The Mena weekly star., 1908-01-23
PR|)GR[SSG CANAL WORK
Secretary Taft Gives Information and Offers Suggestions to the
 Senate Canal Committee.
SHOULD BE COMPLETED N SIX YEARS
The Secretary Gave Complete Re view of Conditions on tho Zone Re ceived From Various Officials Con- nected With the Work--Beiieves Ultimate Cost Will Be $500, ,ooo, ,ooo

ceived From Various Officials Con
 nccted With the Work--Beileves
 Ultimate Cost VIII Be $500, ,ooo, ,ooo
 Washington, Jan. 17.-Secretary Taft appeared before the senate com mittee on interoceanic canals Thurs day and gave that committee informa- tion concerning the project and to of fer suggestions for legislation.
 He gave complete review of the conditions at the canal site and quoted information he had received from va rious officials connected with the work. He expressed the opinion that the canal should be completed within six years from next July and that it's ultimate cost would be approximately $500. ,0o0, including the purchase price.
 The proposed widening of the locks was carefully examined by Secretary Taft. He asserted that with the locks widened to no feet steamer of 106 feet beam could easily pass through. The largest ship this government Is planning to build will have a beam of but 95 feet. The increased cost of the locks, MT. Taft estimated would be about $5,0o0,o0o.
 Tn his talk to the committee Secre- tary Taft at various points brought out the difficulties that beset the com mission in the administration. These range all the way from trouble with the Pacific Mall Steamship line be- cause of it's failure to furnish enough steamers, to labor difficulties. He also spoke of the complaints of the Panamians that there is bad odor to the water that Is served to them through the new works at Panama. as one of the small yet annoying feat ures of the work. In the matter of steamship transportation facilities on the Pacific coast, the secretary said owing to their inadequacy the busi- ness of the railroad had fallen on one half since the government took pos session of 1t and 1t was question in his mind whether the government should not engage in the steamship business on the Pacific in order to re- tain the Panama route now existing and keep the Isthmian business from going by way of Tehauntepec or some other route Tt may be question" said the secretary. "of saving the in- come for our steamers on the east coast by running considerable risk on the west"
 Secretary Taft gave out consider able information concerning prices paid for labor on the canal and urged that there be no reduction in the wages paid to skilled laborers in spite of the fact that according to his esti. mate they were receiving in pay and privileges from 50 to GO per cent high CT income than they could earn in the United States. Secretary Taft gave 1t as his opinion that any reduction at all would cause serious labor difficult ties. Even with skilled labor at the present standard, he said, there was recently strike upon the refusal of the commission to increase the wages and force of sufficient to run 65 steam shovels was depleted to force suffi- cient to run only 13.
 The secretary said that the water rents charged Panama will in 30 years pay all the cost of providing the wa ter works, the improvement of streets and the construction of the sewerage system. At the end of that period the work will become. the property of Panama. "Tf any one doubts the con ditfon of the streets of Panama" he said. "I win refer him to my friend Poultney Bigelow."
 He declared that it is not so un- healthful to live fin the tropics as it was formerly. "The Spanish war taught us and all the world a great deal about how to live in the tropics" he said.
 Mir. Taft, in reply to inquiries. said the commission had found that the price placed upon land needed for the canal is excessive and has had no re- lation to its value for private purposes. That had not delayed construction work. however. because the land is taken and paid for afterward.
 The government of Panama has of fered to give the United States a site for legation at Panama near the new government building being erected by the republic. He thought 1t would be advisable to provide legation being that would bring the property within the dignity of the United States in the future when the canal has been com. pleted.