The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-12-06

anced pressures. slides from the sides
OF the cut have occurred. These are In
part due to the flowing OF surface soil
and decomposed sedimentary rocks
upon inclined surfaces OF the underly-
ing undecomposed rock and in part by
the crushing Of structurally weak beds
under excessive pressure.
These slides occur on one side or the
other of the cut through distance OF
four or five miles. and now that their
character Is understood allowance has
been made In the calculations Of yard
age for the amount OF slides which will
have to he removed and the greater
slope that will have to he given to the
bank in many places Ia order to pre-
vent their recurrence. Such allow
ance does not exceed 10000. 900 yards
Considering that the number OF yards
removed from this cut on an average
Of each month through the year Is
100000 and that the total remaining
to be excavated. including slides, is
about 100000 yards. 1t Is seen that
this addition to the excavation does
not offer any great reason for delay.
While this feature of the material to
be excavated in the cut will not seri-
ously delay or obstruct the construc-
ton Of canal Of the lock type. the
increase of excavation due to such
slides in the cut made eighty-five feet
deeper for a sea level canal would GER
tainly have been so great as to delay
its completion to a time beyond the pa
thence of the American people.
Among questions arising for present
solution Is the decision whether the
canal shall be fortified. I have already
stated to the congress that l strongly
favor fertilization, and ] now reiterate
this opinion and ask your considera-
ton Of the subject In the light of the
report already before you made by a
competent board.
II in our discretion we believe mod
ern Notifications to be necessary to
the adequate protection and policing
Of the canal, then it Is our duty to
construct them. We have built the ca
nal. 1t is our property. BY conven-
ton We have indicated our desire for
and indeed undertaken its universal
and equal use. 1t Is also we'll known
that one Of the chief objects in the
construction Of the canal has been to
increase the military effectiveness of
our navy.
Failure to fortify the canal would
leave the attainment Of both these
aims in the position of rights and OBJ
legations which We should be power
less to enforce and which could never
in any other way be absolutely safe
guarded against a desperate and ire
spOnsible enemy.
Canal Tolls.
Another question which arises for
consideration and possible legislation
is the question Of tolls In the canal.
This question Is necessarily affected by
the probable tonnage which will GO
through the canal. 1t is all matter
OF estimate. but one Of the government
commission In 1900 Investigated the
question and made a report.
He concluded that the total tonnage
Of the vessels employed in commerce
| that could use the isthmian canal in
1914 would amount to 6,S43,SO5 tons
| net register and that this traffic would
increase 25.1 per cent per decade, that
| 1t was not probable that all the com
merce included In the totals would a,
once abandon the routes at present fol
| lowed and make use of the new cana
and that it might take some time, per
! haps two years. to readjust trade with
reference to the new conditions which
the canal would establish.
He did not include, moreover, the ton
mage Of war vessels, although it Is to
| be inferred that such vessels would
make considerable use Of the canal II
the matter Of tolls he reached the con
| clusion that dollar a net ton would
] not drive business away from the ca
nal, but that a higher rate would do SO
In determining what the tolls should
be we certainly ought not to insist
that for good many years to come
they should amount to enough to pay
the interest on the investment Of $500,
100000 which the United States has
made In the construction OF the canal
We ought not to do this, first, because
| the benefits to be derived by the Unit
ed States from this expenditure are no
to be measured solely by return upor
the Investment. If it were, then tn.
construction might we'll have been lef
to private enterprise.
1t was because an adequate return
upon the money invested could not b,
expected Immediately or in the neal
future and because there were pecul
lar political advantages to be derived
from the construction OF the canal tina
it necessarily fell to the government Il
advance the money and perform tn.
| work
In addition to the benefit to our ma
val strength. the canal greatly in
creases the trade facilities Of tn,
United States. It will undoubtedl,
cheaper the rates Of transportation IL
all freight between the eastern ant
western seaboard. and it will greatly
increase that trade by reason of tn.
reduction in its cost. Then Ii we are Il
have a world canal and il we are anx
ious that the routes Of the world!
i trade shall be through the Panama
canal we must recognize that we have
an active competitor in the suez ca
nal.
| Then. too, there are other means O.