The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-07-17
OPERATING THE CANAL.

anna canal, is out in several recommen-
dations with regard to it. He recon-
mended emphatically that the canal be
fortified. Congress agreed, and made
preliminary appropriations therefor,
and Col. Goethals is in charge of that
work also as we'll as of the building of
the canal. He recommends now that
Congress take up the question of the
Panama canal tolls. He is in favor of
the government getting back its money
for the enormous expenditure which
has been made on the canal He wants
the tolls so fixed that fair returns upon
this Investment may be had by the gov.
concentrations with respect to the man
agement of the canal in its operation
after completion
He is very emphatic and decided in
his opinion that one man should have
complete control. He has had complete
control himself in the construction of
the canal, and naturally he realizes
better than any one else possibly can
the advantage Of that undivided, con.
centrated control. To that unquestion-
ably is due the fact that the canal is
in such a forward state of advance
ment as ii is, so that Col. Goethals is
able confidently to say that he can fin.
lsh the canal certainly fifteen, and
probably eighteen, months ahead of the
time set for lis completion. And GER
tainly no stronger argument in favor
Of one'man control could possibly be
made than the showing that Col Coo
thals has made, both in effectiveness
and speed in managing this work. A
story is, that when Col. Goethals met
John f. Stevens, who had been in
charge of the work, to take it off his
hands, Stevens said, "It is too big a
job for one man, unless that one man
is absolute boss" The truth of that
saying Col. Goethals speedily realized.
and he assumed the responsibilities
which placed him in absolute control
The need of this was evident to all
concerned, but it is extremely doubtful
If any such supreme concession would
or could have been made TO Mr.. Ste
vens.
In urging the administration of the
canal by the government through the
oneman responsibility, Col Goethals is
anxious that the step shall be taken
now, for the reason that he has an ad-
mirably we'll disciplined force at his
a ;,l lo ~
force necessary to operate the canal to
the best possible advantage, and the
advantage OF selecting this force before
the dispersal of the canal workers is
evident
He says that at first perhaps only
one ship at time will be handled in
the locks and day or more be required
to put it through the canal, but with a
trained force, and the machinery run.
ming smoothly, four ships may be locked
through at a time, aud the time of
transit will be reduced to eight hours.
He wishes also to provide, when neces-
sary, for the repairing, coaling and sup
plying of a ship at the same time that
1t passes through the canal. Col Goe-
thals urges that if we do not run the
business end Of the canal, ii will be
administered by private interests,
which will effectually block our at.
tempts to make the waterway one
price institution, "For,' he says,
"The commercial possibilities are such
as to tempt trust magnates, We can
all imagine what would follow if the
canal, built at such enormous expense
by the government, were turned over
to private management
Col, Goethals is unquestionably right
in his accommodations; but he does not
stop on generalities, He favors rate
of 81 q ton for transit through the
canal, though he says as much as $l.4O
can be charged. and still the canal will
compete successfully with the Tehuan-
tepec route. The railroads, it is stated
oppose the 81 rate, saying that il
would drive them out of business il
transcontinental freights. But Col
Goethals denies this, saying that the
greater canal traffic would increase the
short haul business from the coast tc
the interior, so that the roads would
still do as much business as now
"but.'' he adds, Congress is not con
cerued with the gain or loss of corpor
alton profits
All through, Col. Goethals speak:
from absolute and positive knowledge
and with an authority that no one else
can assume, and which no one can gain
say. His utterances are authority; il
fact, they are the only real authority
we have on the question. and Congress,
could not possibly do better than Il
follow implicitly the lead thus thrown
out by Col. Goethals.
Accommodations for shipping a
each end Of the canal are now in pro
cess OF planning and construction. Fiv,