Show SECRETARY TAfT TEllS ABOUT TH It Will wm Cost ost Wk AU All Expenses x E-x- x Are ted Up Lip Disease sese Is Is' Not Like Uke It Used to tie Be S Science Makes t S fe There a The I Panama anama canal will ill have cost the United States when hen it is finished This is the estimate made by Secretary of War Val Taft and and he ought to know He says that the gigantic canal should be ready for service six years yeal s from next July The Americans have made everything so clean and sanitation so good on the canal zone that little sickness sickness' is there now noy and the death rate has been reduced at a remarkable re le ie kable rate Secretary of War Var Taft explained in detail all a about bout the canal at a session of the senate today V WASHINGTON ASHINGTON JAN 6 SECRE SECRE SECRETARY TARY TAFT APPEARED BEFORE THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON IN- IN CANALS TODAY AND ANDi i GA GAVE VB THAT COMMITTEE INFORMATION INFORMATION MATION CONCERNING THE PROJECT PROJECT PRO PRO- AND OFFERED SUGGESTIONS FOR FOB LEGISLATION HE GAVE A 1 COMPLETE RE REVIEW W OF or THE CONDITIONS CONI CON CON- AT THE CANAL SITE AND I QUOTED INFORMATION HE HAD HADI I RECEIVED FROM VARIOUS OFFICIALS OFFICIALS I CONNECTED WITH THE WORK VORK I He Ire expressed tho the opinion that the tc canal should bo be completed within si six six years ears from next July and that its ultimate ultimate ultimate ulti ulti- mate cost would woul bo be approximately including purchase price Costs Extra The Tho proposed widening of or the locks lok was carefully eXan examined by bv Secretary Taft aft lie a asserted that wi with J tho the locks locki widened to feet a steamer of 10 feet feel beam co could Hd easily pass through Tho The largest I t ship this government o is it I planning to build will have ha a beam of but ninety five feet The increased cost of tho the lo locks ks Mr Ir Taft estimated would be bo about In his talk to the tho committee Secretary Secretary Secre Secre- taT tary Taft at various points brou brought ht out the that beset the tho commission commis commis- sion sian in tho the administration These I ranged all the theay way ay from trouble with tho thc Pacific c Mail Steamship line because of its failure to furnish enough steamers to labor difficulties lIe He al aIo also o spoke of the complaints by bv the that there is a bad bail odor or to the w water lter that it is served to them through tho the new waterworks waterworks waterworks water water- works at Panama as is one of tho the small yet annoying f features of the work Losing Business I In the matter of steam steamship hip transportation tion facilities on tho the Pacific coast the secretary said that owing to their ina inadequacy made made- e- e gua y tho the business of the railroad had off third one since the government govern govern- ment took possession and it was a question ques ques- tion in in his mind whether the government government govern govern- ment should not engage n ac in the steamship steam starn- ship business on the Pacific in order to retain the Panama route now nOt existing and keep tho the isthmian business from going h by way ay of Teh or some Somo other route It It may 1113 bo bl a question said the secretary of saving mc the income for our steamers on the east coast h by running running running run run- ning eon considerable risk on the west Prices For Labor Secretary Taft gave ave out considerable information ll concerning prices price paid for labor Jabor on the canal and ur urged ll that thero there ho he no reduction in the wa wages e paid to skilled laborers in spite spit of the tue fact that according to his estimate they were receiving re reo in in Pil pay and privileges es from front 50 GO GOto to 60 GO per pr cent cont higher income t than au th they could earn carn in the United Stat States State Secretary See Sec ee Taft gave Jan it as hi his opinion that reduction all would sori- sori ri any Iny at cause causo Sl sun sun- ou oils labor Even with skilled labor at t tho the present pros pres ent standard he said there was recent strike the refusal al of ot the Iv ly a upon commission com corn mission sion to increase the wJ wages cs aud nuil force sufficient to run sixty jive J o steam show els L I ITo I To Run Ruu a Hotel I Senator I Flint put a number of ques lues questions I tiou to th the secretary as to lan land controversies contro cuntro- i on oil tb the tho isthmus the cost of sani- sani and arid the th advisability nd of tho thu I governments government's gov gov- oi nu