The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1902-01-31

con6EV Ybe possessed
with the 5f lady shoppers
we dole- eaIly need it BUTT is
a shame not to buy it, it's going
so cheap 1t reminds one Of the
immortal Mrs Toodles, who used
to attend auctions, and her pur-
chase of the door plate, ''Tomp
kins.' "Just think, my dear, !"
said she to her husband, if we
should have a baby and it should
he girl and she should grow up
and marry man named iomp-
kins, how handy it would be TO
have this door plate in the house"
This old abandoned French
ditch has, however, some merits
about it, and in spite of all that
has been said and written against
! it, there seems to be strong i'm
preston abroad in Congress that
we are going to buy it after all.
So it behooves the chronicler to
sum up all the good points that
are alleged in its favor and see if
we are really going to get our
|
moneys worth in buying this shop
worn piece of goods.
First, there are $500 acres of
land not worth much at present
but undoubtedly, of considerable
value if the canal is constructed.
Second, buildings and machin-
cry, boats, dredging, apparatus,
etc, all is more or less dilapidated
condition, but still able to be used
for some time with reasonable re
pairs. Some idea of the extent
of the old project can be gained
from the statement that there are
2, 431 buildings, including offices,
storehouses, hospitals, stables and
houses for laborers.
Third, the ditch itself. The
amount of dirt carted out of the
hole is 36,6S4, 965 cubic yards.
equivalent to a canal 300 feet wide.
30 feet deep and something over
20 miles long. This excavation
has cost the Panama Canal Com
pany about twenty seven and one
half millions of dollars.
Fourth, controlling interest is
the Panama railroad which is an
important factor in the construc-
ton of the Canal. This may be
considered an offset to the 50, $780,
9l8 that goes along with the rail
road.
Fifth, if we buy the canal and
finish it we will save five and one
half millions of dollars so
very much when one remembers
that the whole cost is to be 1854.
233, 1908.
The commission in recommend
ing this purchase which it did
unanimously after standing to
for a long time, declares that the
Columbian Government must grant
to the United States in perpetuity
a strip of territory from ocean to
ocean of sufficient width, must be
placed under the control of the
United States, must have the right
to enforce police regulations, pre-
serve order, protect prof. erty
rights, and exercise such other pow |
ers as are appropriate and necessa
ry. The business relations between
the railroad and canal companies
and the Columbian Government
must also be settled and the consid
GRAFTON to be paid by the United
States for the privilege and rights
to be exercised in the future must
be agreed upon free from all en-
barrassment with reference to past
Secretary Hay, taking time by
the forelock, is already negotiating
with Senior Siloa, the Columbian
Minister in Washington, for the
necessary concessions, just as he
has already done with Nicaragua
and Costa Rico, which ever way
Congress jumps, therefore he will
be ready for it. In addition to
being the Columbian diplomatic
to the United States.
y