Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1910-11-19
VISIT PANAMA CANAL
President TAFT WANTS TO
GET MORE INFORMATION.
Wants to Have Everything Ready at Its
Completion-Will Ask Coming Con-
gress for Special Legislation-Fortif-
cation, Disposal Of Railroad and Sala-
ries to Be Paid, Arc vexing Questions.

With the work on the Panama canal
pletion of the ditch perhaps year
sooner than January 1, 1915-the date
originally set-President Taft finds it
necessary to make a hurried visit to
the isthmus in order to secure legis-
lation for the canal, which he intends
to push through at the coming session
of congress.
The executive wants to anticipate
the problems which will arise when
the canal is completed. He wants to
have everything covered prior to the
opening 80 that there will be no neces-
sity for legislative afterthoughts.
Congress will be asked for the follow
ing legislation:
An appropriation of at least $2,000,-
600 for preliminary work in fortifying
the canal. The total cost of fortifca-
ton will probably be $15,ooO,OOO.
Establishment of a definite govern
ment for the zone.
Settlement of the RATE to be paid by
foreign vessels for passage through the
canal.
Disposition of the Panama railroad.
Workingmen compensation for in
juries.
Salary adjustment of certain classes
of laborers on the zone.
Must Plan Government.
President Taft g most perplexing
problem is to determine the form of
+o ha ho
isthmus. In reality there is no gov
eminent on the zone at present. Con
gress left to the president the job of
administering justice and enforcing the
laws, but it did not specify how he was
to do it. SO Colonel Roosevelt appointed
a commission to work out the problems
and under this sort of makeshift the
work has gone ahead.
With the canal fortified-and Presi
dent Taft is determined that it shall
be so defended---it will be necessary
to maintain a large military force on
the zone, and this means that mill
tary law will prevail over at least q
part of the isthmus. The executive
wants to find out, by personal con
ference with the men there, whether
it would be better to make the gov
eminent of the whole zone a military
one, or part civil and part military.
The 100000 appropriation for for
tification will be but a renewal of the
request made at the last session of con
gress. In addition, there will undoubt
eddy be a naval base established on the
Atlantic side of the isthmus.
Two items enter into the final de
termination of the charge to be mad,
against vessels-frst of all, that the
charge per ton shall be sufficient tt
cover the 2h per cent interest on thu
investment, and, secondly, that the rat'
shall be sufficiently attractive to induce
shipowners to make use of the canal
Colonel Goethals, who is the real won
derworker on the isthmus, has official,
estimated that the canal, complete, will
have cost the United States 1915, 900,
O00 The total cost to June 80, 1910
was 210,146, 468.58; the appropriation
for the current year are $37,S55,000
The first charge includes the $50,000,00
paid to the Panama government for tn
rights to the zone.
The Suez canal charges are franc
per ton for passage, or $1.40. 1t i
90 miles in length. Actually, the Pan
ANA canal is only 40 miles long, bu
with the dredging on the Atlantic an'
Pacific sides it will be in reality littl
over so miles. There is already il
operation across Mexico a transconti
mental, ocean to ocean, system of trans
fertile Tohuantepec route. This, o
course, involves transfer of freigh
from the vessel on one side to a train
and again, on the other side, from tn
train to another vessel. But it will b
competitor for the Panama canal.
Because of this competition, Uncl
Sam must make his rate through tn
canal attractive. 1t must be loy
enough to make it profitable for ship
owners to send their vessels through
rather than go to the cost of unload
ing on one side, transferring the freigh
to the Panama railroad, and reloadin
on the other side.
"Well, how is marriagef' said
81