New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-02-28

opinion to submit their case along with the
miners 70 the commission and the result was a
decision which not only commanded universal
respect for its fairness. but which ended the
strike and thus averted further suffering to the
innocent consumers
In the summer Of 1908 President Roosevelt
was startled to find that a system of grating
had pern1eated the Fostoff1ce Department. and
that in some instances it appeared 10 approach
periIously near to Republicans Of high standing.
Re promptly ordered the entire subject investi-
gated without fear or favor and with all the
publicity consistent with efficient work The
result OF the investigation consisted Of the in
dictrnent of th!rty-one persons. the removal of
thirteen others and a considerable number Of
convictions
The elimination Of dishonesty from the Post
Office Department was promptly followed by the
discovery Of wholesale frauds in the settlement
of public lands. WITHOUT moments hesitation
the President ordered Investigations and prose-
cutions with the result that 100000 has been
recovered for the government fines amounting
70 S57. 800 have been assessed and fraudulent
titles TO III $50 acres Of public land have been
cancelled.
LABOR LEGISLATION
In 1903 Congress passed and the President ap-
proved q safety appliance act in the interest
Of labor. compelling all railroads engaged in
interstate commerce to equip their rolling stock
with safety appliances for the protection Of their
employees, and in 1905 the so-caIed ashpan act,
compelling the adoption Of a device on railway
locomotives for the protection of the fremen.
also was enacted. The eight-hour law. long
dead letter with regard 10 government work was
revived and enforced and even applied to work
on the Panama Canal A model child labor
law for the District OF Columbia enacted
with the hope that IT'S adoption would stimulate
similar legislation in the several states, and an
act making the government responsible TO Its
employees injured in the performance Of their
duties enacted in 1905
At the instance Of the President. an employ
ers' liability law was enacted in 1906 and.
having been declared unconstitutional by the
Supreme Court. a modified law was enacted in
1903.
THE PANAMA CANAL
Of prime Importance in the administration of
Theodore Roosevelt is the progress which has
been made toward connecting the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans by means of a canal across the
Istfr1us OF Panama. The first step necessary TO
the construction Of such a canal was the nego-
tiation Of new treaty with Great Britain, and
this was done in 1901. the ratification taking
place Just one month after Mr.. Roosevelt became
President. Then followed the enactment of June
2s 1902 known as the Spooner Amendment
which created a CCllIllSSlOL u seven
and confided &c & the authority to select a
1,rorer route The Panama route was chosen and
negotiations were begun for the purchase OF the
property of the French Canal Company. Negotia-
tions with Colombia resulted in the treaty with
that country which its Congress failed TO ratify.
thus causing Panama so revolt. The United
States promptly recognized the independence Of
Panama negotiated a new treaty, and in May
1904 the Canal Commission secured full control
Of the Panama Canal Zone under a perpetual
lease and began operations.
The first steps consisted of establishing
complete system Of sanitation and the assem-
bling Of q suitable plant on the isthmus. In
June 1905 Congress determined upon the lock
type OF canal and ever since the work has been
actively prosecuted Nearly half Of the total
excarat lions has been effected. and work on the
dams and locks is progressing so satisfactorily
that tie engineers in charge confidently predict
the completion of the great enterprise by Janu-
airy / 1915 and possibly sooner. The revolu-
tior OF Panama and the prompt recognition Of
the republic by the United States resulted IN
certain Diplomatic complications with the parent
country. but these have now been all removed
end 9he Senate has ratified treaties with both
Colombia and Panama which not only remove
ell occasion CT friction. but insure the recogni-
ticn Of Panama by Colombia independent
power.
FORESTS AND MINERALS.
Pursuant TO his oft repeated declaration that