Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1910-03-23

the canal, which bounds the Canal
Zone, are excluded from the Canal
Zone and are considered Panama
MAN territory, although the United
States has, under the treaty with he
Republic of Panama, the right to
| regulate sanitary matters therein
| and, if necessary to preserve order,
TO enter those cities with armed
forces and take possession of them.
There is no doubt that the United
! States received ample consideration
| for the $40, 100000 paid TO the New
French Canal Company, viz: fIXca-
walton by the French useful in the
present project, estimated at not far
from 40,0O0,000 cubic yards, has
been corservatively valued at $27,-
SOC, 900.
The Panama Railroad, with its
franchise and all rights, ETC., which
had been purchased for over $751;
100000 by the old Ere nch company
was valued at $7,000,0OO, the par
value outstanding stock.
About AZ 900 acres of land went
with the Panama Railroad property
and $4,000 acres were acquired
from the French Canal Company, a
total of 5000 acres.
The maps, drawings, and all other
technical data that were taken over
from the French company were
valued at $2,000,000, and buildings,
machinery, ETC., at $3,500,000; the
whole tctaling $40, 900.
Up to the present time French
machinery, conservatively appraised
at $1,000,000, has been used, and
the net value of French buildings
which are in use. not including cost
of repairs, is not far from $1,000
900.
The principal point of excellence
in regard to this French machinery,
which has weathered so we'll on the
Isthmus for the past twenty-five
years, is the quality of material and
workmanship. In design, speed and
size of units it is far behind the
present standards. However, it was
the best of its kind in that day.
In consideration of the $40, 000,-
600 paid to the Government of
Panama for the rights conveyed,
there was turned over to the United
States, in addition, all public lands
in the Canal Zone, amounting to
about 10000 acres. This makes
the United States Government the
direct owner of 20 per cent of the
land in the Canal Zone, the remain
ing 80 per cent being held by pri-
vate owners, mostly citizens of the
Republic of Panama. The United
States exercises governmental rights
over all.
TIE act of Congress placed entire
jurisdiction iii regard to the con-
struction of the canal in the hands
of the President of the United
States. the particular functions in
regard thereto being exercised by a
commission composed of seven
members appointed in accordance
with the act of Congress, presided
over by one member as chairman
For convenience in administration
the canal operations have been plaC-
ed under the Secretary of War.
The formal transfer of the prop
erty of The French Canal Company
to the United States took place on
May 4, 1904, and the first two and
one-half years thereafter, or until
January, 1907, were devoted large
ly to the work of preparation, con-
sisting of building up a suitable or
ganization; procuring the necessary
plant and equipn ent; combating in
sanitary conditions, eliminating yell
low fever, and reducing malaria;
reconstrudting and mountaineering
the Panama Railroad; improving
terminal facilities, and making pro-
vision for adequate and efficient
transportation to the Isthmus from
the United States, a large item in
itself; the design and building of
suitable quarters for the army of
nearly 5000 American employees
and over $4,000 laborers; introduce
ing a stable form of civil govern
ment and administration, including
courts, schools, police, fire depart
ment, etc.-in other words, doing
everything necessary to trans form
the jungle, infested with mosquitoes
and various low forms of animal
and vegetable life, injurious TO
health, into a comparatively health
full country with all the advantages
and conVeniences and equivalent
conditions of life as regards COM
fort, 1000, and quarters, as are en-
joyed by the average citizen in the
United States. All of this took time
and a great deal of money. but it
has resulted in advancing the con-
dition and developing the territory
in question, which was practically in
the same state that IT was in the
sixteenth century, to the plane of
twentieth century, civilzation-and
all in two and one-half years.
Attention was early drawn to
the insanitary condition of the cities
of Panama and Colon. and it was
soon perceived that if a pestilence
should obtain a foothold in those
cities it would seriously affect canal
work. To eliminate this danger,
Panama has been provided with
substantial brick pavements, has
been we'll severed and furnished