BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-02-27
lStlniaD Land Dank.agee
An Important Consideration
In Canal Buil8ng.
All the Land Needed Offered with
the Panama-Real Estate Specu
lators in Control Along the Nicar
aqua Survey.

1t is fortunate that both the Istlmian
Canal Bill and the treaties with the Central
American Governments having jurisdiction
OF the proposed routes are to be before the
Senate at the same time this session, 90
the interests involved are closely in.ertwined.
The land question is one which ought to
command cons. derable attention from the
Senate before the final die is cast in this
matter. As nearly as can be asoertained,
real estate spectators in Nicaragua have
already got hold Of most of the land along
the proposed route of the canal which there
in the slightest likelihood Of eur Govern
ment's needing during the period of con-
struction, or for warehouses, administrative
offices, machinery plants, ETC., in operating
the canal. qaesti0nably We shall find
that land which would have gone begging at
80 cents an acre when the enterprise first
took definite shape will be held at not less
than $500 as soon as zoe really need it, 1t
is a common error to suppose that the Spa.
nish. Americans are a guileless lot of people
in dealing with business which every Yam
kee learns in his boyhood as q matter Of
fact, ttey are extremely canny sshen ii
comes to q transactiOn of this kind.
The Panama route is offered to as with
everything practically in possession. The
Panama Company has had to supply itself
with such land as it would need in its work,
and all of that comes under the terms of the
$40 OOO, 900 purchase. This is an item
which must not be overlooked in estimating
the relative expenses Of the two routes.
Nothing really remains indefinite in Pan.
anna except the bonus We must pay the 70.
lombian Government fer the right OF way.
In Nicaragua We shall have this to pay,
and, added to it, the uncertain sum We
must spend for construction, though roughly
figured by the Commission, is still all .
matter OF guesswork.
Another subject which will require some
thought is the payment of damages to the
owners of property adjacent to the canal
route, resulting from ovsrdows and similar
accidents, 1t is one OF the misfortuues at.
tending any such undertaking by Govern.
ment like ours, which has . reputation
throughout the world of being unbounded
ly rich, that so-called damages which no
one would consider if the party at fault
were q private individual with limited
purse, reach inordinate figures on the
slightest provocation. There js no reason |
to suppose that our Government will be |
protected from such rapacity if the Whols |
matter is left to be considered when the
occasion arises the only safe course is TO
provide against all contingencies in cd
vance. SOme Senators suggest that this
could be done by an international commits
sion but such methods have always proved
unsatisfactory. Congress is slow about
creating the Commission; the Commission
is slow in going through its docket and if
any considerable time has elapsed, injustice
is liable to be done to many honest claims
and undue generosity shown to many which
are not honest. Another feature Of the bis
tory of most claims COMMISSIONS is the
appearance as plaintiffs OF q multitude oil