Rocky Ford enterprise., 1904-03-25
LATEST NEWS FROM WASHINGTON

stated that actual work on the canal
would be begun after the commission
had made u stay of few weeks on the
isihmus for which Il was TO sail March
29th. Admiral Walker. In answer to a
question. said that large number OF
Inspectors would be employed by the
commission. These inspectors would
be engineers and he did not want the
law to provide that they should be
selected through the civil service com
mission. Admiral" asked Chairman
Hepburn. what you have said In dis
parngement OF the civil service COM
mission has been cry painful to some
members OF the committee. Don't you
think II would be possible for you to
select what char-women. scayengers
and wnter-carriers you will need through
the civil seryIcc7" II am sorry to be
misunderstood" replied tho admiral.
because I am thorough believer In
tho civil service when II does not ap-
ply to us, But ] am very sure that II
would not be satisfactory TO the 18TH
mus OF Panama"
The estimated appropriation for
equipment Mt the new Denver mint.
which has been transmitted to the CON-
mittee on appropriations In the House
OF Representatives by Secretary OF tho
Treasury l.. N. Shaw. Indicates that
the general equipment OF the mint viii
DO expensive and complete. Tho cs-
Inmates includes 81. 900 for u gas gen
Grating plant. motors. piping. furnaces.
etc. $4,000 for a machin. shop and
blacksmith shop. $4,000 for furniture.
carpets and Office fixtures. and $1,000
for n telephone system. IRE alarm sys-
ten. watchmcn'E clocks and time
clocks. Three rolling mills. complete
with motors. are anticipated at cost
OF $4,000. Ave pair OF steel rolls val
ucd at 5000. three complete coinin.
presses costing $1,000. balances. trucks.
tables and automatic weighing ma
chimes costing 10000. and other details
OF comparative values. The entire
equipment Of this nature will ag.rc-
gate sis5 .655. II the appropriation Is al
lowed Ms recommended. the general de-
pnrtmcnt requiring 500 500. the colnin.
department s6t.5 $50. melting and re-
fncr's department s3G. G..55. aAsayIns de-
partmcnt s5.050. and Incidentals se5.-
OOo.
With the paraphcrnalia for playing
JaI hiaI. a game which figures conspIc.
uously In the contest against the con-
firmation OF General Leonard Wood to
be major general. the members OF tho
senate amused themselves more than
an hour. protected from the gaze OF
the public by the closed doors OF an
executive session. a lively interest
was manifested in the game. II was
stated by members OF the committee
that the game will be introduced nt tho
st. Louis exposition. Senators Proc
tor. Cockrcll. Quarics. Foraker. Teller.
Scott, Pottus. Blackburn and others
who participated In the hearings be-
fore the military affairs committee.
where the game was explained by eS-
pcrts. were the expoEcnts. .of Jai Alai.
Senators Cockreli and Foraker. who
have paid extensive visit, to Cuba
while the "Pelota' season was Mt its
height. explained shat the gambling
features OF the game are not essential
to Its adoption by the Cubans. whilo
Senators Blackburn. Scott and Teller
contended that without tho betting
privileges the Jai Alai company would
not have made application to General
Wood for the concession to erect n
building as headquarters for the game.
The demonstration OF Jai Alai came in
the last hour OF the session and
through II all ran n discussion Of the
game. In which many senators partici-
pated. General Woods defenders
scored point when Senator Patterson
admitted that he had spent n day
studying the testimony in regard to tho
game and had come to the conclusion
that It contained nothing detrimental
to General Woods conduct and no rea-
son for opposition to his confirmation.
Admiral Walker, in his hearing be-
fore the House committee. explained
that the estimate of cost of the Panama
canal made by the last commission did
not include the expense of governing
the canal zone. Considerable discus
sion was INDUCED in as to what pro-
vision should be made in the proposed
law regarding the disbursement of
money and the auditing of accounts,
but no conclusion was reached. The
wanted every safeguard pos
s!ble In this connection. The engineer
Ing features of the work were explained
at some length, as well as the intense
interest which prospective contractors
already are taking in the matter. Tho
said that on the steamer on
which the commission was to sail state
rooms had been engaged to the capac-
ity of the ship by the agents Of pros
pective contractors who wanted to look
the ground over. In this connection
he advised that no requirement of law
should make it necessary to do the
work by contract, as he believed con-
tractors might combine to the disad-
of the government. 1t was the
intention of the committee, he said,
to continue actual work on the canal as
now being carried on by the French
in order to demonstrate tho
exact cost of such work. The engi-
neering feat of the whole enterprise
was expected to be the construction OF
the Bohio dam. 1t will be necessary
to go 100 feet below the sea level to get
the proper foundation for this dam.
there have been made borings
for rock bottom. Admiral Walker said
that many more would have to bo