Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-06-12
Thinks Measure Will Pass at This
Session.
NO ROUTE is SPECIFIED BY IOWAN
Advocates of Nicaragua and Panama
Plan Are About Equally Divided in
the Scnate-Roosevet and cummns
Boom Not Talked OF.
Washington. d c.. Iu1

will have passed both houses.
Does Not Specify Route.
Major Lacey does not undertake to
specify whether the canal will be cut
through via the Nicaragua route or at
Panama. AS matter of fact he is
not himself, fully satisfied which
route, all things considered, offers the
greatest advantages. He says the,
people in the sixth district of Iowa
are very much interested in the prop
osition and that so far as he knows,
everybody is in favor of a canal.
President Might Cut Knot.
Major Lacey says that as far as he
has been able to ascertain, the advo-
Gates of the Nicaragua and the Pana-
ma routes are about equally divided
in the senate; that is that each prop
osition has strong support. 1t is there
fore impossible to forecast the result
A bill placing the matter in the hands
Of the President, giving him authority
to determine the route, would have a
strong following and this may be the
compromise measure finally agreed
upon in the senate.
Senate Ill Tempered Just Now.
Senator Dolliver remarked that
there were indications that the de-
bate upon the canal bill would be pro-
longed, and might extend up to the
close of this month He says the
senate is in very ill.tempered mood
Just now and that matters are not
moving along smoothly. Certain of
the younger element in the senate are
mad, among them Rawlins, Carmack,
Patterson and Bailey, and they are
disposed to listen to no overtures
looking to the fixing of a date for
voting. OF course under the rules of
the senate the debate may continue
indefinitely-as long as there shall be
anyone who desires to speak.
Canal May Be Abandoned.
I am informed by senator that he
would not be surprised if the canal
bill should be debated for couple of
weeks and then abandoned as mat
ter of expediency. Il there appeared
to be disposition to delay considera
ton to a point intolerable, such a
course might be pursued This seems
hardly probable, however. The mani
est popularity of the measure will I'M
/. doubtedly result in final action, now
that the bill has been taken up.
Houss slot Welded to Nicaragua.
Major Lacey does not believe that
the house is irrevocably welded to
the Nicaragua bill which passed the
house months ago. At that time the
Nicaraguan route was regarded as the
best one and the bill passed the house
by tremendous majority. Since that
time however, there has been a con-
siderable change of sentiment, and
the Panama route has undoubtedly
drawn support from the Nicaraguan
forces. Whatever bill may pass the
senate Major Lacey believes the house
will readily concur therein. Each
route seems to have advantages over
the other; likewise disadvantages
that are serious. The house will not
faggle over the matter if the senate
sends over bill.
Lacey's Ideas of Cost.
Congressman Lacey has some
unique ideas upon the question of cost.
He believes that before the canal is
finally completed and in actual opera
ton, that it will have cost this gov
eminent approximately one billion dol
lars. This is declaration, coming
from conservative Iowa congress
man, calculated to take ones breath
away, but Major Lacey is prepared tc
give reasons for the belief expressed
How He Figures.
He points out that the Panama
route is estimated to have been one
fourth completed by the French engi-
neers the cost of the work accomplish
ed was $24O,OO0,0OO. He says the
equation is simple one. If one-fourth
costs $240,0O00O0, the whole upon tina
basis will cost approximately billion
dollars. The estimates for the Mica
ragua route are about the same as the
Panama route.
Not at All Parallel Cases.
When Mr.. Lacey's attention was
called to the figures made by engi.
neers, based upon work done upon the
Illinois drainage canal and canals re.
Gently built in South America he re
piled that he knew all about that, but
that 1t was ridiculous to compare cost
of building canal in Illinois, In the
heart of the country, with every con
yenience at hand, a healthy reliable
climate, among highly civilized people
with the cost at Panama. The French
had similar estimates and actual re
suits had proven the fallacy of esti
mates based upon operations carried
on in that wretched climate.
All might Be Washed Away.
In the vicinity of the Panama route
the rainfall amounts to from twelve
to twenty-four feet per year-no
inches but feet. The entire work is
liable to be washed away, machinery
and all The climate is the most dead
ly on earth and high wages only will
induce men to work upon PROPOSE
ton where life is taken literally ii
ones hands in engaging in it. There
will be reverses and set-backs and diff
ficult obstacles to overcome. O.
course the obstacles will all be dis
lodged but at terrific expenditure O
money and life.
Says Canal Ought to Be Built.
Major Lacey does not make thes
observations with a view to abandon
ing the enterprises. He says the
country is practically unanimous for
canal and that canal ought to b,
built. At the same time he takes tn,
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