The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-11
SEA LEVEL CANAL
CoNGAEssMEN WHO VISITED PANA-
 MA IMPRESSED WITH THE IDEA.
Cost VIII Be Double-Bonds to Re Y.. sued to Pay for Waterway, Instead
 of Appropriations from Cur. rent Heyenues. FI


 Raymond's Washington Special to Chi
 cago Tribune. With the opening of Congress and
 the return of the members of the house | committee on interstate commerce who l went to Panama, there has been a gen- | tune revival of interest in the progress | of work on the Panama canal The visit of the house members was a good deal more than an ordinary junket. It gave the statesmen an idea of condI- tions on the isthmus, and it Is a nota- ble thing that they all came back en- thusiastic as to the progress of the canal and most pleasantly disappointed as to climate and sanitary conditions | on the isthmus. a. 4
 This fact. coupled with the success full diplomatic mission of Secretary Taft. is expected to have an important bearing on the rapid prosecution of the work It is a significant thing that the leading members of the committee who went on the expedition have re- turned much influenced in the direction Of a sea level canal. Few of them were engineers, and they are not at all committed on this project, but they were informed on the isthmus that there seemed to be no serious obstacle in the way of sea level canal except the largely increased cost and an addi- eioit oi d nuInDeF or years to the lime necessary to finish the canal.
 Railroad Influence at workf
 There is story afloat to the effect that the influence of the transcontinen tai railroads has been exerted on far western senators and members to in- duce them Ito stand out for a sea feyeI canal According to current rumors the railroads have agreed on this be- cause they feel that 1t will postpone cutting the isthmus for number of years.
 It may be true that the revival of the sea level canal project has been pro- voked by some railroad interests. but at the same time congressman who made personal inspection of the ts
 thmus are all taken with the sea level Idea and seem to believe it wold be an economy in the long run to cut the oie ditch through all obstacles and avoid use of locks entirely.
 Informal estimates are furnished +o the members of the committee during their visit in Panama tending to show It will take about twenty years to cut through a sea level canal and of course, the expenditure would be vast " greater--perhaps double that re- quired for an ordinary ship canal with a minimum number of locks
 Engineers to Give Estimates, The engineers of the canal commits sion will present an estimate within the next six months or year which will contain their recommendations as to the character of the cutting to be l made. There are fifteen miles of can al already completed by the French company which can be utilized through | the medium of small amount of
 dredging and considerable widening There are also hundreds upon hundreds
 of dump carts and other items of ma chinery abandoned by the French com pany which can be utilized by American engineers. For the most part. howev- CT, new and improved machinery win be absolutely necessary and the anti quated contrivances of the French will be allowed to rust where they now lie VIII Issue Canal Bonds.
 By for the most important develop
 ment in connection with the construc- ton of the canal has arisen as a result of a series of conferences between the secretary of the treasury, the chair
 men of the appropriation committees of the two houses and represen tatives of the war department as to the meth | ods to be adopted in providing funds for building the canal. Under the original Panama act passed by the last congress the limit of cost for the ac-
 tual construction was fixed at $780, 900, 900. The secretary of the treasu- ry was given authority to issue bonds from time to time, If it was deemed best. to provide the money for the ac-
 tual construction of the canal
 It was thought at one time that 1t
 might be possible to provide all the ! necessary funds out of the current revenues, inasmuch as the payments on the canal would necessarily be strung along for a number of years. Heavy appropriations by congress,
 with the resulting deficit. have changed
 these plans entirely. It is now pro-
 posed to issue boris to pay for the canal. and the issue Is to be made at intervals as the money is needed. Why BOnds Are Decided On. It is not only the existence of the deficit in the treasury which has in- duced the financical experts to unite on recommendation for the issuance of bonds to provide the money for the