The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-12-07

mercial development of the islands has
 been made since they were virtually | granted full access to our markets
 three years ago. with every prospect
 of increasing development and tfiversi-
 fled industries. Freed from American 1 control such development is bound to | decline.
 | If the task we have undertaken is l higher than that assumed by other na- l tions, ifs accomplishment must de
 mand even more patience We must 1 not forget that we found the Filipinos
 wholly untrained Tn government Up 1 to our advent all other experience sought to repress "a ather than encour- age political power. It takes long time and much experience to fngrafn po- l litfcai habits of steadiness and eff1-
 ciency Popular self government ulti- 1 mately must rest upon common habits 1 e thought and upon reasonably de 1 velopeti public opinion.
 A present decla ration even Of future l independence would retard progress by 1 the dissension and disorder if would i arouse. On our part 1t would be 6 dis fngennous attempt. under the g.,ise of l conferring benefit on them. to relieve l ourselves from the heavy and difficult burden which thus far we have been
 braveIy and consistently sustaining It would be disRnised policy of se.tit- tie. It would make the helpless Fiji pino the football of oriental politics under the protection of guaranty of their independence. which we would be poweriess to enforce.
 Regulation of Water Power. There are pending before congress 8 I-,, tnsl grant privileges of erecting dams for the purpose of creating water power in our navigable rivers. The penden cy of these bills has brought out an important defect in the existing gen eral dam act. That act does not. in my opinion. grant sufficient power to the federal government in dealing with the construction of such dams to exact protective conditions in the in- terest of navigation. 1t does not psr- init the federal government. as a con ditfon of its permit. to require that part of the value thus created shall be applied 10 the further general i'm proveu1e1t and protection of the stream. believe this to be one of the most important matters of internal i'm provement now confronting the gov ernment.
 Tn my opinion constructive states manship requires that legislation should be enacted which will permit the development of naviga ton in these great rivers to go hand in hand with the utiiization of this byproduct of water power. created fin the course of the same Improvement. and that the general dam act should be so amend ed as to make this possible
 deem it highly important that the nation should adopt a consistent and harfnoniUus treatment of these water power projects. which will preserve for this purpose their value to the gov eminent. whose right it is to grant the permit Any other policy is eauiva ient to throwing away a most valua Dle national asset.
 The Panama Canal.
 During the past year the work of construction upon the canal has pro- gressed most satisfactorily. About S7 per cent of the excavation work has been completed. and more than 93 per cent Of the concrete for all the locks is ID place Tn view of the great interest which has been manifested as to some slides in the Culebra cut am glad to say that the report of Colonel GeethaIs should ailay any apprehension on this point It is gratifying to note that none of the slides which occurred dur ing this year would have interfered with the passage of the ships had the canal in fact been in operation. and when the slope pressures will have been finally adjusted and the growth of veg etation will minimize erosion in the hanks of the cut the slide problem will
 ,e practically solved and an ample sta- sility assured for the CuIebra cut.
 Although the official date of the open ing has been set for Jan. 1. 1915. the canal will in fact. from present indfca tfons. be opened for shipping during the latter half Of 1913. No fixed date can us yet be set. but shipping interests wilt be advised as soon as assurances can be given that vessels can pass through without unnecessary delay.
 Recognizing the administrative prob- lem in the management of the canal, congress in the act of Aug 24, 1912. has made admirable provisions for ex- ecutive responsibility in the control of the canal and the government of the canal zone. The problem of most eff cient organization is receiving careful considera ton. so that a scheme of or ganization and control best adapted to the conditions of the canal may be formulated and put in operation as ex- peditiously as possible. Acting under the authority conferred on me by con- gress have by executive proclamation promulgated the following schedule of tolls for ships passing through the ca nal. based upon the thorough report of Emory R. Johnson. special commission CT on traffic and tolls:
 First. On merchant vessels carrying passengers or cargo. $1.20 per net vesseLl ton-each 100 cubic feet-of actual earning capacity.
 Second.-Cn vessels in ballast without passengers or cargo. 4o per cent less than the rate of tolls for vessels with passer1- gers cargo.
 Third-Upon naval vessels other than Ira r,ritiet.s hnsfnitaI sliir1s md