The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-19
TOUR hundred million dollars!
Culebra, Canal Zone. Panar
That Is What tho PanRmn Cal
will hnvn cnat when cnnnl 4.

That is what tho Panama Canal
will have cost when completed
You need not question the figures. They
are dead right and l will give you the
items farther on.
But stop first and think what $4,000
100000 means. suppose you had to
earn II and your wages wero SO day.
How long would 1t take? 1t would
take 20o.0o0.o00 days. or moro than
100000 years. The history of man goes
back only 5000 years. and you would
have had to work one hundred times
the life OF this world as far as history
10 concerned TO have done this job.
Four hundred million dollars! Sup
pose 1t were all In silver coins. such
as are now paid To the men who are
doing the digging. What a pile and
what weight. One thousand such
dollars equal ffty five pounds. and the
whole sum would weigh in round num-
bsrs twenty-five million pounds. or
eleven thousand tons At ton to the
wagon IT would be enough to load a
train of two-horse teams, making a
single file over sixty miles of roadway.
and tho noses OF each team might rest
on the tailboard OF tn. wagon in front
OF 1t.
Indeed. 1t is a Eoodiy sum. Where
has II gone? And is Uncle Sam getting
the worth of his money? These are
some OIL inc matters l iibNe ID zen look
Ing into this week. l have gone over
tho canal work and hunted for leaks.
and have also made notes of some
places where Uncle Sam is using the
principle Of scientific management and
modern economy. had look at the
books IN the administration building
hero at Culcbra, and with the clerks
hava gone over this lcdgcrs to learn
how Uncle sam counts the cost and to
show you what has already been spent
and what we must spend in the future
Our Observation-Disclosures Ditche
But first let me satisfy yor as to
tho total. President TAFT and Colourl
Goethals have estimated the cost Of the
canal at 1915, 900. In one way they
are right. but there are other items
which will amount 10 at least S25.0o0.-
600 more. These are the extra charges
entaled by the annual sum We pay
Panama. and the fort!hcatiors. The
first estimate OF the cost of tins latter
was $4,000. 900. and Congress has now
cut Il down to $1,000. 900. We have
already spent mora than sS,o0o.0oo and
we will run up ITO s20.oOo.00O before
VIC get through Moreover. We have
ngreed 10 pay Panama s250.oon a scar.
beginning with nine years after tho
treaty by which we took the canal.
Eight years have ALREADY gone. and
year from now VIII be spending
he fixed charga upon the Treasury
for ali time to come. Two hundred
and ffty thousand dollars is the annual
interest on more than six million dol.
lars and so we must capitalize That
six millions and add It TO the cost
OF the canal. And SO you have the
twenty-five millions without going FAR
ther. making. as l have said, total
OF four hundred million.
Now let us see where tho money
has gone. We shall first take II in the
rough. We spent s5o.ooo.ooo a, the
start to get control of the canal prop
artv. The French company received
100000 600 for it's rights and tho Work
81 had done and Panama got $4,000
600 for the Canal Zone and other rights:
rhen We began 10 clean up the canal,
to organize the work and TO Dig. We
spent less than 100000 in 1901, the
year we bought the canal. We pand
ont about s5.o0o.ooo in 1905, Sl1.coo'-
o0o in 1905. sol. 100000 in 1907. and from
then on have steadily increased until
we arc now spending millions a month
Bv the 30th of June next We shall have
used mp the total appropriations so far
made by Congress- and they now equal
the vast sum OF SCHOLARSHIPS. Al tho
beginning of this year we had already
expended more than 26o.o00.ooo and
tho remaining s3300O,oo0 is the cost OF
the current six months.
UucIe sans Money Worth.
Is the JON cheap one and is Uncle
Sam receiving the worth OF his money?
The Job Is not cheap. and never
less Uncle Sam is getting thu worth OF
his money He is getting more than
any other great company or govarn-
mcnt has had for similar work. Let
mo give some comparative figures.
When the French stated this canal In
1872. II was planned TO build II at sea
level and al a cost Of 100000. 600. The
first company continued its work for
ten years. after which time II became
bankrupt. In that time II spent $3.50