The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1912-12-14

government Up TO our advent all other
experience sought to repress rather than
encourage political power. 1t takes long
Tune and much experience to ingram po-
lftical habits Of steadiness and efficiency.
Popular self-government ultimately must
rest upon common habits Of thought and
upon reasonably developed public opin-
ion. No such foundations for seif-gov-
eminent. let alone Independence, are now
present In the Philippine Islands. Dtsre-
garding even their racial heteroseneity
and the lack of ability to think as ma
ton. II is sufficient to point out that I'M
der liberal franchise privileges only about
3 per cent of the Filipinos vote and only
8 per cent. Of the people are said to read
the public press. To confer Independence
upon the Fflipinos now Is, therefore. 10
subject the great mass of their people to
the dominance of an oigarchical and.
probably. exploiting minority. Such a
course will be as cruel TO those people as
1t would be shameful to US.
Our true course Is TO pursue steadily |
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 diversification of indus
tries, and to realize the advantages OF |
their Industrial education by conserva- |
lively approved co-oRrative methods, at
once checking the dangers Of concentrat-
ed wealth and building up sturdy. indie
pendent citizenship.
Regulation Of Water Power.
There are pending before congress
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 tendency 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
the 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 canalization. or
the slack-water method, which consists
In building a series of dams and locks.
each Of which will create a long pool of
deep navigable water. At each of these
dams there Is usually created long pool
| of deep navigable water. At each of these
dams there is usually created also water
| power of commercial value II the water
power thus created can be made available
for the further improvement of navtga-
ton in the stream, 1t IL 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
l ID~tx. 49, rtv,ex v.nV
mits to building waterpower dams In
navigable streams usually urge that they
thus improve navigation, ami 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 given due
consideration. but 1t must be apparent
that there may be profit beyond rea-
sonably liberal return upon the private
investment which is potential asset oil
the government In carrying out com
, prehensive policy of waterway develop
ment. 1t is no objection to the retention
and use of such an asset by the govern
ment that a comprehensive waterway
policy will include the protection and de
velopment of the other public uses o
| water, which cannot and should not b.
: ignored in making and executing plan
, for the protection and development o
, navigation. 1t Is also equally clear tina
inasmuch as the water power thus ere
ated Is or may be an incident of gen
: eral scheme of waterway improvement
within the constitutional jurisdiction 0
|. the federal government. the regulation o
: such water power lies also within tina
. Jurisdiction. In my opinion constructiv
craftsmanship requires that Legislation
! should be enacted which will permit tn
!. development Of navigation In these grea
. rivers to 20 hand in hand with the util
). ization of this by-product Of water pow
!, er, created in the course Of the same i'm
. provement, and that the general dam &C
should be so amended as to make this pos
! sible. deem 1t highly important tha
y the nation should adopt a consistent an
. harmonious treatment of these water
!, power projects, which will preserve fe
= this purpose their value to the govern
: ment, whose right 1t is to grant the pei
:, nit Any other policy is equivalent
r. throwing away a most valuable nation'
4 asset.
"a The Panama Canal.
le During the past year the work Of col
1t struction upon the canal has progresse
IN most satisfactorily. About ST per cent
% the excavation work has been complete
oil and more than 80 per cent. of the col
u crete for all the locks Is In place.
t. manifested as to some slides In the Gull
g. bra Cut, am glad to say That the repo
of Col Goethals should allay any a.
r prehension on this point 1t is gratifyiy
IN to note that none of the slides which o
ed Cured during this year would have i
rs terfered with the passage Of the shil
1g had the canal, in fact. been in operatio
IS. and when the slope pressures will ha'
IL been finally adjusted and the growth
b. vegetation will minimize erSion in Il
in banks Of the cut, the slide problem W
IL be practically solved and an ample st
ad bility assured for the Cuebra Cut.
an Although the official date OF the ope
ms ing has been set for January l. 1915, 4
of canal WILL in fact. from present indie
en- tons, be opened for shipping during 4
ID latter half Of 1913 No fixed date can
re vet be set, but shipping interests will
m advised as soon as assurances can
h given that vessels can pass through wit
an out unnecessary delay.
en- Recognizing the administrative probe
CHI In the management of the canal. co
he Rress in the act of August "a. 1872 h
as made admirable provision for executi
RI responsibility In the control Of the car
ID and the government Of the Canal Zor
lty The problem Of most efficient organic