National Republican., 1882-12-30
PIERCING PANAMA.
Work Progressing Very Slowly, n, Indeed,
II Can BE said TO Have Begun.
Panama Sdr and Herald.

Panama S,dr and Herald.
In foreign journals we frequently meet ref
erences to work on the Panama canal evil
IDENTIFY furnished by interested parties, which
read somewhat strangely to people on the
isthmus. One of these from the Ironmoager of
November IL, an advertising sheet and pub
lished in four languages, we reproduce in our
English columns to-day. The cOmplacenby
with which the writer assumes that work has
been commenced all along the line is refresh
ing Work of a preparatory character is in
progress at various points, but at none is ii so
far advanced that excavators tan be placed at
work in the actual excavation of the canal.
At Monkey hill excavation Is going on, but
for the purpose of obtaining material for filling
in at Fox river. At the latter place n couple
of dredges are at work in an experimental
sort of way, but their operations will probably
be confined to preparing the way for the large
machine of Messrs. Slaven & Co. The con-
tract between this firm and the canal COM
pany has been a sort of standing card during
the last six months, and has been made the
most of here and abroad TO show what is be-
ing done in canal digging on the Isthmus.
And yet any one knowing anything of work
on the lsthfnus must be aware that the great
dredge will be more or less of an experiment
here, the success of which is still problemati-
cal. The chances of success of the scheme as
a commercial proposition are much reduced
also by the exceedingly low price at which
the contract was TAKEN many people being
| of opinion that the work cannot be done at
the price on the Isthmus, although it might
leave a margin in other countries The
contract on the Panama side, said to
have been taken by the Franco American
Trading company, has not been perfected we
are informed, that company deeming the fig
ures too low for such work. The great bulk
of the contracts cited by our contemporary
have to judge by the names ofthe contractors,
been taken by employees of the company, and
complaints have been made that some of those
contracts have not been opened to public COM
petition, as was the custom at earlier stages of
the work. If this be true whatever ad-
vantages there may be in wide advertisement,
and competition among intending contractors,
has been lost to the company. From what we
can gather, however, ofthe rates ruling in the
various contracts cited, prices for work have
been kept well down below in fact, it is said, the
actual cost to the company at present of
the same classes of work. Whether fortunes
will be made by contractors at these rates
remains to be seen and certainly the 18TH
mus is not the place where they can hope to
succeed at rates approximnting to those paid
for work i'll other countries. 1t makes but
little difference, however, how many con-
tracts for canal cutting may exist on paper,
no such work has yet begun. Preparations
on a considerable scale are in progress, but
it is scarcely likely these preparations will
be finished during the present dry season.
Should such an event occur we shall be happy
to communicate it to our readers,