Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1910-12-07
FAFT'S MESSAGE
5'; TO CONGRESS
Massive and Interesting Document From the
President Read to the Senators and
Representatives Tuesday.

itary effectiveness of our navy.
Failure to fortify the canal would
leave the attainment of both these
aims in the position of rights and
obligations which we should be
powerles to enforce and which
could never in any other way be abb
solutely safeguarded against a des-
perate and irresponsible enemy.
Canal Tolls
Another question which arises for
consideration and possible legisla-
ton is the question of tolls for 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. They concluded
that the total tonnage of the ves-
sells employed in commerce that
could use the canal in 1914, would
amount to 6,S43,SO5 tons net regis
ter, and that this traffic would in
crease 25.1 per cent per decade;
that it was not probable that all the
commerce included in the totals
would at once abandon the routes
at present followed and make use
of the new canal, and that it might
take some time, perhaps two years,
to readjust trade with reference to
the new conditions which the canal
would establish. He did not in
clude, moreover, the tonnage of war
vessels, although it is to be infer
red that such vessels would make
considerable use of the canal. In
the matter of tolls he reached the
conclusion that dollar a net ton
would not drive business away from
the canal, but that higher rate
would do so.
In determining what the tolls
should be we certainly ought not
to insist that for a good many years
to come they should amount to
enough to pay the interest on the
investment of $40O,OO0,0OO which
the United States has made in the
construction of the canal. We
ought not to do this at first, be-
cause the benefits to be derived by
the United States for this expend-
iture is not to be measured solely
by return upon the investment.
If 1t were then the construction
might well have been left to private
enterprise. 1t was because an ade-
quate return upon the money in
vested could not be expected i'm
mediately, or in the near future,
and because there were peculiar po-
litical advantages to be derived
from the construction of the canal
that it necessarily fell to the gov
ernment to advance. the money and
perform the work.
In addition to the benefit to our
naval strength, the canal greatly
increases the trade facilities of the
United States. 1t will undoubtedly
cheaper the rates of transportation
in all freight between the eastern
and western seaboard, and it will
greatly increase that trade by rea-
son Of the reduction in its cost.
Then, If we are to have a world
canal, and if we are anxious that
the routes of the worlds trade
shall be through the Panama canal,
we must recognize that we have an
active competitor in the Suez canal.
Then, too, there are other means. Of
crossing the isthmus-by the Te-
hauntepec railroad and by other
railroads and freight routes in Cen
tral America to the Atlantic side.
In all these cases the question
whether the Panama canal is to be
used and its tonnage increased will
be determined later by the charge
for its use. My own impression ID
that the tolls ought not to exceed
81 per net ton. On January IL.
1911, the tolls In the Suez canal are
to be 20 francs and 25 centimes
Cor one net ton by Suez canal meas
urement. which Is a modification OF
Danube measurement. A dollar a
ton, will secure under the figures
above a gross income from the Pan
ANA canal OF nearly $1,000. .00O.
The cost OF maintenance aud opera
tion Is estimated TO exceed $4,000.
goo, Ultimately. OF course. with
the normal increase In trade. the In
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