Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-01-24
Panama Canal VS.. Tehuantepec Railway

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Secretary Tafts's recommendation to
the President that the locks of the Pan
ANA canal be made one hundred and ten
feet wide instead of an even hundred
feet is based upon naval considerations
\ lock one hundred feet wide would be
ample for commercial needs, but there is
no telling what future development may
do for the warship in the matter of
breadth.
1t is estimated that the change pro-
posed by Secretary Taft will entail an
addition of S5.0000O0 to the construc-
ton account, but this is small outlay
for the insurance of the canals strategic
value for the navy of the future. The
waterway must be up to date whatever
the Dimensions of fighting craft. Five
millions is also small amount III COM
parison with the recent addition to the
estimated cost of the canal by Il men,
Der of the Senate committee on inter-
oceanic canals, who figures that the
waterway as ut present planned will
cost in the neighborhood of S300,000.
600. There will therefore be little or no
objection to the widening proposition en-
dorsed by the secretary of war.
1t is doubtful whether there will ever
be any popular excitement as to cost so
long as the canal operations are conduct
ed without wastefulness or fraud. The
American people are determined to build
the canal. and the work will be pushed
TO completion. The waterway will be
of vital Importance to the United States
navy, and there are indications that
when it is eventually thrown open for
commerce it will become Il gateway of
great maritime activity. The principal
assurance in this regard is drawn from
the showing made by the new Mexican
railway across the isthmus of Tehuante-
pee.
A Washington dispatch states that
more than $4,000, 900 worth of mcrchan-
die originating in United States ter
ritory crossed the isthmuses of Panama
and Thuantepec during 1907. The traffic
at Panama was great despite the use of
the railroad for the transportation Of
canal supplies, and that across the 18TH
mus of Tehuntepec was tremendous for
new route. A statement of the bureau
Of statistics of the Department of Coll-
mcrce and Labor shows that the value
of merchandise moved from the eastern
ports of the United States by the Te-
huantepcc railway was in the first quar-
ter of 1907 S1,3333,;}33; in the second
quarter. over 100000; in the third
quarter, over S4,00O,00O; and in the
fourth quarter, approximately the same
amount The east-bound freight has
been principally sugar from the Ha-
EWaiian islands bound for the retineries ut
gregate a value of $15,5OO,O0O during
the year.
In going by the Tehuantepec route
freight must be taken from the Pacific
carriers at Salina Cruz, placed on the
cars and taken across the isthmus, where
it is transferred to the Atlantic carriers
| at Coatzacoalcos on the Gulf of Mexico.
for delivery at points of destination.
The double handling of freight will be
avoided when the Panama canal is ready
| for business, and although the sea voy'
ages are longer, much of the freight
which now goes by the new Mexican
railway will take the all-water route.
The MeXicans understand this and they
are trying to reduce the cost of handling
| freight to a minimum and thus also re
| duce the time of the voyage by using
up-to date dock appliances such as have
made the shipping of the Great Lakes
the marvel of the maritime world. But
an all-water route will be preferred by
! shipmasters when one is eventually es-
| ablished.-Evening Wisconsin, Milwau-
I kpe