The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-28
SENATE VOa SEALgVEL CANAL.
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N Panama Tho a,atemens vas matte here
ipaday thu, tha President mlv s~bd . funss
saar W. Congress nn tho auhisr' ~ that
chef Eheineef John y stevens, who II IN
this country. will vrite 4 leilef sssaiiine tho
propagation fpf u a~n l"vel waterway ~
recommended Nv the Senate COMMITTEES On
intsrocranic Canals
Tho advocates ~ Tho 500 level canal
dcclare that q majority ~ the Senat" favors
that tyJ~ and that tho sea level hill reported
by senator kittredge ~ South Dakota will
h. ras~'d IN tho upper ho,ise
rhosr WIN clairn 10 aTpak for President
Roosevelt any that he prefers no legislation
at this session. and II left Ia do an he will
shara all plans for tho construction of . lock
canal aud govern affairs In tho Cans 2ons
according 10 his own IDEAS.
senator Kittredg e. and other Republicans
take the position that the responsibility
for the kind o. o waterway that shall be
built To connect the I've oceans rests with
Congress and not with the Executive.
Il am firmly convinced. from exhaustive
study Of the subject, that q serious blunder
will be made II a lock canal Ia constructed, .
said Senator Kittredge. Some people
would nave us be gin work on a lock canal
and then change the type " II were demon
strated before completion Of the work
that a mistake had been made. II would
cost as much to transform a lock to a sea
level canal as II would to construct n sea
level canal to-day
Senator Kittredge is OF the opinion that
the President has no authority to build a
lock canal in the event that Congress
fails at this session to prescribe by statute
the type Of canal that shall be constructed.
He declares that no such authority is given
in the Spooner act.
The fact" he said. that the President
convened a board Of the most eminent
I engineers in the world to advise upon the
proper type for adoption; that he o n
sidered their report together with that Of
the Isthmian Canal Commission, proves
NIid NV w bhN " ch'''N' N''o
| type, dimensions and capacity as definitely
settled by the Spooner act
The contest over the Panama Canal
question will probably open up in the Senate
Tomorrow. Mr.. Kittredge will begin the
battle with a speech in favor OF the sea
level project. Friends Of the lock scheme
are perturbed over the ease with which
the advocates of the sea level canal we're
l. ~. .l ~ .-G..L.I L,,,
ness in the Senate. The Significance Of that
vote lies in the fact that a measure that
occupies the parliamentary status OF -un-
finished business" has the right Of way to
the exclusion Of all other measures except
the op~riation bills. Senator Klttredge
was able to secure this practical advantage
for the sea level project through the ad-
vice of Senator Hale Of Maine, who is one
of the ablest parliamentarians in Congress.
1t was a surprise to the administration
leaders that Senator Hale consented to
| allow the sea level cana bill to get 30 firmly
| e%ntrenched that it cannot be set aside
during this session except by vote Of the
Senate.
A private canvass has been made Of the
Senate to determine the strength, respec-
lively, Of the sea level and the lock canal
projects. IL Is understood to show an
almost overwhelming majority for the sea
level type. A majority Of the Republican
Senators are said to indorse the measure
reported by the Committee on Interoceanio
Canals, while among the Democrats senti-
ment for the committee bill 10 understood to
be practically unanimous,
The situation is different in the House;
where the Presidents proposal that he be
permitted to go ahead with the lock canal
is heartily approved. The House leaders
expect that the Senate will either pass the
Kittredge bill or attach it as a rider to the
Sundry Civil bill, which will carry an ap-
preparation of s25 600 900 to continue work
in the Canal Zone.
The charge has been made from time to
time during the last year or 80 that the
ranscontinenta railroads are behind the
agitation for a sea level canal, In the hope
hat the construction Of that type would
interminably delay the completion Of the
great waterway.
Il have heard such reports said Senator
Kittredge. They are. absurd on their
face. l can cite expert testimony in sup
port Of my contention. c. Henry Hunter,
engineer of the Manchester ship canal
and a member of the board of consulting
engineers, ~testifies that a sea level canal
can be completed in ten years If the opera
lions are confined to the daylight hours,
He says further: II the work is carried on
at night, and there is absolutely no reason
why, so far as the excavation is concerned,
the ten years period may be shortened.
Mr.. Hunter says that the time required
for the completion of the lock canal scheme