Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-06

I'LL OuI IldVdI 1O1Ce by at least
and submarine boats
exploiting minority. Such a course will
be as cruel to those people as II would
be shameful to U.S.
our true course is to pursue steadily
and courageously the path we have thus
far followed; to
True course guide the F1lipinos
- ph;1;~: into self-sustaining
1" AA1Appi"eS' pursuits; to con-
tinue the cultivation of sound political
habits through education and political
practice: to encourage the diversification
Of industries, and to realize the advan-
tages of their industrial education by
conservatively approved cooperative
methods, at once checking the dangers
of concentrated wealth and building up a
sturdy, Independent citizenship. We
should do all this with a disinterested
endeavOr to secure for the Filipinos eco
nomic independence and to fit them for
complete seif-gOvernment with the power
to decide eventually. according to their
own largest good. whether such self-gov-
eminent shall be accompanied by indie
pendence. A present declaration even Of
future independence would retard prog
ress by the dissension and disorder it
would arouse. On our part it would be a
disingenuOus attempt. under the guise OF
comforting a benefit on them, to relieve
ourselves from the heavy and difficult
burden which thus far we have been
bravely and consistently sustaining. 1t
would be a disguised policy of scuttle
1t would make the helpless Filipino the
foot ball of oriental politics, under the
protection of a guaranty of their inde-
pendence which We would be powerless
to enforce.
There are pending before Congress a
large number Of bills proposing to grant
privileges of erecting
Regulating dams for the pur-
wo+.r po,n.- pose of creating
"aIoI 1V"eI. water power in our
navigable rivers. The tendency Of these
bills has brought out an important de-
feet in the existing general dam act.
That act does not. in my opinion. grant
sufficient power to the federal govern
ment in dealing with the construction of
such dams to exact protective conditions
in the interest of navigation. 1t does not
permit the federal government, as a con-
dition of its permit. to require that
part of the value thus created shall be
applied to the further general improve
ment and protection of the stream. l
believe this to be one of the most i'm
portant matters Of internal improvement
now confronting the government. Most
of the navigabie rivers of this country
are comparatively long and shallow. In
order that they may be made fully
useful for navigation there has come into
vogue a method of improvement known
as canalization, or the slack-water meth
cd. which consists in building a series of
dams and locks, each OF which will Gre
ate long pool Of deep navigable water.
At each Of these dams there is usually
created also water power of commercial
value. If the water power thus created
can be made navigable for the further
improvement of navigation in the stream,
1t is manifest that the Improvement will
be much more quickly effected on the
one hand, and. on the other. that the bur-
den on the general taxpayers Of the coun-
try will be very much reduced. Private
interests seeking permits to build water
power dams in navigable streams usually
urge that they thus improve navigation,
and that II they do not impair navigation
they should be allowed to take for them
power development.
Whatever they may do by way of
relieving the. government of the expense
OF improving navigation should be given
due consideration. but it must be ap-
parent that there may be a profit be-
yond a reasonably liberal return upon
the private investment which is a DO
tential asset of the government In carry
Ing out comprehensive policy of water
way development.
1T is no objection to the retention and
use of such an asset by the government
that comprehensive waterway policy
Will include the protection and deyeion-
ment OF the other public use of water,
which cannot and should not be ignored
In making and executing plans for the
protection and Development of navieat;on
1t Is also equally clear that inasmuch "a
the water power thus created Is or NAV
be an incident OF general scheme of
waterway Improvement within the con-
stitutional jurisdiction of the federal gov
eminent, the regulation OF such wafer
power lies Also within that Jurisdiction.
In my opinion constructive statesman
snip requires that legislation should be
enacted which will permit the develop
ment Of navigation in these great rivers
to go hand in hand with the utilization
OF this by-product Of water power. Great
cd IN the course of the same Improvement.
and that the general dam act should he
so amended as to make this possible. T
deem it highly important that the nation
should adopt consistent and harmonions
treatment OF these water-power projects.
which Will preserve for this purpose Their
value to the government. whose right n
Is to grant the permit Any other policy
Is equivalent to throwing away a most
valuable national asset.
X
During the past year the work of con-
struction upon the canal has Progressed
most satisfactorily About
The Panama 81 per cent of the exca-
ro.o, walton work has been
completed, and more than
90 per cent of the concrete for all the
locks is in place. In view of the great in
terest which has been manifested as to
some slides in the Culebra cut. am glad
to say that the report of Col. Goethals
should allay any apprehension on this
point 1t Is gratifying to note that none
of the slides which occurred during this
year would have interfered with the pas
sage of the ships had the canal. In fact
been in operation, and when the slope
pressures win have been finally adjusted
and the growth Of vegetation will mini
mize erosion in the banks of the cut the
slide problem will be practically solved.
and an ample stability assured for the