New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-10-14
MR.. TAFT TO VISIT
PANAMA NEXT MONTH
Colonel Goethals PersuadeS the
President His Presence Is
Necessary There.
MANY PROBLEMS TO SOLVE
Cruisers North Carolina and
Montana to Take Party, Sail
ing from Charleston
on November 10.

Beverly, Mass. Oct I3.-President Taft
will sail for the Isthmus Of Panama on
November 10 from Charleston. s c. He will
make the trip on the armored cruiser North
Carolina, and will be convoyed by the sis
ter ship, the Montana These are the same
vessels used by Mr.. Taft in his Panama trip
Just before his inauguration. The Presi-
cent viii be gone about twelve days. The
North Carolina and the Montana are
twenty-two-knot boats. and can make the
journey in each direction in four days. This
viii give MI. Taft about four DAYS on the
isthmus
The President had practically given up
ali IDEA Of visiting the canal this year
until Colonel George ". Cocktails chief en-
gineer of the canal. spent two hours with
him this afternoon At the end of that time
Mr.. Taft had been convinced that the
problems confronting the officials at
Panama require his presence on the 18th
mus. Although his visit will be- a flying
one. the President expects to be able to Sc
cure first hand information on d number
Of matters which he will call on Congress
10 deal with at its session MI Taft will be
hack in Washington nearly two weeks prior
to the opening Of the session
Some Of the problems to be dealt with in
the immediate future are as follows:
The extent and character OF the fortiica-
tons: the fixing Of tolls for the passage Of
vessels through the canal: a proposed in
crease in wages, the future management Of
the Panama Railroad: the form of perna-
nent government for the Canal Zone and
the regulation Of the sale Of coal at the
terminal points. The government may go
into the business Of selling coal itself in
order TO prevent the possibility OF extortion
Or monopoly.
Question OF Tolls Explained.
Mr. Taft had thought that several of
these questions would not require settle
nent for year or more. but Colonel
CSoe1haIs. in charge Of the work. who will
return 10 Panama on Saturday. put mat
ters in a different light The question Of
tolls. which IL was thought could wait
until the canal is much nearer completion
than II is to-day, was explained by Colonel
Cocktails TO be one OF the most pressing
for Congress 10 meet. An International
conference Of steamship owners and ship
ping interests IS TO be held IN Berlin in
the summer Of 1911 It is believed to be
highly important that Congress should have
fixed the rates Of toll by that time The
authorities believe that the influence that
the canal viii have on shipping should be
felt and be discussed at this conference
The canal must be made 10 attract ship
ping. and a. the same time an effort will
he made 10 have the toll charges meet the
interest on the 300. 100000 investment which
the canal VIII represent. The toll for pas
sage through the Suez Canal is 7
francs, OF approximately 81 50, a gross ton.
The distance through the Suez Canal is
ninety miles. The distance through the
Panama Canal viii be fifty miles But the
cost Of constructing the Panama Canal
viii exceed by far the outlay on the Suez
waterway.
The date for opening the Panama Canal
has been set for January Il. 1915. Presi-
cent Taft and Colonel Cocktails believe that
= viii be completed and open long before
that time