Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-07-30

II
currency question whereby the United
States would accept the money Of Pam
ANA Mt one-half the value OF American
currency Is. the peso. worth In
| trinsically only 40 cents. would be ex-
changed with United States money nc
20 cents. although It was In sire and
face value the same as our dollar. The
same system was In vogue In the Phil
ippines To meet the needs OF the Gu
nal paymaster the circulation Of pesos
was Increased from 100000 to 1000
0O0 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
rencies.
Stamps were selling Ia the canal zone
for slightly less than In the postofiees
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 CD 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 Dingley tariff ap-
plicable to the canal zone This work
ed badly. and Secretary Taft agreed to
have 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
as 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-
gtneer Wallace were working In their
spheres. Governor Davis was lnstitnt
ing the various departments Of civil
government which today Nare noted
with admiration by the tourist Chief
OF Police Shanton was engaged IN rid
ding the canal zone ~ its had men
and bringing population long without
restraint under the control Of rpgula-
tons that the Americans considered
essential To orderly existence.
From the lirst Mr. Wallace had kept
close tab ON the cost of excavating dirt
W tue Cnsepra cur. Inc type 20 Oe
chosen being still an unknown factor.
he was In some measure working u
the dark. except that the material re-
moved would be useful for ans type.
provided the dumps were selected so.
as Inter not to get in the way Of any
route chosen. In 1912 the Americans
bad to remove 4 Erencbs dump near
guIebfn to prevent its slipping down
lntO the cut. He finally announced
unit cost Of 30 cents a cubic yard for
either sea level or lock type {il6.ll.
Messrs T'arsotls ana Bprr tue ensi-
neering committee q the commission.
after personal INSPECTION OF the eanhi
zone and faiking Sir. Haliaees esti-
mate. recommended sea lerel tTpe Of
canal. Ii IVES to cost. exclusive Of 1pl
provements In Colon and Panarna and
civil government IN the canal zone.
$230.5O0. 600 Mr.. Wallace had caused
SURVEYS to be made for.s lock type Of
canal. and he estimated the cost OF
such canal. with Summit level Of
sixty feet elevation. tu bp $15s.0i3. 4Uk
All estimates missed the real cost OF
the respective types widely. Mr. Wal
Iace-s estimate or 20 cents n yard for
excavation was far too low. As mat.
ter Of record. the cost reached So cents
under chief Engineer Stevens. rose
to OF cents under Chief Engineer
Goefhnls and only once fell below
the fifty cent estimate. In March. 1911.
when Il fell to ~ cents a yard. The
average for the period from 1904 to
1911 was Sc cents. The mistake was
made because solid rock undeyIay the
surface. neceesitafirQ continuous blast
ing before II could be handled by the
steam sboyeIs. While the working day.
which had been tan hours under Mr.
wallace was cut "a eight hours under
Ma.srs stevens and Coethals. and
wacas rose sbarplF as we'll