Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-07
BAlk At BIG BOND ISSUE
COMMITTEE REJECTS HOPKINS
$500, 900, 900 PLAN.
Will Be Reported Back to the Sen
ate for Reference to the
Finance Committee.

! There is mighty little chance that Con.
gress will approve of the administration
plan for the authorization OF a $500, ,OOO, ,O0t
bond issue to defray the expenses Of the
Panama canal, at least for some time to
| come. The Hopkins bill for this purpose
which was introduced the 18th Of last
month. was turned down by the Senate
committee ON interoceanic canals yester-
day.
Senator Kittredge. chairman of the
committee, said last night that when the
country learns Of the plans and esti-
mates Of the administration for the COM
pletion of the canal it will be terribly
startled by the proposed cost. Congress.
in his opinion. will never consent to a
plan like that embodied in the bill of
Senator Hopkins to practically admit that
the canal will cost $500, 100000. 1t will
appropriate what money is needed each
year to carry on the work, and look as
carefully as possible into the need for
every million.
The interoceanic canals committee does
hold the unanimous opinion. however,
that the remainder of the bond issue of
$130, 100000 authorized in the Spooner act
Of 1902 will be used up very soon. perhaps
before the end of the present fiscal year,
June 30 next. and that 1t will be neces-
sary to provide for more bonds for the
immediate future. To this end 1t decided
Yesterday to refer the Hopkins bill back
to the Senate for reference to the finance
committee, in order that report on this
phase of the question may be had from
that committee.
When Senator kittredge reports the
bill back to the Senate this week he will
have a few things to say TO that body
about the amount Of money that the
canal has cost already and the chances
of spending an enormous amount in addi-
ton in the future.
Bonds Now Outstanding.
or the S13O 600. .OOO in bonds authorized
to be used in the Spooner act. $s4.6OO-
600 have been issued, as follows: $780,
OOO.O in July 1906: s24,60O,OO0 in No
vember, 1907. and s30.OOOOO0 last Novem-
ber This leaves $46.OOO,OOO yet to be is
sued II the administration plan. repre-
sented by the Hopkins bill, should go
through. it would mean that Congress
would add to the original authorization
1910. 600. 600, stupendous figure. Already
Congress has appropriated $4,000. 900 for
the canal, as Mr.. Kittredge will show
next week.
The same committee yesterday decided
to take no action at this session on the
question of reorganizing the government
of the Canal Zone. 1t considered in
formally the bill introduced in the House
that purpose. although that measure has
not yet gone over to the Senate.
The reason for no action at this time
by the committee is that the members
believe Congress should not change the
government OF the Canal Zone until Mr.
Taft becomes President and can state
his views on the question. They argue
that the present administration is prac-
tically over, and as Mr.. Taft will have
to shoulder the responsibility of carry
four years, he should be consulted.
Provisions of Mann Bill.
In the following quotation from the re-
port of the House committee on
interstate and foreign commerce the
object of the Mann bill is explained:
The general purpose of the bill is to
give congressional sanction to a form of
civil government on the Canal Zone and
provide for simple method of administra-
tion IN the construction of the canal One
of the necessities for legislation is in or
der to provide system by which ap-
peals may be taken from judicial decisions
in the Canal Zone to the proper courts in
the United States There are now three
judges of supreme court OF the Canal
Zone. There Is but little litigation in the
zone. There is no necessity for three
judges or for a supreme court there If
appeals be otherwise provided. The meth
cd provided i'm the bill could not be put
in operation by the President. because
he cannot confer upon the courts in the
United States authority to hear appeals
from the courts in the zone. Under the
operation of the plan proposed by the bill
the expenses OF the courts Will be less in n
they now are Iha the security Oh justice