Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-02-10
WANT S[AL[VH CANAL
,enate Wrestles With the Real
and Imaginary Troubles of
Ditch Digging
FORAKER ACTS LIKE a LIVE ONE
lea Level Canal Still Among the Pos
abilities, According to. Statements
Made in Upper Hoyss-Foraker'
Teller and Others Join in Lively De-
bate.

washington, Feb. 1o.--Panama canal
troubles worried congress yesterday
afternoon. Members of the senate de-
Shared the type of canal now being
constructed should be abandoned and
sea. level canal dug. The house
srestled with a bill changing the adj
ninistration in the canal zone.
Senator Kittredge. chairman of the
committee on interoceanic canals,
Senator Foraker, and Senator Teller
Ill declared that they believed a grave
mistake had been made in adopting
The lock project
The discussion grew out Of a report
~ Mr.. Kfttredge on the bill increas-
Ing the limit of cost for the canal to
$500, 600, 900 and authorizing the secre-
harry Of the treasury to issue bonds to
that amount. He said that his commit
lee had decided that the measure
should be considered by the finance
committee and he reported 1t back with
the Recommendation.
In making the report Mr.. Kittredge
said the canal committee disapproved
5 of the proposed issue OF bonds, and ne
read a. statement showing that expen-
ditures on account Of the canal to date
have been SIT, 1864, 46S.
In his remarks Senator Kittredge
said that while the engineers of the
canal zone originally had placed the
cost of lock canal at $139, 600 900. they
had now increased their estimates to
1900, 900, 900, whereas it had been esti-
mated that q sea level canal could have
been built for ,$247, 900, 900.
Mr. Foraker agreed with Mr.. Kitt-
redge that the sea level waterway
would have been preferable from an
economic standpoint.
Senator Teller also thought sea
level canal could be constructed more
echeaply than a lock canal and would
be far less dangerous in construction
Sea Level Still Possible.
Mr. Kittredge said that the minority
of the board OF consulting engineers
had pledged their professional reputa-
tions that the cost Of the lock type of
canal, exclusive OF sanitation Sand ex-
penses Of the zone government, would
hot exceed $1s9.o0o,000.
Mr. Kittredge said that in his judg-
ment the experience of the American
engineers had demonstrated that Inc
sea level canal could have been con-
structed for. s247, 100000. The sea level
proposition, he said, was q matter of
digging, and In that class of work the
greatest success had been accom-
plished.
.Have we progressed so far In the
construction of the lock canal that we
cannot now turn to the sea level can
III ?'' asked Mr. Foraker.
"By mo- means" answered Mr.. Kilt
redge.
He insisted that the sea level type
should have been adopted at the be-
ginning.
II want to say, in this connection"
said Mr.. Foraker, that / was inf1u-
senced to change my support from the
Nicaragua canal to the Panama canal
because supposed that we could build
a sea level canal at Panama and that
we could not build one at Nicaragua.
Everything that has occurred In con-
nectfon with that canal since then has
caused me to regret my action"
Mr.. Teller said that he had also
supposed that when the change was
made from the Nicaragua to the Pan
ana route nothing less than a sea
level waterway would be undertaken.
He had always preferred the sea level
plan.
"a controversy over the height of
lAt sok Irf1 ho nd Do f7N
ends of the canal, which was raised
by Mr.. Curtis. brought forth the state-l
nent from the Kansas senator that
the reports Of the French engineers
could not be accepted as of value, as
they "did not know what they were
undertaking"
Knew as Much as Americans.
s.They did not said Mr.. Teller, "and
I want to say that they knew as much
about it as our peoplejust about"
II believe today" Mr.. Teller contin-
ued, that you can build a sea level
canal at Panama at less cost than
lock canal, and only sea level canal
will be of value to the world Another
advantage is that 1t will not be in dan
ger of destruction, which always will
be feared with a lock canal"
Referring to the reports that Mr..
Taft had ordered" the widening of
sCulebra cut Mr.. Teller. in response to
questions by Mr. Miney said he did
not suppose Mr.. Taft actually "or-
dered" the change. but that he, had
recommended it.
Mr.. Warren asked Mr.. Kittredge a
number of questions, bringing out the
statement that unless action is taken
at the present session Of congress au-
thorizing the issuance Of additional
canal bonds, appropriations must be
made from the general funds in the
treasury, of the work is to continue.
The regular order was demanded,
and without disposing of the canal
question the senate passed to other
subjects.
House Plans for Courts.
Under special order the house took
UP the bill ito provide for the govern
ment of the canal zone, the construc-
st. D., 70 9th