New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-12
PANAMA POSSIBILITIES.
Colombian Policy a BIghting One
PROGRESS Under Ney Conditions.


mains to this day entirely untouched by the hand
Of developing genius. The progress of commercial
enterprise has penetrated the interior OF this
country, where great stretches OF plain lie "hoIly
dormant, and where abound ranges or low noun
tains teeming with mineral wealth. That interior
IS a place where the forests brood for welnigh I'M
itless miles; where the vegetation grows Win eA-
cess eloquently testifying to the richness or the
soil and where wealth IS to be won by the hardy
and enterprsing IN exchange for minimum
amount of labor.
As II stands to-day however Panama is a land
of absolutely no commercial consequences. Its en-
tire commercial activity Is limited to the care OF
the transisthmian traffic. Everything else or
commercial nature in the new republic could De
wholly destroyed without imposing upon the world
at large the slightest burden Of deprivation The
fruit trade. which is carried on from Bocas del
Toro in the extreme western portion, could easily
be supplied from other sources; the pearl hsherles
about the Bay of Panama are not OF general public
benefit; the cocoanut groves that line the beaches
not of sufficient Importance to entail any seri-
GUS loss should they be destroyed while the cattle
raising. rubber growing and gold mining industries
are in a condition Of such pulling infancy as to be
virtually negligible quantities
CoLOMBIA'S BLIGHTING POLICY.
For exclamation of this backwardness one must
look In the main to the bnghting effects of Colom-
blan administration Under the concession which
Colombia granted to the Panama Railroad to that
given an absolute monopoly over all
transportation facilities the entire isthmian
the isthmus. there being thoroughfare over
which much mule cart can be driven. Again.
Colombia by the terms of the cattle killing con-
cession. ruined ell prospects in that direction
There was no opportunity to make money out OF
cattle the isthmus while the herder was COM
PEELED to pay fee of IS head to the oonces-
sonaire for the privilege of slaughterng his stock
and then surrender the hide to the Colombian gov
eminent. On level with these policies has been
that of the Panama Railroads. policy in which
there have been some recent modiAcations-of TX
ing rates for local traffic over its line at inquire
SO high to entirely eliminate the possibility of
money being made from the cultivation Of the land
Coupled with these, there must be considered tho
OF the people and the lack OF
adequate government control over large areas OF
the country. The Panamans an habitually lazy
people. IS easy for them to live by building
matched for homes. by grubbins in the ground
for yuccas and yams. which grow Wild trapping
birds and catching fish for meat and by going into
the jungle to gather bananas and oranges for fruit
for them to think of exertng themselves when the
only reward would be little more. and wholly
unappreciated. comfort. From this condition OF
slothfuness Colombia tried to raise the peo-
pie Rather did she encourage them In idleness
her policy has been TO let out the land TO con-
cessionaires. thereby destroying the peoples oppor
tunity TO cultivate it.
LAND OF GATHERING PROMISE
It is impossible to expect that the Panamans Will
ever raise themselves above their present con-
diton of idleness as to properly make OF tho
/
tainly they Will not do except II be after long
term Of years. and until after they have had the
educating advantage OF examples set by more en-
terprising raoes Utilization OF tho countrys natu-
raj resources and the development OF her CONNER
cial possibilities must, accordingly, wait the Rd-
vent OF men who willing TO labor as pioneerA
For such as these Panama land of golden
promise. for nobody knows. nor can anybody esu-
mate, the extent OF the country's possibilities
In its present wild and uncultivated state Il offers
! glltter1ng inducements. Here is area equal IN
extent to that OF Indiana having q climate
! Ike perpetual summer, excessively watsred.
/ perhaps, by the enormous annual rainfall but
with soil OF Incompatible richness and i'm
measurable productive capacity. Anything grow
able win grow here, and grow rapidly. Proof OF this
fence posts Immediately takes root and IA less
Of fence posts will be row Of sturdy sapiings
Under these conditions, bananas oranges and all
Along the sandy beaches cocoanut trees VIII reach
thereafter produce an average Of four nuts a month
/ a tree. and eoeoanuts are worth from - 10 $40 a
from six TO eight years, reaching maturity at ten
10 the tree Corn grows wen. and two crops a
year are possible; the meadows are repeatedly
IN the forests hardwood of all sorts abound and in
Of gold. manganese coal and nd other minerals
Along the coast tortoises can be caught and
that OF going to the beach az night time and turn
nowhere to be found than n the streams, bays and
| lagoons accessible from these coasts Ivory nuts
| with little or no effort.
The bamboo forests are plentiful and the growth
! is abundant; wild orchids freely and In
such variety that iortculturist could quickly de-
little enterprise this one The coral reefs are
Of the country and what is even worse there is
not mandatory of any sort on the entire 18TH
mus
COMPLETE PARALYSIS PREVAILS.
The scope of this commercial and Industrial pa
ralysis hardly be appreciated by those who
have not been witness to 1t. Complete is the one
word in the English vocabulary which describes it.
There a few Northumberland up
and down the coasts in small sailing vessels, bar
tering with the natives for cocoanuts. ivory nuts,
tortoise shell and similar products. Near Nombre
de Dios there has been attempt almost aban-
doned now, to open manganese mine. One gold
mine is In operation its product $4,000 a month";
Eufiicng only tc demonstrate the latent possibilities
in that direction In Chiriqui cattle and fruit are
raised In a desultory fashion. The pearl fisheries
Yield enormously under the most primitive condi-
In al ep IS Ho ahe fnf for rs the
Of grain part OF the kitchen outfit Of every
following out one end of a short log and rudey
fashioning club out OF Of the hard woods.
Travel over the thirty thousand-o miles of this
single sawmin, although such woods lignum
cocobola, a red wood which takes polish richer
than cherry mahogany or rosewood: and which. by
quantities
Nor is there TO be found in this land. where
rivers, singe boatbuild ding establishment; csyues-
sail and paddle-alone are used There Is one
Insignificant tarnery on the isthmus. but aside
from 1t mechanical labor is entire stranger in
this part Of the universe
The foregoing may be taken as a fair index to
and mineral dsyeIopment commercial activity. in
able forms-all wait the touch OF genius to be
called into being. But as prelude to this de-