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Show THE CANAL DEAL CONSUMMATED. At last the full and final transfer of the French company's Panama canal property to the United States has been formally made. The deed3 were delivered deliv-ered on Friday, and yesterday tho stockholders by almost unanimous voto ratllled tho aotion of their directors and officers In making tho transfer. Nothing now remains to render the transaction' transac-tion' complcto but tho payment of tho consideration of forty million dollars, and this Is being mado as rapidly as tho olrcumstanccs attending such a large payment can permit. Panama is pressing: also for hor ten millions, and jWlll now get it at once. The United States gets a clear title, and all tho property, good will, and franchises, without reserve. Th'o laws prevailing on the zone will bo the codo In forco in Panama, save as this may be modified by the commission which tho President is by tho ordlnanco copied from tho Jefferson administration authorized au-thorized to appoint. Thus all will work toward tho unimpeded and rapid construction con-struction of the canal. But before much actual work Is dono, a good deal of preparation In preliminaries pre-liminaries must take place, by way of clearing up the strip, and tho cities at the end of it, which are represented repre-sented to be in a desperately bad sanitary sani-tary condition. The tlrst exercise of authority au-thority and control muct be assumed in the direction of compelling a general cleaning up. At best, tho construction of the canal will Involve a great tax on life und health, as tho development ot malaria from disturbing the soil is very rapid and all-pcrvadlng in that latitude. lati-tude. The commissioners to carry on the work will, however, be equal to the tnsk of keeping the danger from this at its minimum. Then, after sanitary conditions are such as to allow tho progress of work, contracts will have to bo let on specifications specifi-cations that In the meantime have been prepared. This will tako some time. But wo may all rest secure in tho certainty cer-tainty that every necessary step will be taken with the celerity and certainty that distinguish American management, manage-ment, and that what Europe has been Ipnglng to do for centuries and trying to do for twenty years, will now be done by the Great Republic Jn ten years or less. And thus will be fulfilled one of the great dreams of the ages. |