The San Francisco call., 1896-03-30
CWo Suits for he retail
price of olle~Oregpfl City
dll-Wool Gd$$in1efe made
in our own mills = Suits
made in our own $bop$~
neW cut, patterns, tolor$~
Retail price elsewhere,
$l$~Oul' wholesale price
for single suit Or a bu11-
dred suits, $50 each
BRO(Vn BROS. $ go
l2l.I23 $an$ot1e St. ~''';sa'S msaxrastur<r.
g's''a'}'si: g;; a;$;. ss;fs' $IIi: ll Blue Signs

the republic and other points Of interest;
a fact in contrast with the years OF pains
taking work by Menocal and other engl-
neers associated with him. The commits
sion remarks that their predecessors have
paid too much attention TO hydrographlc
work and not enough to hydraul1cs. Ihls
is possibly correct, since over 40OO miles
have been surveyed with instruments OF
precision before finally deciding upon the
line of the canal. The technical criticism
of the plans adopted by the company's
engineer cover too many points to permit
more than brief allusion thereto.
While the general plan is approved,
some details are objected to, notably the
construction of the Ochoa dam, on the
San Juan River, where the board would
prefer a cut-stone masonry instead OF
rock-fill dam. But, admitting its feasl-
bility as arranged, recommendations are
made for its improvement and for lncreas-
ing Its dimensions, necessarily also It's
cost. Many other minor changes are sug-
gested as Improvements, among them IN
creased dimensions of the canal in some
places. an increase in the number of locks,
some changes in harbor plans, etc.
A recommendation is made to raise the
summit level two feet, from ITO to IL
feet, a change often suggested before, and
apparently advantageous. Carefully con-
sidering the various changes recommended
the impartial reader and student of the
questions presented will accept some and
reject others, but it is proper to note that
every change suggested materially IN
oreases the cost.
The apparent Inconsistency of the in
creased cost estimate has attracted public
attention, but a careful examination of
the report makes the reason plain. IL is
kIa+ hA Ion n
Nicaragua with the Panama fiasco i'm
pressed upon their mental vision. They
were to append their names to Govern
ment report, and naturally decided to take
no chances on cost; to err on the right
side if any error occurred.
With STANDARD double track coustruc-
ton railways'' at each end of the line;
locks increased in number; additions to
dimensions of sections Of the canal; "a ,0UO,-
600 tor management; 81 900 900 for sanl-
tariums; $5O0,OO0 for lights and buoys,
etc.; the estimates are gfeatly increased.
But the greatest change, which has In
creased the company's estimate of $685.
1893, $50 to $13S, 472, 1893, is caused by the in
creased units of cost, arbitrarily fixed.
| The units of cost used by the company's
engineers are 80 to 40 per cent higher than
are being paid at@the Chicago drainage
| and ship canal, and, to the company S
| figures another 30 to 40 per cent is added
| by the commission! l may make two
comparisons to prove this: Chicago drain
age canal-Dredging per cubic yard, 5H to
| cents rock excavation, SO to IA cents.
Nicaragua Canal Company-Dredging, 25
to 80 cents; rock excavation, 81 rs to 81 SO;
| Commission report - Dredging, 40 cents !;
rock excavation, So.
The fact of days labor representing
less work in Nicaragua than at Chicago
or any other acceptable reason will not
explain these increased units of cost, es-
| pecially as the crude labor in Nicaragua is
payable in silver at about 40 per cent re-
duction. The San Francisco Har Dor Com
mission officially reports its dredging to
cost 6.S7 to 1897 cents per cubic yard, and
both coal and labor are higher here than
any part of the country, while the class Of
dredges used by the Harbor Commission
is antiquated. Why should it cost 40 cents
gold in Nicaragua? More than ever be-
fore, machinery will do the greatest part
of the work on the canal, and in hydraulic
work, which Is impeded by ice and cold
weather at Chicago, machinery will GER
| tainly do as much or even more work in
| Nicaragua, although it has to be taken
there, and fuel will cost somewhat more.
The enormously increased units of cost
eau only be explained on the basis of hav-
! ing "a dead sure" estimate, to secure pro-
fessional reputation, and even then a con-
| tingency estimate of 20 per cent is added
to increase the figures to the total COM
mission estimate. 1t IS suggestive in this
connection that responsible Chicago con-
tractlng firm has offered TO construct the
western division of the canal for the COM
pany's estimate, including the con-
| tingency, and to give bonds for faithful
| performance. The Government can easily
test the matter by inviting bids in subdi-
visions for the entire work, under proper
restrictions.
| The mercantile mind, equally cautious
as that of the engineer, has accepted the
cost OF the Nicaragua canal as approxi-
mating OO,OOO,O 900, and it easy to prove
that it will pay handsome return on even
| more than the commission estimate
But thorough knowledge of all con-
dltions involved, resulting from an in
/ vestlgatlon OF years and of a thorough
| personal acquaintance with the canal
route, justifies me in the opinion that con-
| tractors engaging for completed canal at
500, 1000 900 will make profit of $40 600. .OOO
I struction, at times permitted by the
| Government it might cost more. But the
! people of the United States are willing Ia
leave technical details to engineers. AS
President Cleveland lately remarked to one
OF our Congressman, 1.-THE canal is the
most popular work before our people" and
they demand its construction because il
has become necessity, which will ulti
mately overcome all opposition. Even the
transportation interests that now oppose
| 1T from the fear of competition will finally
admit its beneficent results to the nron.
critics intrusted to their management. r.
the Pacific Coast the canal means rand
development, and this will increase the
prosperity OF every inland transportation
| interest.
San Francisco, March "a, 1896.