Albuquerque morning journal., 1910-12-07
THE ALBUQUERQUE MORNING JOURNAL WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 1910

The year has been one ol pi
and progress in porto klco, Certal
political changes are embodleu III tn
/ bin ITO provide civil government 10
porto Rico and for other purposes,
which passed the house of representa-
lives on June Is, 1910, AT the last ses
sion of congress, and Is now awaitlhl
the action OF the senate. -
The importance of those feature
of this bin relating to pubic fealli
ana sanitation can not be oNerestl
mated -,
Thc removal from politics Of th'
judiciary BY providing Tor me AZ
pointment of the municipal Juuses !.
excellent, and ! recommend tlau
step further be taken oy prosluiiis lil
| therein for the appointment OF sec'
rataries and marshals of these courts
believe that the provision in the
hin for a partially elective senate' tht
number of elective members DeihE
progressively increased, is unwlse, ahd
| that the composition of the senate az
provided in the bill as introduces ~
Ira house far better meets connluohs
! existinr in Porto Rico, This IS an
lnportant measure. and I recommeno
its early consideration and passase'
Rivers and IIarbors.
have already expressed my opln-
I ion to congress in respect 10 the enal
lacter OF the river and harbor DIE
! which should be enacted INTO law aiG
! have exercised as much power as
| have under the law in directing th'
/ chfef of engineers TO make his reports
| IN CONGRESS- conform to the needs oi
the committee framing such Dill II
determining which of the proposed
improvements is the more importanl
4 ana ought to be completed iirst' ano
promptly.
Panama Canal.
Al tho instance of Colonel Goethals
/ rhe army engineer officer in charge
of the work on the Panama canal.
have lust made visit to the isthmus
to inspect the work done and to con
suit with him on the ground as tt
certain problems which are likely Il
arise in the near future. The prog
ress of the work is most satisfactory
II no unexpected obstacle presents IL
self, the canal will he completed wei
within the time fixed by Colonel Goe'
thals. 10 wit. January /, 1915, ant
within the estimate cost of $3I5 5,U0o,
600.
press reports have reached tn
United States from time to time Civ
ing accounts of slides of earth Of yer,
/
elsewhere along the line, from whici
il might be inferred that the work ha
been much retarded and that the tim
of completion has been necessaril
postponed.
The report OF DR.. Hayes, of tn
geological survey, whom ! sent with
in the last month to the isthmus L
make an Investigation, shows that thi
lsection of the Canal zone is composed
OF sedimentary rocks of rather weal
structure and subject to almost I'm
mediate disintegration when expose'
to the air Subsequent to the deposi
ltion of these sediments igneous rocks
harder and moro durable, have bee
thrust into them and being cold n
the time OF their intrusion united bu
| indtfferently with the sedimentar
rock at the contacts. The result o
these conditions is that as the cut
deepened causing unbalanced pres
sure. slides from the sides of the Gu
have occurred These are in part du
to the flowing of surface soil and de
composed sedimentary rocks upon IN
clincd surfaces of the underlying nn
dccomposed rock and In part by tn
crushing Of structurally weak beo
under excessive pressure Thes
slides occur an one side or the oths
tof the cut through a distance of {
s miles. and now chat their charactc
is understood, allowance has bee
made in the calculations of yardaE
for the amount of slides which wi
have to be removed and the create
slope that will have to be given
the bank i'm many places in order
prevent their recurrence. such a.
iowance does not exceed ten million
Of yards. Considering that the nun
her Of Yards removed from this GU
on an average Of each month throuE
lthc year is 300, geo, and that tn
total remaining to be excavated, In
lcluding slides, is about 100000
yards, It is seen that this addition
J the excavation does not offer an
great reason for delay.
While this feature Of the materit
to be excaVated In the cut VIII n6
seriously delay or obstruct the cor
struction of a canal of the lock typ
the Increase of excavation due to sue
slides in the cut made SO feet deepe
for sea level canal would certainl
have been 80 great as TO delay II
completion TO q time beyond IN
patience of the American people
Among questions arising for pres
ent solution Is the decision whethc
the canal shall be fortified. hav
lalready stated to Che congress that
strongly favor fortification and | no
reiterate this opinion and ask you
consideration of the subject IN III
light Of the report already before 70
made 10y q competent board.
IT, in our discretion, we believ
modern fortifications to be ueccssar
to the adequate protection and pole
ing OF the canal, then II Is our dut
Ito construct them. We have built TN
canal. 1t is our property by cor
vcntion we have Indicated our desir
for. and indeed undertaken, its un
Ivcrsal and equal use. II Is also we
lknown that one of the chief objects
I the construction of the canal has bee
Ito increase the military effectiveness
LOT our navy
Failure To fortify the canal woul
lenye the attainment OF both thes
aims In the position of rights and OF
neg tions which we should be power
less 20 enforce and which could neve
lin any other way be absolutely safe
guarded against desperate and ire
sponsihle enemy.
Canal Tolls.
Another question which arises fo
consideration and possible legisla
tlon is the question of tolls in tn
canal This question is necessarily at
fected By the probable tonnage whic
will 20 through the canal II Is al
"A matter of estimate. but enc OF tn
government commission IN 1909 I'm
vcstigated the question and made
report. 'Ie concluded that the tota
tonnage of the vessels employed D.