El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-02-24

oOrding to present pEansl viii be fur
nished by Uncle Sam. For some years
past the United States government has
maintained on the isthmus, at Ancon,
one Of the finest and most luxurious
hotels IN the world. There VIII be others
-uaTavansaTies of the up-te-date sum
mer hotel type. chiefly for transient
guests, with French cooking, tennis
courts. swimming pools. and all the
latest improvements. They VIII be pTac-
tically enclosed IN wire Screens. 10 keep
out mosquitoes though such pestferOus
insects are by no means so plentiful in
the canal zone as they were formerly,
Only 43 Miles Across.
II is only IS miles across the ishmus
by the way Of Panama railroad Thus
steamer passengers, disembarking for
amusement and sight seeing, viii easily
be able TO reJOin their ships after
spending a couple Of days in frolic, and
to continue their trips without inter
ruptiOn. Meanwhile the ship, inciden-
tally TO its passage through the ditch,
will be able to take on coal. food
supplies ice etc. For this purpose
proved pattern will be installed by
the gOvernment-an important feature
Of it being the mechanical stevedore,
which by the help Of an endless belt
and an electric engine. carries mer-
chandise aboard in packages with
alaCrIIy that - nothing SPORT OF as
tOnishing. Ports, resembling coorWays,
being thrown open on The SIDE OF toe
vessel at heights corresponding TO her
several decks, the goods are transferred
from the deck directly into her storage
compartments.
President Taft's Idea.
President Taft's idea is that all OF
this supply business can be managed
and controlled much better by the gov
eminent than by outside parties. To
accomplish the end in view, 1t VIII be
necessary merely to expand to some
extent the plant already established
at CristObaL This plan comprises i'm
mense stOrehouses and a manufactur-
ing outfit Of remarkable cOmpl eteneSs
the latter including the laundry al
ready mentioned. q huge bakery, an ice
factory, a cold storage equipment, and
for roasting coffee, max
ing ice cream, corning beef, and con-
verting tub butter into attractive
prints.
II says Mr.. Taft private concerns
were allowed 10 enter this field. it
mi ght happen that one or more big
would boost prices, thus
increasing the cost Of using the canal
Or certain traffic lines might be Ia
vOred at the expense Of others. But
as matter of fact, the available space
at the terminals Of the canal is too
limited to afford room for all who
mi ght want TO occupy It for such com
mercisl purposes, and the granting OF
concessions would be equivalent TO the
establishment Of exclusive privileges, F
tautamount to mOnOpolies Of local
trade With the government in charge, f
there can be no monopoly. and no dis
Of any kind, while prices
viii be kept at a very reasonable +
figure
The isthmian laundry today is by far j
the largest and most completely equip (
ped in the world. It is run altogether I
by electricity. even the irons being
heated by the current OF the scale
IN which 1t is conducted. one may
Judge from the fact that during the
last year 1t handled 5,5S1,923 pieces The
work is collected all over the canal
zone and is shipped to Cristobal di-
rectly. A clothes pressing and clean ]
ing department IS operated in connec- T
ton with the laundry
The bakery turns out more than o. /
100, 600 loaves a year, at cents loaf. !