The Detroit times., 1910-12-07
resident Taft's Message
tcs.ti.aeS from, page O..

4
struct them We have butt the ana" ,',s
IL Is our property BY conN'Iuon IN
have Indicated our desire io', go end
equal use IN IL also wen known that
one OF the chief objects IN IN" ~ a.
struction OF the canal las beeh en-
crease the military effectiveness W
navy. v.ou,d
leave the attainment OF poth -
aims In the position OF rlEh's ,,,e,lsss
legations which we shoolu re pnayer i'm
~ enforce aud which couid neNnt "a
Any other way be absolutely sales We"
ed against a desperate and "respo"''
BILE enemy
CnnsI Tells.
Another Que tlon which arises ,ion
cons,dsratton ana possible legislaton
ia the question OF tolls In the -,
This question Is necessarily ah. LII 70
the probable tonnage WHiSn n,.ttcr
through the canal II Is al inn,
80 ess1ma,a nut ore OF the government
commission I'm 1900 inNestisatsu go
question and made rePoi. ~ the
cluded that the total te.rce that
vessels employed In comh,v' 10 taIa
could uso the lsthmian eahai -. rsa
would amount TO 6,si3,sVo to". ,,,d in
| lister and that tins traHi1 W. W., that
crease 25 per cent per uecaue' In
~ ,vas not 1robable that all the com
merce included in the totals w. FOL
once abandon the routes NJ Ples's NAL
lowed and make use Oh ~ ,,me per-
and that II might take some IT. LII
hans two wears 10 read1ust tieuN W..
re ference 10 the new cohu'',pn a,d moi
the canal would establish 80 xvnr
include narrower, the Tonnage " -,
vessels although IL Is To %" lh ivr,."
that such vessels would maxi colsI..,r
able use of the canal. IN t ~ ,,at
of tolls he reached the CONF con, tr,"a busi.
a dollar a net ton would NOT uIN -, -
ness away from the canal pu' '""'
higher rate would 10 50 - .houid
| In determining what the t0lls sn' 49,,
.l.N NJ
be we certainly ought nor :" Inc they
for n good many years 10 e'' ne
| should amount To enough 10 pay oo e
interest on the Investment Oh ,,o.ia
600 which the United states mas A' Nc
IN the construction OF the Shh"'. -
ought not TO do this frst because ~
benefits To he derived by the ~, -,
| states from this expenditure ~ no. ="
he measured solely by I''u,h 80
the investment III il were then the
construction might well have been ietl
TO private enterprise. III was 80 a.,
an adequate return upon the ,"V 3n,,aat
vested could not be expected li'lneui
ately or in the near future, anu ps
cause there were peculiar po!itica'
yantages 10 be derived from the vi
struction OF the canal that ~ hcoe2
sarily fell To the Soverninent 10 a.
vance the economy and perform inc
work. "a =, o,,r
naval strength. the canal greatly IN
creases the trade facilities OF IN
United states IL VIII huoupte",s
| cheaper the rates OF transpe ttaloh IN
all freight between the eastern an"
western seeboard. and II VIII Sreat9
Increase chat trade by reason OF llle
reduction in it's cost. 1hen' II We ar
To have a world canal ana III we ar
anxious that the routes or the worlu
trade shall be through TN" fhhaihu
canal we must "ecogniZe that we haNe
an active competitor In the SueS cara,
Then too there are other means or
crossing the lsthmus-bN the Iehuhn
| tepec railroad and by other railroads
and freight routes in Cehtfal Aheric"
To- the Atlantic side.
IT. all these cases the question
whether the Panama canal ~ 10 ne
used and It's tonnage increased VIII W
determined mainly by the charge IoI
its use. My own impression rs that the
tolls ought not TO exceed 81 per net
ton On Jan. /. 1911 the tolls In the
Suez canal are To pe francs ana 20
confines for ] net ton by Suez canhl
measurement. which is modification
OF Danube measurement dollar
| ton Will secure Inder the hgures apoNe
gross income from tn" Panama cantd
tenance and operation ~ estimated 10
exceed s3.000.Oo0 Ultimately, or
course with the normal increase In
trade the income will approximate the
interest charges upon the Investment.
On the whole l should recommend that
within certain limits the president be
authorized to fix the tolls OF the cahai
and adjust them TO what seems to De
commercial necessity. The inquiries
already made OF the chief engineer OF
the canal show that the present con-
sideration of this question is necessary
in order that the commerce or the
world may have time TO adjust itself
TO the new conditions resulting from
the opening of this new highway.
The next question that arises Ia as
TO the maintenance. manage ment and
general control Of the canal after Its
completiona 1t should be promised that
It Is an essential part of our navy es-
fuhlie hmeut have tho coal oil ana
other ship supplies, dry dock. and re-
pair shops conveniently located with
reference TO naval Vessels passing
through the canal. Now, II the gov
eminent, for naval purposes. is TO un-
dertake to furnish these conveniences
to the navy. ana 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 its manage
ment the furnishing. not only TO the
navy but To the public, dry. dock and
REP air-sho facilities. and the sale OF
coal. oil. and other slip supplies.
The maintenance OF a lock canal or
this enormous size In a sparsely popu-
lated country and i'm the tropics. where
the danger from disease Is always pres
ent. requires "A large and complete aud
well-trained organization with fun
police powers exercising the utmost
care. The visitor TO the canal who is
Impressed with the wonderful freedom
from tropical diseases on the Isthmus
vigilance that is needed to preserve
this condition. The vast machinery of
the banks OF the canal from slides the
Operation and the maintenance OF the
equipment OF the railway--will all re-
Quirc a force. not. OF course. TO be lik-
ened In any way to the present organi-
zation for construction, but skilled
body OF men who can keep in state
OF usefulness this great instrument OF
commerce. Such an organization makes
az easy to include within It's functions
the furnishing OF dry dock, fuel. re-
pairs and supply facilities To the trade
OF the world. These Will he more es-
sential 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 with
in thousands OF miles Of the lsthmus
Another important reason why these
anclllary duties may well be under
taken by the government Is the oppor-
tunity for discrimination between
patrons OF the canal that is offered
where private concessions are granted
for the furnishing OF these facilities
Nothing would create greater prejudice
against the canal than the suspicion
that certain lines of traffic were
or that the supplies were controlled by
sny large interest that might have a
motive for increasing the cost OF the
hfse of the canal. 1t may be added that
the termini are not ample enough to
Permit the fullest competition in re-
spect to the furnishing OF these faciII-
ties and necessities to the worlds trade
even IL IL were wise to invite such COM
petition and the granting OF the con
Xcession would necessarily under these
circumstances. AXE on the appearance
privilege mOnOpOly