Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1910-11-24
VISIT PANAMACANAL
PRESIDENT TAFT WANTS TO
GET MORE INFORMATION.
Wants to Have Everything Ready at It's
Completion-Will Ask Coming Con-
gress for Special Legislation-For ortiz
cation, Disposal of Railroad and Sala-
ries to Be Paid, Are Vexing Questions.

With the work on the Panama canal
progressing so rapidly as to insure com
pletion of the ditch perhaps a year
sooner than January 1, 1915.the date
originally set-President Taft finds it
necessary to make a hurried visit to
the isthmus in order to secure legis-
lation for the canal, which he intends
to push through at the coming session
of congress.
The executive wants to anticipate
the problems which will arise when
the canal is completed. He wants to
have everything covered prior to the
opening so that there will be no neces-
sity for legislative afterthoughts.
Congress will be asked for the follow
ing legislation:
An appropriation of at least $2,OO0,-
900 for preliminary work in fortifying
the canal. The total cost of fortified
ton will probably be $15,OOO,OOO.
Establishment of a definite govern
ment for the zone.
Settlement of the rate to be paid by
foreign vessels for passage through the
canal.
Disposition of the Panama railroad.
Workingmen S compensation for in
juries.
Salary adjustment of certain classes
of laborers on the zone.
Must Plan Government.
President Taft IS most perplexing
problem is to determine the form of
government to be established ON the
isthmus. In reality there is no gov
eminent on the zone at present. Con
gress left to the president the job of
administering justice and enforcing the
laws, but it did not specify how he was
to do it. So Colonel Roosevelt appointed
commission to work out the problems,
and under this sort of a makeshift the
work has gone ahead.
With the canal fortified-and Presi-
dent Taft is determined that it shall
be so defended-it will be necessary
to maintain a large military force on
the zone, and this means that mill
tary law will prevail over at least
part of the isthmus. The executive
wants to find out, by personal con
ference with the men there, whether
it would be better to make the gov
eminent of the whole zone military
one, or part civil and part military.
The 100000 appropriation for for
tifcation will be but renewal of the
request made at the last session of con
gress. In addition, there will undoubt-
eddy be naval base established on the
Atlantic side of the isthmus.
Two items enter into the final de-
termination of the charge to be made
against vessels-frst of all, that the
charge per ton shall be sufficient to
cover the 215 per cent interest on the
investment, and, secondly, that the rate
shall be sufficiently attractive to induce
shipowners to make use of the canal.
Colonel Goethals, who is the real won
derworker on the isthmus, has officially
estimated that the canal, complete, will
have cost the United States 1875, 000,-
600. The total cost to June 80, 1910,
was 500, JAG, 46s.5S; the appropriations
lOl gCdA otO Po' 1Occ;ONN'
The first charge includes the $4,000, 000
paid to the Panama government for the
rights to the zone.
The Suez canal charges are Z francs
per ton for passage, or $1.40. 1t is
90 miles in length. Actually, the Pan
anna canal is only 40 miles long, but
with the dredging on the Atlantic and
Pacific sides it will be in reality a little
over so miles. There is already in
operation across Mexico a transconti
mental, ocean to ocean, system of trans
fertile Tohuantepec route. This, OF
course, involves a transfer of freight
from the vessel on one side to a train
and again, on the other side, from the
train to another vessel. But it will be
competitor for the Panama canal.
Because of this competition, Uncle
Sam must make his rate through the
canal attractive. 1t must be low
enough to make it profitable. for ship
owners to send their vessels through il
rather than go to the cost of unload
ing on one side, transferring the freight
to the Panama railroad, and reloadine
on the other side.
Wanted Jail, Got It Quick.