The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1908-01-31
KITTREDGE A.TRUE PROPHET
CANAL DEVELOPMENTS vINDI-
CATE HIS JUDGMENT.
FoREsAw IT'S GREAT COST
Change In Construction Plnns and Es-
Inmates Prcdicted-Sonth Dakota
Senator'S Mastery of the Canal Sub
ject-His Standing In the senate.

Washington. d. c.. Jan. l7-Spe-
cial correspondence. There Is one
man In Washington who was not
surprised at the changes I'm the
plans OF construction and the revised
estimates increasing by more than
l00.0OO,0O0 the cost OF the Panama
canal. recently announced by the ca
nal commission. That man Is Sena-
tor Alfred b. Kittredse. chairman of
the senate committee on interoceanic
canals. There In no man in the SEN
ate or In the country who has clear
er. more comprehensive and more ac-
curate grasp OF the Panama canal sit
uation than Senator kittredse Since
he has been In the senate lie has
made an especial study of all the con-
ditions surrounding that tremendous
work and he has come to be recog-
nized In the senate as the great canal
authority.
Senator Kittredge was originally
for n sea level canal. His foresight
was so keen and his knowledge OF the
difiiculties In the way of a lock canal
50 sweeping that he contended il
would be better for the country to cut
the canal across the isthmus at sea
level, even at an increased expense,
than to try to build a lock canal and
entail on the government an expense
that, at best. could be but prob
lematical until the canal was finished
and the last dollar spent. The senator
advocated sea level canal on the
theory that the cost OF such a canal
though great. would be final That Is.
after sea level canal was dug there
would be no further expenditure To be
reckoned with, and the cost Could be
estimated accurately from the first.
because the skilled engineers OF the
government could compute the amount
OF excavation to be made, and that
done. there was nothing to do but ex-
cavate- The senate. reluctantly and
by q narrow margin Of votes, decided
to build lock canal because. as II
was contended. the work could be ac-
complished more quickly and the
canaf secured At an earlier date than a
sea level canal could be. Senator
Kittredge pointed out that the canal
was not temporary work. but a mon
ument for all time, and that there
should be no makeshift policy. How
ever. the senate voted for lock canal.
Influenced. presumably. by the state
ments that a lock canal would cost
many millions less. The house fol-
lowed suit and the president signed
the bill.
Prediction Becomes Prophecy.
At that time Senator kittredge stat
cd that, In his opirion. an opinion
formed by an exhs ustiNe study of
isthmian conditions. the canal would
not be built for the price nor within
the time originally es imated He was
n t captious in his or ticissr. but mere
~ said that this was The fact. and pre-
diCted that the country would learn
nr lAt0 hat he ta.nG rtt.ht kNar
several years a hard working member
OF the canal committee of the senate.
II is not surprising that he Is MODEST
ly gratified that one OF the frst i'm
portant matters to be laid before the
canal committee after his accession to
the Craftsmanship Is the confirmation
OF his prediction. Col. Goethals and
Commissioners Plackturn. both here
from toe isthmus. establish Senator
Eittredge's fnrc knowledge OF the sit
natirn. So do Chairman Tawnev OF
the house committee on appropriations
and several members ~ this cona-~tt
tee who visited Panama a short time
before CONGRESS- convened in December
in order to study conditions ther. a.
first hand
Senator Kittredrc knew and point
ed nm' that the original estir' ate ~
S's9. 0ao. 900 for the construction of
Iocf canal I'D not incln ie the cos'
cf the necessary w RI outside the con-
s~acti y OF the canal His knowl-
ci 70 ~ the entire p-s''e'u was On ac~
eirate that he ives abfe to say to the
s rate and n his COMMITTEES that the
s~-insers would ultimately. come be-
re~ -re~s ani ask for more money
s,s nis esti~-,a.es ~ the increased cost
~ he canal were very close 10 she es-
tf--atss p~w ~ase pusnr by the men
who arc digping the canal.
The Kind VI Man He Il.
This accurate, comprehensive. de-
tailed knowlsdwe OF the canal situa-
tian il pointed to by his friends as
tyre of the work OF Senator kittr dge
T. all the AFFAIRS Of the senate Of the
rited States. They insist that he al
Ways Knows what he Is talking
rhont." and that he never goes OF at
half cock" on any proposition that Is
pending before that body. Whenever
question comes up for discussion he
n'iiss II until he has mastered all its
ilttricacies and all it's details. and when
al'y recognizes the fact that nan
+ talking who has solid. substantial
lrrsr IN the suhfact he Ii discussing.
The selas.e OF the United States IL
r"f an srn'ssnal body. II does not
embrace n mar on his own savso. II
senator To ifs inner circle. requires n
demonstration Of worth and II not In
nuenced by skyrccket and pyrotcchnic
eiocution: but when d man comes to
the senate and proves by his work and
the qualities Of his brain that he is
worthy Of becoming one Of the men
who do things and who are consuIte 4
HAy the leaders On ali important topics.
, senate looks him over, and. II he
Dves up. receives him and depends
MIN. That 10 what has happened