Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1908-01-30
KITTREDGE A TRUE PROPHET
CANAL DEVELOPMENTS vINDI-
CATE HIS JUDGMENT.
FoREsAW ITS GREAT COST
Change I'm Construction Plans and Es-
Inmates Predicted-South Dakota
Senator's Mastery OF the Canal Sub
ject-His Standing I'm the Senate.

Washington. d. c., Jan. 17-Spe-
cial correspondence: There Is one
man in Washington who was not
surprised at the changes in the
plans OF construction and the revised
estimates increasing by more than
500, 900. 900 the cost of the Panama
canal. recently announced by the ca
nal commission. That man is Sena-
tor Alfred B. Kittredge, chairman OF
the senate committee on interoceanic
canals. There is no man in the sem
ate or in the country who has a clear
er. more comprehensive and more ac-
curate grasp of the Panama canal sit
uation than Senator Kittredge. Since
he has been in the senate he 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 sea level canal. His foresight
was so keen and his knowledge of the
difficulties in the way of lock canal
so 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 lock canal and
entail on the government IN expense
that, at best, could be but prob
lematical until the canal was finished
and the last dollar spent The senator
advocated a sea level canal on the
theory that the cost of such a canal,
though great, would be final That is,
after a 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 narrow margin of votes, decided
to build a lock canal because, as it
was contended, the work could be ac-
complished more quickly and the
canal secured at an earlier date than a
sea level canal could be. Senator
Kittredge pointed out that the canal
was not temporary work, but mon
ument for all time, and that there
should be no makeshift policy. How
ever, the senate voted for a lock canal,
Influenced. presumably, by the state
ments that 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
ed that, in his opinion, an opinion
formed by an exhaustive study of
isthmian conditions, the canal would
not be built for the price nor within
the time originally estimated. He was
not captious in his criticism, but mere
ly said that this was the fact, and pre-
fnNn khnN
sooner or later that he was right. For
several years hard working member
of the canal committee Of the senate,
IL is not surprising that he Is modest
ly gratified that one of the first i'm
portant matters to be laid before the
canal committee after his accession to
the chairnanship is the confirmation
Commissioner Blackburn, both here
from the isthmus. establish Senator
Kittredge's foreknowledge of the sit
uation. So do Chairman Tawney. of
the house committee on appropriations.
and several members of this commit
tee who visited Panama a short time
before congress convened in December
In order TO study conditions there at
first hand.
Senator Kittredge knew and point
ed out that the original estimate of
$139, 1000. 900 for the construction of
a lock canal did not include the cost
OF the necessary work outside the con-
struction OF the canal His knowl-
edge Of the entire problem was so ac-
curate that he was able to say to the
senate and to his committee that the
engineers would, ultimately, come be-
fore congress and ask for more money
and his estimates of the Increased cost
of the canal were very close to the es-
Inmates now made public by the men
who are digging the canal.
The Kind OF a Man He Is
This accurate, comprehensive. de-
tailed knowledge of the canal situa-
type of the work of Senator Kittr dge
in all the affairs of the senate of the
United States. They insist that he al
ways knows what he Is talking
about" and that he never goes off at
half cock" on any proposition that is
pending before that body; Whenever
question comes up for discussion he
studies 1t until he has mastered all its
intricacies and all its details. and when
he speaks the senate knows and lib
orally recognizes the fact that a man
is talking who has solid. substantial
grasp on the subject he is discussing
The senate of the United States is
not an emotional body. 1t does not
embrace a man on his own sayso 1t
requires results before II admits a new
senator to its inner circle. requires a
demonstration OF worth and Is not In
fiuenced by skyrocket and pyrotechnic
elocution; but when q 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 consulted
by the leaders on all important topics.
! the senate looks him over. and. II he
proves up, receives him and depends