Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-01-31
Opening of Tehuantepec Ship
Railway Across Isthmus Com
pletes Vast Enterprise
PROJECT BACKED BY MEXICO
viii Save Many Miles 70 Shipping to
sFrisco ane the orient-New Lines Of
Steamships Already Established Be-
cause Of the Shorter Routs-Wash-
inston Gossip.

Washington, Jan. Silt seems alto
gether appropriate that the formal
opening Of the Tehuantepec ship-rall-
road across the isthmus of the same
name, should have taken place in the
same week that saw the presentation OF
the greatest appropriation bill ever Of
fered in congress for the development
of water transportation in the United
States. THIS ship-railway. while 1T
will be rival Of the Panama canal
when the tig ditch becomes reality,
is backed t'y the Mexican government,
and is expected to work wonders in
the way OF developing the commerce
between the Pacific and Atlantic
coasts Of this country. Incidentally, the
creation OF this new trade route has
stimulated the whole scheme of rivers
and harbols development policy
to which tie United States now seems
pledged in an effort to care for the
rapidly growing commerce Of the coun-
try.
The Teh' 1antepec route will save 81
900 miles on the journey from New
Orleans to San Francisco, 10,026 miles
from New York to San Francisco. via
Cape Horn, and 1887 miles via the
Panama canal The saving in mileage
between European ports and San
Francisco Is as remarkable; this saw
ing being $500 miles between Liver
pool and the metropolis of the Pacific
coast via the Cape Of Good Hope. In
the trade from New York to Yokohama
1t will saw. 10000 miles via Cape Horn
or 5000 miles via Suez. Between New
York and Manila the saving will be
1,168 miles over the present route via
Suez. Already a New York shipping
firm has established lines Of steamers,
their fleet being equally divided be-
tween the Atlantic and Pacific trade,
and trans shipment being made on the
railroad that crosses the isthmus. Ac-
cording to advices received here, Pres
fdent Diaz and his entire staff attend
ed the opening of this big enterprise.
President Roosevelt Is preparing the
draft Of a momentous letter to the In
terstate commerce commission. It is
calculated to jolt James j. Hill, q. III.
Hartman and other railroad magnates
who have been attempting to stem the
Roosevelt tide or corporation regula-
ton because the letter is expected to
show that the president has become a
convert OF, certain of the advanced La
Foifette railroad views.
The president wants. a thorough in
vestigation to be made of certain i'm
portant phases of railroad manage
ment, with suggestions for legislation.
In addition, he desires the interstate
commerce commission to draft amend
ments to the existing rate law with a
view to perfecting the features that
have shown weakness and otherwise
strengt the ming it.
The president has all along told his
friends that the rate law was but be-
ginning. Now he is prepared to go on
with the second part of the railroad
program Those who have talked with
the president say that the apprehen-
sion OF Morgan, Hill and others regard
ing the presidents railroad views 10
well founded.
It is asserted by those in a position
to know the facts that the presidents
letter will deal chiefly with the car
shortage problem, the question of rail-
road. valuation and over capitalization.
Senator La Toilette has been a fire..
quent caller at the white house of late,
and, it is believed, has convinced the
president that it is impossible to fix
q reasonable railroad rate so long as
the government lacks definite Informal
ton about railroad valuations.
*ts
Compulsory adoption of the automat-
ic block signal system by railroads
will srf recommended to congress by
the Interstate commerce commission.
Similar recommendations have been
made before by the same body, but they
were embodied in annual reports and
absolutely no attention was paid to
them. Last spring, however, the COM
mission was ordered to investigate the
causes Of railroad accidents, with es-
pecial relation to the adoption of block
signal systems, and other safety de-
vices.
The commission made a special in
curry into the Baltimore & Ohio wreck
near this city and has been conducting
the investigation thru public hearing
and by special experts. The report is
practically ready and the senate has
agreed to a resolution calling upon the
commission for report as to the best
means Of reducing the horrible mortal
tty on American railroads.
AS usual, the senate wants to get
more information than any government
board could give it. The report Of the
commission is ready, however, and.
while it will not satisfy the thirst Of
the senate for miscellaneous informa-
ton. H. will be sensational because 1t
will show that not more than $4,000
miles of railroad are now protected by
the block system, and in the case OF
most CT these systems the pressure of
traffic has resulted in practical dis
continuance OF all ordinarily block
system rules.
The report will declare in favor OF
an automatic system of some sort, but,
of course, will not attempt to specify
the particular device the railroads will
be required to adopt.
1t will suggest that congress pass
a law along the line Of that requiring
the use of automatic couplers, brakes
and other safety appliances. Under
the law the railroads were given ample
time in which to equip their roads and
the commission was authorized to ex-
tend the time whenever it became ap-
parent that any particular system had
made fair effort to comply with the
law, but were unable to do so for pure
ly mechanical reasons.
The commission will report In favor |