The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1913-10-10

eneeS but later expressed the opinior
tnst Panama sovereignty over the ca
MAJ zone was a barren ideality.", Ger
talnly 1t has proved so to be. The is
sue passed off in talk.
An agreement was. reached on tbe
currency question whereby the United
States would accept the money of Pan
anna at one-half the value Of American
currency-that is, the peso. worth in.
trlnSicaIly only 40 cents, would he ev.
changed with United States money nj
30 cents, although it was in size and
race value the same rs our dollar. The
same system was in vogue in the Phil
lpplnes. To meet the needs of fine on
nal pntmaSter the circulation of pesos
was Increased from 100000 TO 4 600
O0O. Out of this grew the custom in
the canal zone of referring to United
states currency as gold" and to Fan
anna currency as SILVER" and in the
stores articles are priced in both cur.
rencipS
Stamps were selling In the canal zork
for slightly less than in the postofices
of the republic, with the result that
the republic was losing revenue. Sec
rotary Taft settled this just complaint
by arranging for the canal zone TO buy
its stamps from the republic for 60 per
centum Of their value the 40 per cent.
um remaining to the profit of the canal
zone Offices
On June -. 1904. President Roose-
welt hAd made the Dinglcy tariff ap,
plicahlc to the canal zone This work
ed badly, and Secretary Taft agreed to
nave the order revoked, so that the ca.
nal zone ever since has enjoyed the
freest of free trade All other issues
were cleared up without the United
States yielding any freedom of action
ms to importing materials, executing
Justice. operating ship terminals and
supplying canal employees with the
neceSSarieS Of life through commits
saries and hotels.
While Secretary Taft and Chief En-.
gineer Wallace were working in their
spheres, Governor Davis was institut
ing the various departments of civil
government which today are noted
with admiration by the tourist. Chief
of Police stanton was engaged in rid
ding the canal zone of its bad men
and bringing population long without
restraint under the control of regula
tons that the Americans considered
essential to orderly existence.
From the first Mr. Wallace had kept
close tab on the cost of eXcavating dirt
in the Culebra cut. The type to bt
chosen being still an unknown factor
he was in some measure working IN
the dark, except that the material re
moved would be useful for any type
provided the dumps We're selected Sc
as later not to get in the way of any
route chosen. In 1912 the Americans
had to remove Il French dump neal
CuIebra to prevent its slipping down |
INTO the cut. He finally announced Il
unit cost of 30 cents cubic yard fol
either sea level or lock type canal.
MesSrs. Parsons ANA Burr, the Cngi.
leering committee of the commission
after Il personal inspection of the canal
zone and taking Mr.. Walace's estI
nate. recommended sea level type of
canal. 1t WAS to cost. exclusive of i'm
in Colon and Panama and
Evil government in the canal zone,
$3.50 100000, Mir. Wallace had caused
to be made for lock type of
canal, and he estimated the cost of
such a canal, with Il summit level of
sixty feet elevation. to be $17S.O13. 406
All estimates missed the real cost of
the respective types widely. Mr. Wal
Iace's estimate of 30 cents yard for
excavation was far too low As a mat
er of record the cost reached 50 cents |
lnder Chief Engineer Stevens. rose
o 81 cents under Chief Engineer |
iOethals and only once fell below |
he fifty cent estimate, in March. 1911, |
when it Fell to Al cents yard. The
Iverage for the period from 1904 to
OIL was IS cents. The misanke was
made because solid rock underay the
urface, necessitating continuous blast.
ne before it could be handled by the
team shoveIs, while the working day
rhiGh had been ten hours under Mr.
YallSsn, was cut to eight hours under
lessrs. Stevens and Cocktails. aud
wages rose sharply as we'll
Persistent and vigorous complaints
rom Mr.. Wallace about the hindranceS
f governmental methods of doing
BUSINESS found Il receptive ear in Pres
lent Roosevelt. The executive was
ust as eager to make the dirt fly as
If. Wallace and readily agreed that
commission Of seven members was
n awkward and i'll working manage.
lcnt for the peculiar conditions of the
OBJ at Panama. Accordingly drastic
ctiOn was deCreed.
Secretary Taft on March %. 1905,
Sked the entire commission to resign