The Jersey City news., 1906-06-01


Senate choice will be that of the sea
level, as recommended by the Senate
Committee, says the Newark Evening
News Senator Kittredge, of North Da-
kota, has introduced bill Incorporating
such q decision. The situation gathers
added interest from the report that Mr.
Roosevelt will take direct interest in the
affair by urging his own views favoring
the lock plan through a message to Con-
gress. It is clearly indicated that, il
there is no legislation and che President
is left free to fellow his own way, he will
promptly authorize the lock plan. In a
problem which is to be solved presum-
ably with judieious inclusion of future
as well as immediate needs, the settle
ment of the question, which has passed
the stage of dallianee, may well be fore
most in current attention.
The Kittridge bill goes to its mark as
straight as bullet 1t would simply
enact that a sea level canal accordant
with the report and plans favored by
majority of the advisory board of eRgi-
neers, made June "a, 1905, be construct
ed. There can be no mistake that the
belief in a sea level canal has grown
gress. Many originally opposed to it have
been won over to its support, including
such large judicial minds, for example,
as Senator Morgan. The more the broad
and complicated conditions of the ques-
ton have been studied, the more the sea
level plan has confirmed itself in the
light of big survey of the conditions of
the present and the future Expert judg-
ment has led the way in this conversion.
1t has been made clear that the engineer
ing difficulties are easily within control.
The one plan is quite as feasible as the
other.
The sole advantages on the side Of the
lock canal are those of less initial cost
and shorter time of construction. But
even the advocates of this method tacitly
or openly admit that, as the uses of such
enterprises are measured it will not be a
long time before the commercial needs of
the world will have outgrown locking
capacity. Recent record of national dan
gers, too, have stimulated the fear of
subterranean convulsion, which is so
much more imminent in respect of a lock
system than that of a sea way. 1t is
question of long sight or of short sight.
Shall the canal be built on plan sub
stantially adequate for all time, or of one
which will inevitably demand an early
reconstruciion-withi generation at
the most-at al enormous cost approx
mating the cos: of the original, and IN
yolviag serious embarrassment to the
adjusted conyenlences of civilization? 7?
What are the added time and expense
of sea-leyel construction now at the out
get, when they can be borne with mini
mum Of disturbance to economic condit-
ions, to the cumulative threat of the by
snd-by?
It is to be regretted that the adminis-
tration has committed itself with such
strong feeling against the sea-level plan.
The earlier dicta of the President dis
played no such ardor as that which has
recently become so pronounced as If it
involved compromise of great and es-
ssntial policy, in which the honor Of the
White House was involved. This is pure
" practical matter, with no taproot of
political principle. 1t is question Of
science and business. The President can
well afford TO yield with that plausible
grace which he has shawn he possessed
in time of mead. II 1t were question Of
fnisaiag the eaAal w.tnan the period Of
his asmiaistration his strong personal
ssnt;msnf wsals be inteiagib;e. But nstn-
ing OF this kind can be assumed in the
very natsre Of the conditions. -
's