Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-02-02
MORE FLAWS IN
PANAMA CANAL
ADMIRAL EVANS TELLS WHY
BIG DITCH WILL NOT IN
CREASE TRADE.
RAILROADS MAY ESTABLISH
SUCH RATES AS TO INSURE
us RUIN.

According 10 Rear Admiral Robley
d Evans. the Panama canal. contrary
to the promises of those VINO planned
il, will not increase by one iota our
trade with Chile and Peru. and viii.
IL the railroads are allowed to estao-
lish rates to suit themselves, speed
lly become a financial ruin.
Fighting Bob" continues in Hainp
toms magazine his arguments in favor
of throwing open the canal free to
the commerce of the nation. He
points ont that, though the increase
of our Chillian and Peruvian trade
was at first assured, the fact is that
shippers would, after the canal was
opened, much prefer to go around by
the straits of Magellan, and, instead
of paying canal charges, pay out the
same money for coal wherewith 20
make the return trip by way of the
Straits.
"If the canal charges were $4,000,
says Admiral Evans, that amount of
money converted into Welsh coal at
Valparaiso means 1000 tons, and II we
allow half of this, or 500 tons for the
trip each way, we find that the ship
can pass through the Straites of Ma
gellan, steam up the coast nearly TO
the canal. and then retrace ner course
TO her home port as she came, more
cheaply than by passing through the
new waterway,
"The point at which the trade Of
the Pacific coast OF South America
would divide between the Panama ca
nal route and the Straits of Magellan
route. has been fixed as just south OF
Valdivia in Chile, but by reason OF
canal rates the dividing point must be
shifted north about 1000 miles, which
will give the Magellan route to all the
commerce. at least as far north as
Callao In Peru. If we say that four.
Hfths of the trade of this coast
which has heretofore gone to the cred
10 Of Panama--will remain where II Is,
we shall not be far wrong. Nothing
but a free canal can change this con-
dition"
Taking up in detail the commerce OF
New Zealand and of the Pacific is
sands, the admiral finds therein the
same arguments for his place OF
tree canal. He goes thoroughly into
! the question Of coal supply, coming TO
the conclusion that IL we place cheap
coal In South America, this move Will
also injure the financial success of the
the canal. The admiral passes into
brilliant prophecy concerning the
southern section of the country, which
he says will reap the greatest bene-
fit from the canal, because 1t brings
| IL nearer a market for the things 1t
produces. IT'S cotton goods, manufac-
tured at home out OF raw material
grown on its own soil, will be eager
4 w sought by the people of South
American countries. He points out the
advantage OF Mobile, Pensacola and
New Orleans as gulf ports which will
aid shipping through the canal. He
insists that the railroads, II allowed
to establish rates to suit themselves
can easily cripple the canal. and can
make such changes that there WIZ be
no profit either for the producer or
the consumer
Fighting Bob" makes the same
prophecy concerning the products OF
the Pacific states, notably California.
. He comes out for a waterways plan
in the middle west, saying that It
would greatly add to the prospective
cheap transportation, and would
have the effect OF holding in check
the oyercharging by competing rail-
road lines. In conclusion, Admiral
Evans says:
THE bitter opposition OF the rail
roads Of the country to connecting the
two oceans by a canal is well known.
For many years 1t was so effective as
to prevent any company from getting
such canal or even securing a
charter to get one. 1t was not until
the Nicaragua canal company. after
a long struggle, secured its charter
from the congress of the United
States that there seemed any hope OF
ever really having canal. The
battle in congress for the present pro
jected waterway to be dug and owned
by the United States showed how
strong the railroad interests were
and when the work is completed the
action Of these same railroads win de-
termine whether we are, as nation,
to benefit by it or not"