Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1911-07-19
OPERATING THE CANAL.


Col Cocktails, who is in supreme authority
in the construction of the Panama canal, is
out in several recommendations with regard to
it. He recommended emphatically that the
canal be fortified. Congress agreed, and made
preliminary appropriations therefor, and Col
GOethals is in charge of that work also as well
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 gov
eminent getting back It's money for the enor
nous 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 government. He also makes important
recommendations with respect to the manage
ment of the canal in its operation after com
pletion
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, concen-
trated control. To that mquestionably is due
the fact that the canal is in such forward
state Of advancement it is so that Colonel
Goethals is able confidently to say that he can
finish the canal certainly fifteen. and probably
eighteen, months ahead of the time set for it's
completion. And certainly no stronger argu-
ment in favor of oneman control could possibly
be made than the showing that Col Goethals
has made, both in effectiveness and speed in
managing this work A story is that when
Col Cocktails met John F. Stevens who had
been in charge Of the work, to take it off his
hands, Stevens said 9 1t is too big 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
i lie nNtro lX nuht fuIi
concession would or could have been made to
Mr. Stevens
In urging the administration of the canal
by the government through the one-man respon-
sibility, Col. Goethals is anxious that the step
shall be taken now. for the reason that he has
an admirably well disciplined force at his
command from which he can select the force
necessary to operate the canal to the best pos
sible 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 a
day or more required to put it through the
canal, but with trained force, and the ma
chinery running smoothly four ships may be
locked through at time, and the time Of
transit will be reduced to eight hours He
wishes also to provide when necessary for
the repairing coalng and supplying of ship
at the same time that it passes through the
canal. Col Goethals urges that if we do not
run the business end of the canal, it will be
administered by private interests which will
efectually block attempts to make the wa
terway one-prlce institution.
Col. Goethals is unquestionably right in his
recommendations; but he does not stop on gen
eralities. He favors a rate of 81 ton for
transit through the canal though he SAYS
much 81 40 be charged, and still the
canal will compete successfully with the TIE
huantepec route The railroads it is stated
oppose the 81 rate, saying that it would drive
them out of business in transcontnental trade
But Col Goethals denies this, saying that the
greater canal traffic would increase the short
haul business from the coast to the interior so
that the roads would still do as much business
as now 'but' he adds, congress is not con
cerned with the gain or loss of corporation
profit"
All through, Col Goethas speaks from alb
solute and positive knowledge, and with an au-
thorty that no one else can assume and which
can gainsay. His utterances are author
ity; in fact, they are the only real authority
we have on the question: and congress could
not possibly do better than to follow implicitly
the lead thus thrown out by Col Cocktails
Accommodations for shipping at each end of
the canal are now in process of planning and
construction. Five docks are to be constructed
at Colon, each capable of holding two vessels
thousand feet long or five steamers of
the capacity now engaged in South American