The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1912-12-12


experience sought to repress rather thar
encourage political power. II takes long
time and much experience to ingram DO
litical habits Of steadiness and efficiency
Popular self-Eovernment ultimately must
rest upon common habitJ Of thought and
upon reasonably developed public opin.
ion. No such foundations for self gov
ernment let alone independence. are now
present in the Philippine Islands. Disre-
Earding even their racial heterogepeity
and the lack of ability to think a. q ma
ton. II is sufficient to point out that un-
der liberal franchise privileges only about
per cent. of the Filipinos vote and only
per cent. of the people are said to read
the public press. To confer Independent
upon the Fflipinos now in, therefore. to
subject the great mass of their people to
the dominance Of an oligarchicaI and
probably. exploiting minority. Such a
course will be As cruel 70 those people as
It would be shameful TO us.
Our true course Is to pursue standby
and courageously the path we have thus
far followed; to guide the F1lipinos into
self-sustaining pursuits: to continue the
cultivation of sound political habits
through education and political practice;
to encourage the diversfication of indus
tries. and to realize the advantages of
their Industrial education by conserva-
lively approved cooperative methods, at
once checking the dangers of concentrat-
ed wealth and building up . sturdy inde-
pendent citizenship
Regulation Of Watsr Power.
There are pending before congress a
large number OF bills proposing to grant
privileges OF erecting dams for the pur-
pose of creating water power In our navi-
gable rivers The pendency OF these bills
has brought out an important defect in
the existing general dam act. That act
does not. In my opinion. grant sufficient
power to the federal government In deal
ing with the construction Of such dams to
exact protective conditions in the interest
Of navigation. 1t does not permit the
federal government. as q condition of its
permit, to require that . part of the
value thus created shall be applied to the
further general improvement and protec-
ton OF the stream. I believe this to be
one Of the most important matters of
internal Improvement now confronting
tho government. Most of the navigable
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 canalixation or
the slack-water method. which consists
In building a series of dams and locks
each of which will create long pool of
deep navigable water. At each of these
dams there Is usually created a long pooI
dams there In usually created also water
power of commercial value. II the water
power thus created can be made available
for the further improvement of naviga-
tion 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 burden on the general tax
payers of the country will be very much
reduced. Private interests seeking per-
mits to building waterpower 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 themselves the en-
tire profits of the water power develop
ment. Whatever they may do by way of
relieving the government Of the expense of
improving navigation should be 4fven due
consideration, but II must be apparent
that there may be a profit beyond rea-
sonably liberal return upon the private
Investment which Is a potential asset of
the government in carrying out COM
prehenstve policy of waterway develop
ment. 1t liz no objection to the retention
and use of such an asset by the govern
ment tfat 4 comprehensive waterway
policy will include the protection and de-
velOpment of the other public uses of
water. which cannot and should not he
ignored in making and executing plans
for the protection and development of
inasmuch as the water power thus cre-
ated is or may he an incident of a gem
eral scheme of waterway Improvement
within the constitutional Jurisdiction of
the federal government. the regulation of
such water power lies also within that
Jurisdiction. In my opinion constructive
craftsmanship requires that legislation
should be enacted which will permit the
development OF navigation In these great
rivers to go hand In hand with the util-
ixation Of this by-product of water pow
er. created in the course Of the same i'm
provement. and that the general dam act
should be so amended as to make this pos
sible. I deem 1t highly important that
the nation should adopt a consistent and
harmonious treatment OF these water
power projects, which will preserve for
this purpose their value TO the govern
ment, whose right 1t Is to grant the per-
nit. Any other policy Ia equivalent to
throwing away most valuable national
asset.
The Panama Canal.
During the past year the work Of con-
atruction upon the canal has progressed
most satisfactorily. About 81 per cent. Of
tie excavation work has been completed,
and more than 90 per cent. of the con-
crete for all the locks IL in place. In
view Of the great interest which has been
mantfested as to some slides In the Guile
ofe Sut, Ahh BiAu 10 say tnat the report
OF Col. Goethals should allay any an
prehension on this point 1t Is gratifying
to note that none Of the slides which oc-
CURED during this year would have in
terfered 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
vegetation will minimize erosion In the
banks of the cut. the slide problem will
be practically solved and an ample sta
bility assured for the Culebra Cut.
Although the official date of the open-
ing has been set for January l, 1915. the
canal will. In fact, from present ind,ca-
tio1s. be opened for shipping during the
latter half Of 1918. No fixed date can ~
yet be set but shipping interests will he
advised as soon as assurances can be
given that vessels can pass through with
out unnecessary delay.
Recognizing the administrative problem
In the management of the canal CON
gress In the act OF August "a 1912 h..
made admirable provision for executive
responsibility In the control Of the carnl
and the government OF the Canal Zone
The problem of most efficient orxaniza-
tion Is receiving careful consideration .o
that scheme Of organization and CON
fro h~~ 81 uIa ta1