The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-10
PURCHASES OF LUMBER

PURCHASES OF LUMBER SOUTH sUPpLIEs MATERIAL FOR
 CANAL CONSTRUCTION.
 Dealers Complain They are Not Giv-
 en an Opportunity to Bid-Secre-
 tary of the Commission's
 Statement.
 Baltimore, Sept. 9.-(Spectal. )-lm- mediate interest in of the South in the Isthmian Canal Is shown in an inter- view in this weeks issue of The Man ufacturers' Record with D. I. