Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-07-07
TO BUILD CANAL
SYNDICATE MAY
BEEMPLOYED
PLAN IS SUGGESTED TO LET OUT
CONTRACT FOR WATERWAY TO
SYNDICATE WHO SHALL BE
BOUND TO FINISH JOB.

expenditure or nearly TWO nundreo MIL
lion dollars in a work that will cut in
twain a continent. a work the like OF
which the world has never seen. must fire
the Imagination of even the dullest," said
a man yesterday who will probably be
a member OF the new canal commission
under the direction Of which the proposed
isthmian canal will be constructed.
He was asked how he thought the gov
eminent would go about the work Of build
| ing the canal.
II am only giving my personal opin-
| ion," he said in reply. "but one mans
personal opinion Is as good as another's,
and it seems to be that the most salts
| factory way to the government would be
If such thing is possible. to make a con-
tract with a syndicate of large contrac-
tors and have that syndicate agree to con-
struct the canal"
1t was suggested that the Job would be
a big one.
yes, a very large job but after all, not
so very much bigger than the building OF
| a transcontinental railroad. II the plan
| suggest were to be adopted It would be
necessary for the contractors to make an
| alliance with some large banking house
which would have to furnish working
capital Of not less than twenty millions.
| Then the contractors could take the JOB
of building the canal ready for use for,
/
make payments as the work progressed.
/ do you think any set Of men would
care TO run such risk3" was asked.
/ Contractors always take risks, was
i the reply, 'In addition to having the
plans of the commission on which to make
their estimates they would make their
| own plans and calculations so that they
would know with almost absolute accura-
cy what was ahead of them. There would
Of course be- a certain amount Of risk in
| yolyed but there would also be a large
profit to be gained. The contractors ought
to make from ten to fifteen millions. That,
In my opinion, is not too much In view of
the amount Of capital invested ana the
| risk involved
How much time do you think will be
consumed In the construction OF the ca
nal?"
IT believe from the time we begin opera
| tions, no longer than eight years. some
persons think 1t could be done in six"
Suppose 1t is impossible TO make con-
tract with a syndicate for the entire work,
| what thenT'
"In that case the next best thing to do
| would be to contract for sections Of the
| canal with independent contractors, as Is
now being done in the building of the New
York subway. II for any reason con-
tractors failed to bid for the work the
| government would have to undertake II
itself, but It would be better and cheaper
in ali respects for the government to
| award the contract and for the commits
sion provided for in the Spooner bill SIM
ply to supervise the work"
"In your opinion, is the climate Of the
isthmus fatal to men from the north, as
has been stated?"
IT do not believe It is. that is. II the
proper precautions are taken. One OF the
| first things we viii have TO do down there
| will be to create a semi-military force
J similar in many respects to the Canadian
Northwest mounted police. This, as you
know, is a constabulary under military
disciplin and while nominally police Is
really a military organization. We shall
have to organize a police force that will
| rule with an iron hand. When the work
is in full swing there win be some 10000
| men employed on the canal works. They
will doubtless be Colombians, negroes
from Jamaica and other parts of the
West Indies, and, In fact, men from
all parts OF the world. In their train will
| cJme the scum Of creation, men and
women from all quarters OF the globe.
Millions will be paid out In wages and
these millions will be the prize to be con-
tended for by this horde of parasites. Our
| police viii have to protect the workmen--
protect them against themselves and
against these human leeches. We are not
| going to have a Sunday school down there.
There will be drinking and gambling and
! vice. We can't stamp 1t out but we can
regulate 1t, at least to a certain extent.
There will have to be certain rigid rules
as to the selling of liquor and all other
things. The man or woman who violates
| the regulations must be punished, rigo-
| rously and swiftly. The man who stabs
| another after he is paid of Saturday
night. and when full of liquor, must be
| captured, no matter how long the chase.
There must be no ignoring OF sanitary
regulations. If the police force is EN-
cient and II the proper regulations are
| made the mortality need not be Excess
| sive''
allow would you organize the police
| force?" was asked.
at should place at its head an army Of
ficer who had seen service in the west and
who had a peculiar faculty for dealing
with men of all kinds The rank and file
| of the force would be composed of Co
lombians because they would know the
manners, the language and the customs OF
the people with whom they would have
to deal To be quite frank, would not
care SO much for Ineir moral character,
| as I should want to know that they could
ride and shoot straight, didn't know the
| meaning of the word fear, were physical
ly sound. fairly intelligent and would sub
ject themselves to discipline. If they met
that test I should not bother about any
| thing else / expect we shall have there
adventures from all parts OF our country
| ana from all parts OF the WOTlu, as 4 bdlO
before, but It would be body OF men
that would preserve order and inspire a
| wholesome respect for the law"
'It is interesting to note in this con-
| nection," continued the speaker, that IL
the Panama canal is built the government
| will become the owner OF railroad, and
thus for the first time in the history Of the
| United States the government will control
| and operate a railroad and as part OF that
railroad a fleet of passenger ships. In
| cluded In the assets of the Panama Canal
company, which the government is to buy
for $4,000 900 II a clear title can be obtain
| ed are the shares of the Panama railroad
the government obtaining 6S,S63 of the to-
tai issue Of 10000. In connection with the
railway there is line of steamers run
ming from New York to Colon. The rail-
way is valuable piece of property and
pays its dividends regularly. The govern
ment would continue to operate both the
/ railroad and the steamers. During the
construction of the canal the railroad will
| be used for the transportation Of material.
| After the canal is finished the road will
| still be operated, so that in case anything
should at any time block canal legislation
there would always be method of trans
/ portation across the isthmus. II the Mica
ragua route is selected as a result of the
failure Of the Panama company to give
clear title to its property, one of the first
steps preliminary to work on the canal
| will be the building of a railroad. This
| bafp he ma WI think