El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-05-29

~ DION. Panama, May 29.-The
& United States government owns.
controls and successfully oper-
ates the Panama railroad and its con-
Meeting line of steamships plying be-
tween Colon and New York. In this
one bit of government ownership OF
railways Uncle Sam has proved to be
a most excellent manager. The
French bought the road for $4,000, 600,
and sold it to the United States for
$1,000, 600. Although a great deal has
Z been spent to put it into its present
s condition, the fact remains that the
road has assisted in building the canal,
has materially reduced all passenger
and freight rates and last year, on a
total of only AZ miles of line, made
net earnings of nearly 100000.
Because of the great change in the
topography of the isthmus that will be
made by the creation OF Gatun lake,
practically the entire line of railway
is being relocated. 1t will run along
the east side of the canal from the
Atlantic to the Pacific. making wide
detour around the lake. The COM
pleted railway will have greater
number of entertainments in proper
ton to its length than any other rail-
way in the world, one of them being
90 feet high, mile and a quarter
long, containing more than 100000
cubic yards Of dirt and rock
VIII Be Electrified.
When it is completed in its new
location the railway will be electri-
fled and, il the plans OF the canal com
mission are carried out. will be oper-
ated as an integral part of the canal
plant. In practice the railway is al
ready a part of the canal, but in form
1t is an independent corporation The
United States owns the stock, and Col.
Goethals, chief engineer of the canal.
is the president of the Panama rail-
| road company. The canal and rail-
way accounts are kept separately,
however. The canal pays the railway
| $1,000 a month for the transportation
| OF it's officers and employees when on
| duty. and in turn the railway pays the
canal for the work done in the pro-
cess of relocation and the extension Of
| the railway terminal facilities.
Government to Get the Road
The railroad company operates under
| charter granted by the republic OF
| Colombia, which viii expire in 1866
| Under the agreement made with the
republic of Panama, the United States
| government will fall heir to all the
property and interests of the Panama
| railroad upon the expiration OF the
cnarIer. AS the railroad owns ali OF
| the land in the city of Colon with the
| exception of about 100 lots, the United
States eventually will become the own
er in fee simple Of practically all the
real estate in the second city of an
| other republic. 1t will have no police
| power to control its property, except
| for the purposes of sanitation or il
| the event the local authorities are un-
able to preserve order, If the present
J treaty relations with the republic OF
| Panama shall continue unchanged for
55 years. But of course the United
| States government already has found
ways and means of dealing with the
| Panamanians. They are permitted to
| be as independent. as diplomatic and
: as formal as they please. so long as
| they do in the end what Washington
tells them to do. Few Panamanians
| are so dense as not to know what
/ would happen to them and their re-
| public if they attempted to defy the
| canal zone authorities.
| The Panama railroad is one OF the
! busiest and most prosperous short rail-
/ ways in the world, and perhaps ex-
! ceeds all others in the volume of its
passenger traffic Last year 1t car
ried $4,000 first class, and 100000
! second class passengers. For the pres
| ent year it is estimated that the road
will carry total of 1900. 600 persons