Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1908-02-06

doubt about its enforcement; and I
am in favor OF an attachment to that
law that will prevent AMMAN who may
be treasurer of the state from re-
ceiving interest even indirectly as
vice president of q savings or national
banking institution of this or any
other state. (Applause.) In looking
over the records, and I have had but
little time to do it-just since I arr
rived in MITCHELL find that the al
legged reform legislature defeated two
bills Of that sort. l think that we
should enact such legislation, and I
am In favor Ct doing it. lCries Of
That's right."l
A 2-Cent Rate.
There Is another proposition of
local interest that has occurred to me
and that is the question of passenger
rates and freight rates. ] am in favor
Of the enactment of a law by the leg
isture with an emergency clause at
tachment fixing 2-cents as the lawful
rate for passenger fares; and am in
favor of reduced freight rates, and l
am not in favor of Sinking response
bility by clothing the railroad COM
missioners with authority in the pre-
misses. (Applause.)
The Type of Canal.
Another charge that has been made
ton of sea level type of canal rath-
er than lock type, and that did it
because / was a railroad chap, tied
up, bound hand, foot and soul to the
railroad companies. That is the
charge that has been made, and they
base it upon the statement that the
lock type of canal could be complet-
ed within six years of time and at a
cost. they say. of one hundred million
dollars less than the sea level type of
canal would cost 1t has been DEM
onstrated by the experience had in
connection with the construction of
this great work that sea level type
Of canal could be completed in less
than eight years time, because in that
construction, finding as we did, the
maximum height of that divide 16O
feet above the level of the sea and the
surface OF the lake, where the lock
type shall be built eighty-five feet
above the sea level, it means that lis
feet Of that divide must be lowered in
order that the lock type may operate.
and we at once began the excavation
y OF that lis feet, and we put at work
A Anere forty steam ShOvels working
eight hours a day when eighty steam
ehovels could operate in that distance.
AZ was not thought advisable or prac-
AcaL or necessary. or good business
Judgment to put in eighty steam
A&ould have 1t completed long before
ne locks and dams in that structure
Quiz be f1sished, and with those forty
<eam shovelS, our experience has
4eens that If they were kept at WORK
1or less than eight years, seven years
40 hair at the present rate, we
would have that sea level canal con-
1Eructed straight through from ocean
w ocean, through which ships of war
i me commercial vessels might sail up
Nn their own steam and in six hours
time.
And in this connection it is charged
nat the reason we could not have the
Nea level canal is because the Pacific
4ceap is lower than the Atlantic
Qcean. 1t Is four-tenths of a foot.
Rnlch is about four inches, not
enough to make current. So that
the sea level type of canal coulH, by
demonstrations that have peen made
IN excavation, have been finished in
$3ess than eight years of time, and the
Jock type OF canal, the time to build
II, has been extended from six years
&c nine years, and the chief engineer
pf the enterprise now engaged in that
work, stated before the committee
pf which l have the honor to be chair
man, (cheers), that the only way that
&hey could complete it in nine years
Of time would be to work the last six
years dav and night.
OBJECTION OF Cost.
n And about the cost-one hundred
4 million dollars. Why they did not tell
you that 1t costs one million dollars
annually more to maintain and oper-
ate the lock type of canal than the
sea level type of canal, and the other
oay the secretary of war and the chief
engineer appeared before the inter-
oceanic committee and told us that
instead of that lock type Of canal
costing little less than one hundred
and forty millions of dollars it would
cost at least two hundred and fifty
millions Of dollars, and he was not
willing to assure that committee that
the type OF canal would be completed
Tor four hundred millions Of dollars
Congress by its vote decided to con-
1ruct the lock type of canal and in
tnat judgment ! have stated during
the past summer. over and over again
mat acQulesce In that conclusion in
absolutely good faith. I had a judg-
ment about what ought to be done.
ana exercised 1t as man brayely
openly and above board I decline to
be silent in the face of those charges,
when the facts are as they now app
pear. justifying completely the esti-
mates and conclusions which were
then expressed. The sea level type
of canal was recommended by every
@engineer of the thirteen to be FEAST
Bile proper, involving no unusual, no
doubtful, no experimental PROPOSE
ton.
This commission was established in
1906, and President Roosevelt, in CIV
n ing them Instructions before they be-
{ gan their Investigations, said among
SOther things:
There are two or three considera-
tions which / trust you will steadily
keep before your minds in coming to
% conclusion as to the proper type OF
&Ganal. hope that ultimately 1t will
Drove feasible to build sea level ca
nal. Such a canal would undoubter-
" be the best in the end, If feasible,
Ind feel that one of the chief adj
vantagcs Of the Panama route is ul-
tmately sea level canal" and more
long the same line.
So these great engineers, in pass
ng upon that question, unanimously
determined that the sea level type OF
anal was feasible; that it involved no
nusual, no doubtful, no experimental
ngineerfng question. Five of them
"a, We can construct a lock type Of
nal with an eightyfive foot eleva-
20 above the level of the sea in six
arS time, and for fifty millions less"
% Col. Goethals and his associate
8ineers have changed every feature
the plans that the minority of that
SD0nSuItfnU hnord ovuipoorc rra-