New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-08-15
PANAMA'S LONG STRIDES
Marked Advances in Six Years OF
SeIf-Government.

Panama Aug 14-Through generations
Panama was misgoverned and robbed by
Whichever Of the always warning factions
CHANGED to be in power III Bogota. Seven
Years ago Panama was without a productive
industry worthy the name. Her commerce
was moribund for the French had little
money with which TO pay for labor on the
canal. and there no other work by Which
people here could get means with which to
buy. Throughout the world the iSthn7us bore
the reputation Of being the short highway
Ia death for 81 white men not native to the
land Personal liberty. property rights and
life itself were always in danger. There
was no incentive to industry nor hope Of
Improvement in her condition before radical
changes Of government could be made. A
few patriots saw way, through danger
and defamation. TO the necessary change.
and dared TO ia Ike that way.
Naturally Panama's management Of her
affairs has been watched with concern by
her friends who hoped that she would be
able to mako her money last until she
could earn enough TO pay her expenses:
perhaps with somewhat Jealous curiosity
and doubt by some who may secretly hope
that her experience will warrant them In
following her steps 50 far as may he neces-
=arv to relieve them of intoerable cond1-
tons; possibly with confident expectation
in the minds of those who IA item by graft
ing on the peoples Of other republics. thdt
extrayagsnc disorder and plundering of
her treasury such a has been the ruin Of
other Latin American republics would
quickly drive Panama's ship of state upon
the reefs of bankruptcy.
Panama had hard task She had al
most no equipment with which 10 set up or
to carry on her work Of administration
she had not a spindle nor a loom to help
clothe her people: her farms could not feen
them. she had no passable roads by which
a farmer could have carried his products
70 market at a cost which would leave any
thing 10 paw for his labor; her carrying
from, the remote little ports 10 the compare
tively large ma rlxets was by canoe by slooP
O hy schooner. There was no incentive 10
work II was better 70 do nothing for noth-
ing than to work hard for a loss
To-day after only six years OF Sef-goV-
ernn,ent Panama is in far better case than
she was ever before in. She is much better
off than Colombia ever has been, for Panama
has money at interest and owes no man
dollar she cannot pay on the moment she
has better and cleaner streets and sewers
and water supply than have the towns OF
her mother country. has better country
roads than are seen in most other spanish
American countries: has steam and san
coastwise carrying facilities that help great
IN to develop her agriculture; Is beginning
the building of q national railroad which
vii give easy access to millions OF acres
of most fertile soil bias far better heai'h
record than any other Latin American re
public can truly show. and Is whoiiI lree
from grating from political disorder ana
from danger of disturbing foreign questions
As to the management of her money mat
ters. DR.. j. A. Henriquez, director general
of the Department of Statistics anG newly
elected Assemblyman, shows me sum
marv Just completed. for the year 1909
which shows that the total revenue of the
ren,Ibic during the year was S3,30l, b04 "a
and that the expenditures were S2,S59.5Si 3D.
The caution with which her several secle-
ia ries of state have managed the expenses
of their departments is shown by the fol-
lowing statement Of appropriations ana eX-
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