Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-12-08


chief objects in the construction Of the
canal has been 20 increase the military
effectiveness Of our navy.
Failure to fortlfy the canal would
leave the attainment Of both these
aims In the position Of rights and OBJ
legations which we should be powerless
Ia enforce and which could never In
my other way he absolutely safeguard
cd against desperate and 1rresponsi.
bic enemy.
In determining what the tolls In the
canal should be we certainly ought not
to Insist that for n good many years
to come they should amount to enough
to pny the interest On the investment
Of e40O.O0O.OOO which the United
etntes has made in the construction
Of the canal We ought not to do this,
first, because the benefits 10 10 derived
by the United States from this cx-
pendlture are not to be measured solely
BY a return upon the Investment.
My own impression Is TINT the tolls
ought not to exceed 81 per net ton. on
Jim. I, 1911, the tolls in the Suez cannl
one not ton by Sucz canal measure
mont. which Is a modification Of
Danube measurement A dollar n ton
will secure under the figures above n
gross annual income from the Panama
canal of nearly ST,Co,000. The cost
Of maintenance and operation Is esti-
mated to exceed S30o0.00Q.
ri, hot to
to the maintenance. management md
general control of the c1pnl after Its
completion. It should be promised
that it Is m csscnilnl part Of our navy
establishment to have tho conf. oil md
other ship supplies. n drYdock and
repair shops conveniently located with
reference to naval vessels passing
through The cnnnl. Now. If the govern
mcnt for naval purposes is to under
take to furnish those Convcnicnces TO
the navy. end they ara c.uvonicnces
epunlly required by commercial YES
sells, there would seem 10 DC strong
reasons why tho government should
take over and include IN its mnnage-
incnt the furnishing not only to the
navy. hut 10 the pubic. drydock and
repair shop facilities and the sale Of
coal. oil and other ship supplies.
The maintenance of n lock canal Of
this enormous size In sparscly popu-
lated country and In the tropics. whore
the danger from disease is always
present. requires a large and complete
end well trained organization with
full police powers. exercising the Mt
most care.
cannot close this reference to the
canal without suggesting rs wise
amendment to the interstate commerce
law a provision prohibiting Interstate
commerce railroads from owning or
controlling ships engaged in the trade
through the Panama canal. believe
such provision may be needed 70
save to the people OF the United States
the benefits OF the competition In trade
between the eastern and western sea-
boards which this canal was construct
cd to secure
Department. Of Justice.
am glad to say that under the ap-
Of Justice the attorney general has 80
improved its organization that vast
amount of litigation Of a 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 Oh behalf
of the government. Of duties fraudu-
leptly 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 "buckct shops" and Of
those schemes to defraud In which the
use OF the mail Is an essential part
Of the fraudulent conspiracy, prosecu-
tons which have saved ignorant and
weak members OF the public and arc
faving them millions Of dollars
The violations OF the antitrust law
present perhaps the most important
litigation before the department. and
activity OF the government in enforc-
Ing that statute.
| Judicial Procedure.
One great crying need in the United
States is chenpening the cost of litiga-
don by simplifying judicial procedure
and e1pediting final judgment, Under
present conditions the poor man is at
woeful disadvantage in n legal con
test with corporation or rich op-
ponenL The necessity for the reform
exists both in United States courts
and in all state courts, In ORDER to
bring Il about, however, it naturally
falls to the general government by its
example 10 furnish model 10 al
states. A legislative commission ap-
pointed by jnint resolution OF congress
to revise the procedure II the United
States courts has MS yet made no re-
port.
am strongly convinced that the
best method OF improving judicial pro
cedure at law is to empower the STU
premc court to do it through the me
dunn of the rules Of the court. as IN
equity. This is the way in which !,
has been done in England.
Relief Of Supreme Court From IN.
necessary Appeals.
No man ought to have as n matter Of
IS Al.