The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-10-17
REPORT OF THE iSTHMiAN CA.
NAL, MADE PUBLIC, WANTS
LEGISLATION.
RAPID PROGRESS MADE
Commission Says That Canal Will
Be Completed and Ready for Use
July First, Nineteen and Thirteen
Deemed Military Asset.


ing the early completion and opening
of the Panama Canal, the lsthmian
Canal commission, in its annual re
port made public yesterday, recon-
menoed congressional legislation gov
erning canal tolls, organization for
the operation of the canal and for
government of the canal zone. utili-
Zation OF canal revenue 10 pay op-
Grating expenses and to repay the
capital invested and other action. EX-
petition was urgently demanded III
order to advise the commercial world
of the use it may make of the great
waterway, or the cost OF sending
ships through 1t and just when "
will he opened.
The commission wished to give
a. least eighteen months notice OF
the rates to permit the worlds mari
time interests time 10 readjust their
routes and TO tuild new ships and
organize new transportation compa-
MES. 1t was also deemed desir-
able to put the canal 10 use as
early as possible. not only to secure
financial returns on the enormous
capital invested, but to make possible
the passage OF the worlds fleets with
out confusion or delay.
TIE report showed that the engi-
neers board has already found tina:
eli the concrete in the great Gstum
locks on the Pacific side will be
finished except the gates which will
be ready June l. 1913. Meantime
b. April !, next, the giant spillway
a. Gatuu would be at the fifty foot
elevation and the entire dam there
would be completed by the following
winter. The excavation through Guile
bra Cut, the greatest earth digging
on. erprise the world has ever seen,
will be completed July l, 1913, If the
slides are not in excess of the est!-
mates. In that case the exterior
channel will be sufficiently advanced
to pass the shipping that would use
the canal
The total outlay >or maintaining
the canal will be for wages of the
operative force, engineering work,
sanitation and civil administration.
The commission was insistent that
the revenue of the canal should go
t. ray not only the operating eX-
pcnscs, but to repay the capital in
vested. Every legitimate means for
raising revenue should be adopted,
said the report which recommended
that the government should sell them
to merchant shipping.
The commission has given much
thought to the disposition of land in
the canal zone. important because
of its hearing upon the future ad-
miiistraticn of the zone and the
operation OF the canal. CT the 1876
square miles of land IN the zcne the
government owns 363 Of which 9G
miles are occupied by the canal.
4 large part of the government land
will be required for military, naval
and other Official purposes. l. was
deemed essential that the Spanish
law shall continue to prevail to
prevent friction with the neighbor
ing Panamanians in the cities Of
Panama and Colon
Not OF the Land is unsuitable
for extensive ,a,mins enterprises and
the inducements are not such as
would a-.ract American farmers ow-
ing to diffieolties in obtaining title
and the peculilritics Of the Spanish
system of taTat;Dn- which must be
continued. C;hc" occupants than
Americans are ror desirable. The
copmission wars to get lid of tho
great body Of foreign lao'rers. VINO
were imported - liz me canal. as
soon as the work IS completed. They
Eow populate the established town
sites and the commission declared
tha. they should 0e repatria,ed az
ter work no longer can oe given them.
The report declared .ha; for sew
eral years 10 come at least It should
he the policy 10 keep all government