Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-12
STOP TO CONCESSIONS
The Lottery and Roulette
| Wheel in the Canal Zone.
PLAYING A SYSTEM
TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC
AGREEMENTS.
The Railroad Should Be. Very Profit
able-Passenger Rates and Tele-
graph Tolls Too High.

So many questions are settled In the IN
structions issued by the President to the
Panama canal commission that some Of the
most important ones are yet hardly under
stood There are points of special interest
in the United States, Of unusual moment
to Panama, and of great significance to the
Pacific coast countries of Central and South
America. These matters include the pro-
vision for making the necessary contracts
for the engineering and construction work,
the regulation of the Panama railroad
traffic contracts or agreements and the
drastic control of the lottery and other
gambling concessions on the isthmus.
Probably there is surprise mixed with
dissatisfaction in Panama and Colon over
the Presidents tart instruction that the
commission shall enact laws annulling these
privileges or concessions A quiet but thor
ough agitation which has been going on In
the United States secures very substantial
results in this provision. While not much
has been said in public, nearly all the de-
nominations have been working to secure
regulations which would free the United
States from any moral faint with regard
to the lottery.
Public sentiment on the isthmus as in all
Spanish American countries takes differ
ent view of this subject. That is why the
Presidents instructions are not likely to
be received with overwhelming approval. A
goodly number of foreigners, Including
Americans who always do as the natives
do, and sometimes go them little better,
also may find fault with the President.
But he is quite sure to receive support at
home.
The Panama Lottery.
The Panama lottery is one of the firmly
established institutions of the tsthmus.
Nominally it Is a company, but the stock
is held by few individuals. The corpora
ton owns fine building in Panama 'front.'
ing on the plaza and near the Cathedral.
1t has agencies all over the isthmus, and
the selling of lottery tickets is a regular
business. The vendors peddle them on the
train and their commissions enable them
to make good living. The drawings being
under state control are honest in SO far as
a lottery can be honest. Formerly part of
the revenue went to the charities, and the
support of the church. 1 do not know how
that is now.
The other gambling privilege is purely an
American concern. That is, American cit
liens have the franchise or did have it.
They paid Colombia for the monopoly just
the lottery paid for its privilege.
The chief asset of the gambling. conces-
sion was the roulette wheel Many vivid
and realistic descriptions have been given
of the scenes around the wheel during the
high carnival of French extravaganza and
corruption. They did not vary greatly
even in dull times, for there never was a
period when the wheel was not surrounded
by groups representing a dozen different
nationalitieS In Colon the sailors were
the chief partons. In Panama the patron
age came more from the Inhabitants and
persons connected with the canal work as
well as from the travellers up and down the
Pacific coast.
One of the partners in the gambling fran
chise was noted for his geniality. The
other was equally noted for his sourness.
The sour man was mostly at Colon. The
genial one had his headquarters at Pan
ANA.