The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-12-06

consideration of the subject IN tAe
| light of the report already before you
made by competent board.
If in our discretion we believe mod
ern Notifications to be necessary to
the adequate protection and policing
of the canal, then it is ON duty to
construct them. We have built the
canal It is our property. By conven:
ton VIE have indicated our desire for
and indeed undertaken it's universal
and equal use, It is also well 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.
In determining what the tolls in the
|
not to insist that for good many
years to come they should amount to
enough to pay the interest on the in
vestment of s400,OO0,000 which the
United States has made in the con-
struction Of the canal. We ought not
to do this, first, because the benefits
to be derived by the United States
from this expenditure are not to be
measured solely by return upon the
| investment.
| My own impression is that the tolls
ought not to exceed 81 per net ton.
! On Jan. 1, 1911, the tolls in the Suez
| canal are to be francs and 20 cen
times for one net ton by Suez canal
measurement, which is modification
of Danube measurement. A dollar a
ton will secure under the figures above
| a gross annual income from the Pan
anna canal of nearly $7,000,000. The
cost of maintenance and operation is
estimated to exceed $3,000,0O0. >...<'.
The next question that arises is as
to the maintenance, management and
general control Of the canal after it's
completion. 1t should be promised
that it is an essential part of our navy
establishment to have the coal, oil and
other ship supplies, drydock and re-
pair shops conveniently located with
reference to naval vessels passing
through the canal. Now. if the gov
eminent for naval purposes is to un-
dertake to furnish these conveniences
to the navy, and they are convent
ences equally required by commercial
vessels, there would seem to be strong
reasons why the government should
take over and, include in it's manage
ment the furnishing not only to the
navy, but to the public, drydock and
repair shop facilities and the sale of
coal, oil and other ship supplies.
The maintenance of lock canal of
this enormous size in a sparsely pop
ulated country and in the tropics,
where the danger from disease is al
ways present, requires large and
complete and we'll trained organiza-
ton with full police powers, exercis-
ing the utmost care: ~.
I cannot close this reference to the
canal without suggesting as wise
amendment to the Interstate COM
merce law provision prohibiting in
terstate commerce railroads from own
ing or controlling ships engaged in
the trade through the Panama canal.
I believe such a provision may: be
needed to save to the people of the
United States the benefits of the com
petition in trade between the Eastern
and Western seaboards which this
canal was constructed to secure -s..
Department of Justice.
I am glad to say that under the ap-
preparations made for the department
of justice the attorney general has so
improved it's organization that. vast
amount of litigation of civil and
criminal character has been disposed
of during the current year. This will
explain the necessity for slightly in
creasing the estimates for the ex-
penses of the department. His report
shows the recoveries made ON behalf
| of the government, of duties fraud.
| ulentIy withheld, public lands improp-
erly patented, fines and penalties for
trespass, prosecutions and convictions
under the antitrust law and prosecu-
tons under interstate commerce law
invite especial attention to the
prosecutions under the federal law of
the so called bucket shops" and of
those schemes to defraud in which the
use of the mail is an essential part of
the fraudulent conspiracy, prosecu-
lions which have saved ignorant and
weak members of the public and are
saving them millions of dollars.
The violations of the antitrust law
present perhaps the most important
litigation before the department, and
the number of cases filed shows the
activity OF the government in enforc'
ing that statute. >'+
Judicial Procedure.
One great crying need in the United
States is cheapening the cost of litiga
ton by simplifying judicial procedure
| and expediting final judgment Under