The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-11-12
TO FIGHT CANAL BILL
RAILROADS PLAN AGAINST THE
 ISTHMIAN SCHEME.
Panama Offer as Proof-Undue Infiu- ence is Suspected Because of the High Price Demand
 ed of America.
Walter wellman's Washington Special to


 Walter Wellman's Washington Special to Chicago Record-Herald.
 Another trans-continental railway war against the isthmian canal Is threatened during the coming winter. Members or the Walker commission are conVlnceo that but for railway influences emanat- ,iisn ing from New York City Maurice Hutln, President of the Panama Company. would | have submitted a much more fayoraoie | offer to the United States.
 It is also learned that M. Huun mas re- | ceived encouragement from big fnanciers | in New York to hold out for good price | under promise that money may be raised | in New York to complete the Panama project. Of course all such promises are | delusive. They are not made in good | faith. Their purpose is to play Panama | against Nicaragua, and if possible block all legislation for an isthmian canal The never put dollar into canal. They know. as everyone knows. that no isth- milan canal can pay dividend upon us | cost for half century to come, if ever. | vinced that M. Hutin has played into the l hands of these New York men who are | interested in trans-continentai railroad | properties. The plot appears to be to make such an offer of Panama as will attract just enough attention in Congress | to lead to a division of the canal forces | between the two routes, and thereoy' | perhaps. to a defeat of all legislation. r Representatives. but quite a number In the Senate. A Panama lobby, maintained by the trans-continental railroads. Is ex- pected in Washington next winter. It happens that M. Hutin has little game of his own to play: He was CIVIL dd engineer in France, earning pernaps zo'VuV francs a year in his profession As Pres ident of the Panama Canal Company he is getting nearly as many dollars. It IS the best job he ever held. and he wants to hold on to it. There is in it not only a good income but a prestige which he could gain in no other way. Therefore the best possible thing that could happen to Hutin would be a hanging up Of the whole canal business In the American Congress, for as long as 1t Is an open question the French stockholders can De induced to put ap enough money to pay salaries and to keep up little work along the route, as is now being done. for the purpose of holding the concession. Both Nicaragua and Panama are to be favored in the report of the isthmian canal commission, which will probably be in President Roosevelts hands by route will have first place. but the Pan anna project will also be fairly present. ed. The commission will carefully point out the advantages and disadvantages of the two routes considered from the engineering, the financial the economic and the political viewpoints. There will 1 be an estimate of the cost of both routes.
 The proposition which M Hutin has made In behalf of the French company will be presented with explanatory re- marks by the commission. The commlS- sion will say that upon careful in- vestigation of the Panama work it has | come to the conclusion that the property is worth about $40,0O00OO to the united ! States. It is understood that M. Hutin has asked double that sum.
 | n words. cOmmlSSlOn make a report in which it carefully avoids a definite recommendation concerning choice of routes. It will present it's in formation in great detail, with opinions as to features of the situation, but in fact will leave to Congress the respon- sibility of choosing between the rival routes.
 The significance of this Is that the members of the commission are satisfied the Panama is the better route, consld- cred purely as an engineering proposl- ton. This does not mean that 1t IS better when everything is considered. If the United States was free to take either route-if the field were an open one and no concessions existed and no work had been done-there is no question which route the commission would re- commend. It would be Panama. But whether that is better considering that the French company must be bought out' and that there are complications as to
 title and franchise, Is another question. And this question is so complicated that
 the commission does not care to take tMne M responsibility of a decision. Hence its intention not to make a recommendation
 in absolute terms. On Tuesday the mem
 bers of the commission are to meet Tn
 this city to prepare their final report to the President
 The Nicaragua Canal, 190 miles long ir all is to cost. according to the commas
 sion's figures, about $20O, ,OOOOOO: But It IS | l l;skin ,f ,hp nnUinaprG thai
 if is not improbable the cost may ultl
 mately run up to $500 100000 or even more There are great engineering difhcultles along this route. They are not lnsuper
 able but they are of such character tha
 it is not denied all estimates of the cos'
 of overcoming them may fall short.
 The Panama Canal, on the lock plan
 can be finished for al about Sl5o ooO,oOo Ihere sI,
 they are neither so great nor so uncer
 tain as on the other route. There Is a
 reasonable probability that the danger O
 cost greatly exceeding he estimate woulc
 be much smaller at Panama than al
 Nicaragua. The Panama Canal Is only
 forty-sx miles long, and could be mann
 tained and operated at less expense than
 the other.
 If the French company could be bought
 out for $50 GOO, and if there was 2
 probability that Congress and publC
 opinion would sustain them, the mem
 bers of the comuission would gladly give
 preference to the Southern route. But
 the members of the commission are hu-
 man. They want results. They want tc
 be sustained. Hence their fear to go too
 far in recommendation of the Panama
 project
 These are the conditions of which the trans s-continental railway people are eX-
 pected to take advantage in playing ono route against the other. It is apparent that canal talk is going to hold the cen
 ter of the stage at Washington4next Win ter