The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-12-13

worlds trade shall be through the Pa
mama Canal, we must recognize that
we have an active competitor in the
Suez Canal. rhen, too, there are
other means of crossing the isthmus-
by the Tehuantepec Railroad and by
other railroads and freight routes in
Central America to the Atlantic side.
In all these cases the question whe.
Their the Panama Canal is to be used
and its tonnage increased would be
determined later by the charge for it's
use. My own impression is that the
tells ought not to exceed 81 per net
ton. On January 1, 1911, the tolls in
the Suez Canal are to be seven francs
and twenty-five centimes for one net
ton by Suez canal measurement, which
is a codification of Danube measure
ment. A dollar a ton will secure I'M
der the figures above a gross income
from the Panama canal of nearly ST.
100000. The cost of maintenance and
operation is estimated to exceed 49,
100000. Ultimately, of course, with
the normal increase in trade, the in
come will approximate the interest
charges upon the investment. On the
whole | should recommend that with
in certain limits the President be au-
thorized to fix the tolls of the canal
and adjust them to what seems to be
commercial necessity. The inquiries
already made of the Chief Engineer of
the canal show that the present con-
sideration of this question is neces-
sary in order that the commerce of
the world may have time to adjust it.
self to the new conditions resulting
from the opening of this new highway.
The next question that arises is that
of the maintenance, management and
general control of the canal after it's
completion. 1t should be promised
that it is an essential part of our navy
establishment to have the coal, oil
and other ship supplies, a drydock,
and repair shops, conveniently located
with reference to naval vessel passing
through the canal. Now, if the gov
eminent, for naval purposes, is to UNI
dertake to furnish these conveniences
to the navy, and they are conveniences
equally required by commercial YES
sells, there would seem to be strong
reasons why the government should
take over and include in it's manage
ment the furnishing, not only to the
navy but to the public, drydock and
repair shop facilities, and the sale of
coal, oil, and other ship supplies.
The maintenance of lock canal of
this enormous size in a sparsely po-
pulated country and in the tropics,
where the danger from disease is al
ways present, requires a large and
complete and well trained organiza-
ton with full police powers, exercising
the utmost care. The visitor to the
canal who is impressed with the won.
derful freedom from tropical diseases
on the isthmus must not be misled as
to the constant vigilance that is need.
ed to preserve this condition. The
machinery of the locks, the necessary
amount of dredging, the preservation
of the banks of the canal from slides,
the operation and maintenance of the
equipment of the railway-will all re-
quire force, not, of course, to be lik-
ened in any way to the present organ
ization for construction, but skilled
body of men who can keep in state
of usefulness this great instrument of
commerce. Such an organization
makes it easy to include within it's
functions the furnishing of drydock,
fuel, repairs and supply facilities to
the trade of the world. These will
be more essential at the isthmus of
Panama than they are at Port Said or
Suez, because there are no depots for
coal, supplies, and other commercial
necessities within thousands of miles
of the isthmus.
Another important reason why these
ancillary duties may well be under
taken by the government is the oppor-
tunity for discrimination between pa
trolls of the canal that is offered where
private concessions are granted for
the furnishing of these facilities.
Nothing would create greater preiu-
dice against the canal than the sus-