The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-24

that that which we provide in sue
a generous measure for posterity SHOULD
be paid for in part al least by pos
| terity.
Not only is the application of sucf
a principle just and right in the oass
of an enterprise like the Panama cana
| but it seems TO me wise and appro
pirate to adopt it with reference II
other projects which commend them
selves to Congress and the economical
completion of which requires the is
suing of bonds.
Definite Projects
II refer to these definite project.
that have been agreed upon in REGARD
to the Improvement of our inland Wa
terways.
Il would not begin the eXpenditur,
of any money on any project the wis
dom of which had not been fully vim
dictated by experts and under the cos
of which had not been fully aseer-
tanned by the most experienced en-.
gineers to satisfy. But having deter.
mined to put through the improve
ment, it ought not to be done by fits
and starts, but it ought to be done
as one job and provision for its com
pletion ought to be made by the is
suing of bonds, unless the country's
revenues afford a sufficient amount te
complete 1t within an economical
time
This statement has peculiar appli-
cation to the rivers and harbors bill
which now has passed the House. There
the Ohio river Improvement, to cost
SEQ, 100000. is entered upon. and an
appropriation made for it's continuing
The same thing is true of the i'm
provement of the Mississippi river from
St Paul to ST. Louis and the same
river from St. Louis to Cairo and OF
the Missouri river from Kansas City
to St. Louis.
These projects seem to be warrant
ed by the traffic in sight.
while l am dealing with the Pan
anna canal, however, l ought to refer
to the discrepancy between the esti-
mated cost of the enterprise and the
actual cost as We are now about to
fix it with every considerable accuracy
within four or five years of its COM
pletion.
THE estimated cost of the engineer
ing and construction of the canal was
$139 zoe, 900. Its actual cost for en-
gineering and construction will be
s297, 900, 000-an increase of about $780,
800. 600.
Increase of Cost
This increase is to be explained first
ny lne very great III LIE
cost of labor and material between the
time when the estimate was made in
1900 and the time when the work was
donc between 1904 and 1909
Second by the fact that the canal had
been enlarged substantially beyond the
original dimensions estimated for.
You know that the great work of ex-
cavation in the canal is called the Culebra
cut This is where the backbone of the
continent, reduced to its lowest height,
is cut through in order to permit the
flowing of the canal; and through five
miles of that cut which altogether is
about nine miles long, for purposes of
economy, the original plan and estimate
made the bottom of the canal in the rock
200 feet wide This would not enable two
of the largest steamers afloat to pass
each other in the canal with any degree
of safety, and would require that one OF
them should tie up to the bank while the
other went by.
I'm order to avoid this delay in that
part of the. canal 1t has been thought
wise 10 increase the bottom width from
200 to 800 feet in place and in such
material that of course made the change
most expensive. So, too, In order that
the canal may be adapted to the largest
size of steamers possible, the dimensions
of the six locks have increased from
o" AeeI usapie ienstn oy ~ leet Wiuth'
10 ~" heel usaoie ienseii anu nv iees
With. Inns was uone a. 'iie ilsee',ioe VI
.iie navy oepai .ihen' o.i 'ne saouiio 'ney'
eouio iooA ~ " aiu into tno Au'ule a,iu
feet
Changes in the Canal
ct has also been found necessary to
change the cha ra cter of the canal on the
Paclflc side from lake with dam
and locks on the shore OF the Bay or
Panama, to a sea level canal, running four
miles inland, SO as to remove the locks
,.Ia ,aans 90 a,,rs of a. enao,, u, De-
anna bav. These two changes also have
added very considerably to the cost.
again It has been found wise to enlarge
the canal into lake or basin at the
foot of the Gatun locks and whatever
varis tion In the nlans which experience
in The construction has demonstrated the
necessity for and The more than doubling
tba cost of construction and engineering
has heen necessary. In addition to this
the cost OF sanitation and government.
p,itbout which the canal could not have
heeu huilt will be about s73. 100000 and
will carry the entire cost of the canal
70 so7e non ooO
GRO return to the state of finances.
T reneat that the surplus for the wear
ending June 20. 1911. for which we are
now making nrovision in this Congress
hv appropriation will be about ss5. 600. 600
~ the estimates made Nv the departments
and transmitted nv fine secretarv Of the
Too s,,rv n Congress- are NOT exceeaed
and IL the revenue from tba tariff bili
equals tho+ which the secretarv Of tho
-. -.;r,,a+oa a. q. ,;,~ol, 60 ~