New-York tribune., 1904-10-21
CONDITIONS AT PANAMA.
Peace and Prosperity assured by the
Work of the Canal Commission.


washington Oct. 2O.-Unbiassed testimony as
20 the remarkable change that has taken place
on the American isthmus since the canal
authorities OF the United States have taken hold
OF affairs in the canal zone, and since the new
republic has firmly established itself is given in
q report just made TO the San Francisco Cham
ler OF Commerce by its representative in this
city, William n Bunker, who recently returned
from an investigation in Panama From this
exhaustive report Of trained inspector OF busi-
ness conditions and opportunities. and wholly
sndependent of government influences, the fol-
lowing extracts are taken:
In line with The policy of the chamber. I have
studied The Panama canal route ana me tIaIe - a t
commerce Of the republic Ile caiaI rs Is aSs "a me 81 ~
ouiry stage. Trade and commerce are II pIoes ~
transition CallaI ana commerce.. So'i - aI
and political future OF Panama. the administration
are interdependent. This interdependence Is a Kew
70 the situation Different qiiicia! aalnoIIIles az
De reconcied Some differences are inevitable
Syith ! new republic and d canal enter
the same region under The direction OF two separate
and distinct nations, there are chaness iof ols-
cussions colon and Panama are in but not o.
MAINTAIN heir integrity Customs affairs
necessarily in an anomalous state. The delicate
and difficult task is nice adjustment OF me TeiS-
tions Of the several parties IN interest ..
After discussing the situation with pToInIihe.,at .,
@ eiais VS. ~ iSelonsd are more fsncied than
reel These differences are inseparable from the
new state of affairs. Common sense and good
ibat they are the frst benehciaries OF canal con-
stTuction. Building operations in Panama oitg & a.
this fact Dozens OF BRICK ana stone iqu s,,
and business buildings are rising Rents nave
-oouD.su - i il 1 e' ba1s % increased There is de-
mand for land that formerly was uIlsaIdplS- ~
nominal tax on real estate. Taxation has always
weighed the heaviest on merchants ana pTooueeI. pt
The business animation and the glowing prospects
Que TO permanent peace and canal work nave seem
t.sstion win doubtless adjust itself when the re-
public SHAH have adopted its plan OF properly LAX
fhe commercial and political future of the re-
p.aTP = '5g mas = re"ze that The United States and
The Repuhlic II Panama have common interest IN
Se Sana S eid ' i6e E6ne aathofits and the
canal officials in settling the issues OF contaeI o9l-
patch ana tie good faith neither party is cues
Tioneo The issues amounting 10 iei% .rbey sTs
Gre due a and untried conugDlty ! iles 81
en6 viii continue to be inevitable. Particles oHU
tact should continue 10 settle them
SOME CANAL CONDITIONS.
The Canal Commission is collecting data with
which 70 frame a construction policy An elastic
programme has been tentatively arranged ana ana
engineering problems are Sun in 81 suspense, s;s, In
gtneer the commission aIRoted Iour qs4I'eI . & ei-
fineers-Caarles List A b Nlcnols, =. r ss Dose
tions of the caral route. and report the same IN
order that the commission might have trusiWoTthy
data with which o a plan OF operation.
These INQUIRIES involved surveying, boring and tests
Of various kinds along the line Of the canal and u. IN
the harbor Of Colon In order 70 secure bids Tor
excavation under contract the commission must be
ghle 10 snow the contractors the nature Of the
material they viii encounter IN digging operations.
Ia the absence Of cNael knowledge q Us II eTal
Irntil an the data shall have been secured the
commission viii not decide whether the canal will
~, - ol9,-e sea level as sllggesfed bV the
last commission. al any intermediate point The
inrestigatiors now being made the deld VIII de-
canal. AT this writing several old French eNca-
vators are Al work in tie Culebra cut, where the
September five of these eXcavators were in active
operation A rainstom disabled TWO in a single
years old. Compared with the steam shoyels Of to-
day they archaic. In fairly substantial ma
cubic yards OF earth in ten hours. Under the
French regime they broke down every few min
halts- The commissioners are buying American
clule fourteen steam s!oNels, one thousand steel
dump and i've hundred fiat cars. As soon as
lhfsg appliances are received the force Of men al
tuleDId NlA DE increased. The commission viii
then demonstrate what excavation al that point
ought cost.
BUSINEsSLIKE METHODS OF COMMISSION
The canal authorities on the isthrnus and the
co1lnlssioners IN the home Office have talked freely
and frankly lu no instance, either IN the canal
zone or IN this city, have | seen any tendency 10
fInolher lnfoTInauon properly belonging the pub
lic. AT Panama I afforded every facility for
inspecting local conditions and STUDYING canal
methods. The canal officials courted ma ,loses+
scrutiny and widest publicity. The late visit Of
Chief Engineer Wallace left its staU.l- an canal
MoIk ne canal employees. especially the members
pushing Their patriotic pride is infectiolIs WITH
once ana other equipment arriving by every stea M
way toward systematic organization and eac6 ~
me several departments urgently requesting san
l4ss' mere are necessarily many threads TO follow
taking one consideration with another. must admit