Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1905-10-26
NEWS OF
THE NATION
THE PRESIDENT ON HIS
SOUTHERN TOUR TALKS
FORCIBLY.
THE PANAMA CANAL GOES.
EMF rATIC UTTERANCES ON THE
THE PANAMA CANAL GOES.
EMF rATIC UTTERANCES ON THE
RAILROAD RATE LAW
MADE.
The Work Done on the Canal a Guar
anty That the Great Work Will
Be Finished in Near Future.

At Jacksonville, Florida, Saturday,
President Roosevelt said: Here IN
Florida, the first of the gulf states
which | have visited upon this trip,
/ wish to say special word about
the Panama canal. | believe that the
canal will be of great benefit to all
our people, but most of all TO the
states of the south Atlantic, the
gulf and the Pacific slope. When COM
pleted the canal will stand as a monu-
ment to this nation; for it will be the
greatest engineering feat ever yet ac-
complished in the world.
"A body of the most eminent engi-
neers in the world, both American
and foreigners, has been summoned to
advise as to the exact type of canal
which should be built. At no distant
date | hope to be able TO announce
what their advice is, and also the
action taken upon their advice. Mean
while the work is already we'll under
way, and has advanced sufficiently far
to enable me to announce with GER
tainty that it can surely be accom-
plished, and probably at rather less
expense than was anticipated.
The work is as difficult as it is i'm
portant; and it is of course inevitable
that from time to time difficulties will
occur and checks be encountered.
Whenever such is the case the men
of little faith at home will lose that
little faith, and the critics who CON
found hysteria with emphasis will act
after their kind. But our people as
a whole possess not only faith, but
resolution, and are of too virile fiber
TO be swept one way or the other by
mere sensationalism. No check that
may come will be of more than trivial
and passing consequence, will inflict
any permanent damage, or cause any
serious delay The work can be done,
is being done, and will be done. What
has already been accomplished is a
guaranty as to the future.
President Roosevelt, in an address
at Raleigh, n. c., Thursday, set at
rest any question there may have been
as to his purpose 10 invite congress
to pass a law for the regulation of
railroad rates. The president went
further than to indicate that he will
communicate with congress upon the
subject by practically outlining what
the nature of his recommendation
VIII DS. ne Sdlu.
Il do not believe in government
ownership of railroads, but | do be-
lieve it is out of the question for the
government not to exercise a super
visory and regulatory right over rail-
roads.
There are always some railroad
managers and some big shippers who
are always ready to take unfair ad-
vantage of their weaker competitors
and thereby force others who would
like to do decently into similar acts of
wrong
What we need is some administers.
tive body with ample power to forbid
combinations which are hurtful TO the
public
This body must be given power to
make its findings effective.
This is not revolutionary. / only
wish the same power given in refer.
ence to railroads that is now exercised
! by bank examiners.
Nothing is more injurious than d
law which is merely sound and fury.
i would like to see the new body
granted all the power | think it ought
TO have but l would far rather see a
part Of it granted than see a pretense
of granting it all in such shape that
| 1t really amounts to nothing"