to fOrtify or otherwise protect it and
requires the simple pledge that the
canal shall be maintained as neu-
trail waterway. The convention
was Immediately referred to the
Committee on Foreign Relations.
and Friday that committee unani-
mously voted to recommend it for
ratification. Senator Burrows tells
me that he believes the measure
will receive the vote of every Re-
publican Senator and a sufficient
number of Democratic votes to in,
sure its passage. Senator Zines
the Democratic leader, does not he.
ieve that there Willie ary formal
7nosition 1.-THE me Democratic Sen.
a.oi5.
The Isthmian Canal Commission
favors the Nicaraguan route, the
cost of which it estimates at $780,
S64, o62. This canal will have to
be provided with locks and will be
without harbor facilities at either
end. 1t is estimated that it can be
completed in eight years and the
total length would be I83 miles.
The cost of completing the Pana-
ma canal is placed at $I44, 233,35S
and the amount required to pur-
chase the canal FROM the French
company SIO9, I4I 900 although the
Commission values the work done
at only 100000 IN favor of
the Panama route it may be said
that it would be a sea level canal
only forty-nine miles long, that it
has harbors at each end and that it
would cost SI3,ooo,ooo per annum
less to operate than the Nicaragua
canal. The Commission unquali-
hedly recommends the Nicaraeuan
route and Senator Morgan has al
ready introduced his bill providing
for its construction.
In view of the fact that at the ex-
piration of fifty years the original
cost of the Nicaraguan route. plus
the increased cost of maintenance
for that period. will have equalled
the total cost of the Panama route
if 1t were chosen and that subse-
quent to that time the United States
would be relieved of an annual ex-
pense of $4,000, 900; that vessels
would find harbor at either end
of the canal, and that the time con
sumed in traversing the Nicaraeuan
canal will amount to thirty three
hours as against twelve hours for
the Panama canal, it would seem
difficult to understand the grounds
on which the Commission recon-
mends the former route.
n III NllGl consideration S0Oul0
not be lost sight of, however, and
that is that the French company
holds out for price Approximately
$40, 900, 900 in excess Of the amount
at which the Commission values
the work done. In view of this
fact a reasonable surmise is that
the Commission and Congress in
tend to proceed with the prelimi-
naries looking to the construction
of the Nicaraguan canal with the
hope that it may induce the French
owners of the Panama route to lis
ten to reason and accept the Com
mission S valuation of $40, 900. ooc
on their plant. If they can be in
duced to do this, the total cost OIL
the canal would not exceed, assum-
ing that the Commissions estimates
are correct, $3.50, 900, 900 and an
annual saving of $I3, ooo, 900 would
have been effected.