The Evening standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1910-1913, 1910-12-06
CONTINUED From Page Twoo

tlie tonnage OF war vessels, although
IL is to be inferred that such vessels
would make considerable use Of the
canal. In the matter of tolls, he
reached the conclusion that dollar
n net ton would not drive business
away from the canal, but that higher
IGte would do so,
In determining what the tolls should
be, we certainly ought not TO insist
that for good many years to come
they should amount TO enough to pay
the interest on the investment Of SiOO.-
r0U, 900 which the United States has
oade In the construction OF The cannl.
We ought not to do this, first, because
the benefits to be derived by the
United States from this expenditure
is not TO be measured solely by re-
turn upon the inveS ment II Il WERE
then the construction might well have
been left to private enterprise 1t was
because an adequate return upon the
money invested could not be expected
Immediately or in the near future.
and because there were peculiar po-
liical advantages to be derived from
the construction OF the canal, that 1t
necessarily fell to the government to
advance the money and perform the
work
In addition to the benefit 20 our
naval strength, the canal greatly In
creases the trade facilities of the
United States. 1t VIII undoubtedly
cheaper the rates of transportation In
all freight between the eastern and
Wostern seaboards, and Ii will greatly
increase The trade by reason OF the
reduction In its cost, Then If we are
| TO have world canal. and If we are
anxious that the routes of the worlds
trade should be through the Panama
cSnai, we must recognize that we have
an active competitor In the Suez
canal. Then. too, there are o,her
means of crossing the .sthmus-by the
| I'ehauntepec railroad and by other
railroads and freight routes in Cen
! hal American to the Atlantic side.
In ali tdcse cases. the question OF
! whether the Panama canal Is to be
used and Its tonnage Increased will be
determined mainly by the charge for
lis use My own impression is that
the tolls ought not TO exceed 81 per
net ton. On January l. 1911, the tolls
IN the Sue2 canal are 10 oe Z francs
and % centlmeS for cne Let ton by
! Suez canal measurement, which is a
I modification OF the Danube measure
ment dollar ton will secure un-
| 0er the figures above gross income
| iIum the Panama canal of nearly
| 81 000, 600. The cost of maintenance
| and operation Is estimated TO exceed
| S3.o00.000, 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 oil this question is neoes-
Sary IN order that the commerce OF
the world maye have time to adjust
Itself TO the new conditions resulting
from the opening oil this new highway.
The next question that arises is as
| to the maintenance, management and
general control of the canal after its
completion II should be promised
that it is an essential part OF our navy
establishment to have The coal, OIL and
other ship supplies. dry dock and
repair shops, conveniently located
| with reference to naval vessels pass
Ing through the canal Now. II the
government, for naval purposes, is to
undertake to furnish those con-
veniences to The navy. and they are
ccnveniences equally required by com
rnercial vessels, there would seem to
be strong reasons why the govern
ment should take over and include in
It's management the furnishing, not
only TO the navy, but to the public,
dry dock and repair shop facilities.
and tho sale OF coal, oil and other. ship
supplies,
The maintenance OF a lock canal Of
this enormous size In Sparsely pop
ulated country and in the tropics.
| where the danger from disease Is al
| ways present, requires large and
complete and well trained Of Iganization
with full police powers, exercising the
utmost care. The visitor to the canal
who is impressed with the wonderful
freedom from tropical diseases on the
Isthmus, must not be mlsled as to the
constant vigilance that is needed to
preserve this condition, The vast ma
Chinery 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 oil re-
quire a force, not, OF course, TO be
lillened In any way to the present OF"
Ganization tor construction, but a
skilled body of men who can keep IN
a state of usefulness this great instru-
Iient of commerce. Such an organiZa'
ton makes 1t easy To include within
its functions the furnishing Of dry
dock, fuel, repairs and supply facilities
To the trade oil the world These VIII
be more essential at the Isthmus OF
Panama than they are at Port Said
OF Suez, because there are no depots
Tor coal, supplies and other CONNER
cial necessities within thousands oil
miles OF the lSthmuS.
Another important reason why these
auxiliary duties may be we'll under
taken by the government is the op-
pCrtunity for discrimination between
patrols OF the canal that is offered
where private concessions are granted
for the furnishing of these facilities.
Nothing would create sreoter preJu'
dice against the canal than the sus'
pic,on that certain lines oil traffic were
favored in the furnishing OF supplies
OF that the supplies were controlled
by any large interest that might have
Il motive Tor increasing the cost OF
the use OF the canal 1t may be added
tlat the termiu are not ample enough