The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-21


/ during the important days of construc-
| ton without legislation expressly for
{ mulating the government of the zone
or delegating the creation of it to the
! president, is not a reason for supposing
J tnaL we may continue the same kind
! of government after the construction is
nnlshed- The implied authority of the
president to maintain civil govern
ment IN the zone may be derived from
/ the mandatory direction given him in
the original Spooner Act, by which he
was commanded to build the canal;
put certainly, now that the canal is
about to be completed ana to be put
under permanent management there
ought to be specific statutory authority
LOT It's regulation and control and for
the government of the zone, which we
hold Tor the chief and main purpose of
operating the canal.
fully concur with the secretary of
war that the problem is simply the
management of a great public work,
an Hoc the government of a local re-
pubic; that every provision must be
greeted toward the successful main
tenance of the canal as an avenue of
commerce, and that all provisions for
the government of those who live with
IN The zone should be subordinate to
the rGaln purpose.
The zone is 40 miles long and 10
miles wide. Now, it has a population
OF 600 or 10000, but as soon as the
towns which make up this population
VIII be deserted, and only compare
tlNely Few natives will continue their
residence there. The control of them
ought to approximate a military gov
eminent. One judge and two justices
OF the peace will be sufficient to attend
10 all the judicial and litigated business
tnefe IS With a few fundamental
laws OF congress, the zone should be
governed by the orders of the presi-
uent issued through the war depart
ment, as it is today. Provisions can be
made for the guarantees of life. liberty
ana property, but beyond those the
government should be that of a mill
tary reservation, managed in connec-
'iOn win TINS great highway of trade.
furnishing Supplies and Repairs.
IN my last annual message I dis
cussed at length the reasons for the
governments assuming the task of fur
nlshlng to all ships that use the canal
whether our own naval vessels or
others, the supplies of coal and oil and
other necessities with which they must
De replenished either before or after
passing through the canal together
with the dock facilities and repairs of
every character. This it is thought
wise to do through the government,
because the government must establish
Ior itself, for its own naval vessels,
large depots and dry docks and ware
houses, and these may easily be en-
larged so as to secure to the world
public using the canal reasonable |
prices and certainty that there will
pc no discrimination between those
who wish to avail themselves of such
facilities
1 renew my recommendation with !
respect to the tolls of the canal that
WITHIN limits, which shall seem wise to |
congress, the power of fixing tolls be |
gwen to the president. In order to ar
rive at proper conclusion. there must |
De some experimenting, and this can /
not be done if congress does not dele
gate the power to one who can act ex-
peditiously.
l am very confident that the United |
states has the power to relieve from
the payment of tolls any part of our
9hlpp1ng that congress deems wise We
own the canal It was our money that
quit IT. We have the right to charge
oils for its use. Those tolls must he
he same to everyone: but when we
are dealing with our own ships. the
1ractlce OF many governments of sub
'ldlzing their own merchant vessels is
50 Wen established in general that a
equal to the tolls, an equival-
eht remission of tolls, can not be held
o be discrimination in the use of the
anal The practice in the Suez canal
makes this clear. The experiment in
oils to be made by the president
would doubtless disclose how great a
80 NO14 u luis the COaSLW1Sof trade be-
-"een the Atlantic and the Pacific
'oast could bear without preventing its
lSeIulneSS in competition with the
ranscontlnental railroads. One of the
'hlef reasons for building the canal
vas 10 set up this competition and to
'rlng the two shores closer together
Is a practical trade problem 1t NAV
'e that the tolls will have to be wholly
emitted. 1 do not think this is the
,est principle, because I believe that
ne cost OF such a government work as ;
ne Panama canal ought to be inonosed .
but certainly upon the trade
which 1t creates and makes possible.
30 Tar as we can. consistent with the 7
eVelopment of the worlds trade
hrough the canal, and the benefit I
. a14 II was intended to secure to the
asst and west coastwise trade we !
ught to labor TO secure from the canal {
oils a sufficient amount ultimately to
meet the debt which we have assumed
nd to pay the interest
The philippine Islands.
In respect to the Philippines. t
recently join in the accommodation !
f the secretary of war that the act of ;
'ebruary 6, 1905, limiting the indebt- I
dneSs that may be incurred by the H.
'hlllppine government for the con- /
tructlon of public works, be Increased i
rom 100000 to $15,000,OOO. The !
nances OF that government are in ex- ;
client condition The maximum sum :
lentioned is quite low as compared
rirh the amount of Indebtedness of
ther governments with similar re- !
ources, and the success which has at
ended the expenditure of the $1,000 i
90 in the useful improvements of the =
arbors and other places in the islands =
Istifies and requires additional expen- .
itures for like purposes.
[ also join in the recommendation :
nat the legislature of the Philippine +
TO id
of Filipinos and others y
no by the present law are treated as >
liens. so as to enable them to become .
tizens of the Philippine islands.