the Tivoli hotel hote In connection with the last named pr tho the secretary thought ht it lt quite necessary ary for the tho government jO to the ho ho- tel trl Ho lIe said with a a. smile that i it its bar hud had bl be bea n removed ll aud lUd nd th that lint t there thero ought to be no further complaint from tho the native tho business u i n people n nt at t least in iu ro- ro pct to that t trade rah The secretary said that the tho water rent charged har Panama will iII iu in fifty years lay pa- all an cost cost of providing idin the tho the waterworks water water- water water- works Work the improvement ot of streets an and tho construction of tho the ower system At tho the end of that period the works will ill hc become tho the property of Panama Streets Good If any ono one doubts the condition of the tho streets ets of Panama ho said l' l f I I I Ino no will refer hint him to my friend deull J low He lie was questioned b by Anken Ankeny An An- ken keny concerning the lepers nt It Panama and and andre re responded promptly that leprosy is is' always greatly exa exaggerated citing hi his experience lIco I iu ill ii th th the Philippines I When we wo went to the Philipp Philippines he be said gal wo we were cro toM told that there thre were from OOOO to lepers Wo We now nov lepers that we know know- of oft t there thore In Panama ho lii said aid nine niue lepers were known and they have been heen isolated isolate on onn n nn nil n i island la nd and t there hero is is no fear on Oll their theira a account at had bad adopted the of I They The policy act act- lag ing on the advice of the doctors do in all aU I cases of sanitation an and said he Dr Gorcas Gorgas as has proved pro so 60 successful sue suc ces that we we have ha felt justified in iu taking his advice in such matters n Un He declared that it i is not so 80 unhealthful unhealthful un un- healthful to live livo in ill tho the tropics as it was formerly Mr Taft laft said id the commission had bad found that the price placed upon land lanil needed for the canal is excessive and nd ha has had no relation to its value for private rate vate purposes That had not delayed construction work however er because the land is is taken and paid for afterward Offer to United States The government of Panama has of lo to C give Ce e the United States a site for lor a legation gation at Panama near ner the new government building bin being erected bv by the republic lied Het thou thought bt it would b be n advisable to provide a legation build build- lag ing that would brin bring the property within in the dj dignity of or the United States in th the tho future when the canal has b ben been en d. d Senator lint Flint wanted to know if this government cOl could could- d. d not with anta ad advantage c sell all tho the lan land now owned 13 Ii- the Panama Pan Pati- ama ami Railroad company in Panama and lud not actually actually- u used ed for railroad purposes in In order to relieve the government of owning property there that is used for improper purposes Mr 11 Taft raft thou thought bt some of the land could be bc sold 1 and d added added add add- ed that all the new lea leases s pro provide de that the premises shall not bo be used for immoral im immoral irn- irn moral purposes including the use as sa sa- sa- sa loons Joon Some of this land JaDa w would ultI bo he needed in ill the futuro future for the railroads Few Pew Recommendations Senator c asked Mr fro Taft Tan whether he had any recommendation for new legislation fu in u the canal zone The secretary replied that he hc thought there should be bc an au appeal from the courts of the zone to the tho supreme court of the United States but with that lint exception ex ox- he had no recommendations to make Aft After the construction tion of the canal had hail been comple completed d u he thou thought ht th rc should be a comprehensive j hc government gov gow- 0 i de devised cd for the zone but he sa saw no llO reason for that now nOt This year rear has satisfied t ed me ate said Mr i Taft that a contract for doing the tho work on the Panama canal is is im im- im practicable JJ Ho lie added that any firm able to supply supply sup sup- ply the large e amount of mone money nc needed to carry arr on the work would woul l demand Mich tich Micha ticha a larrr larg largo profit as to make it i able to enter upon it The committee ad adjourned until tomorrow tomorrow tomor tomor- row ro when Colonel chief el engi engi- engineer engineer i. i neer of the canal work will be heard |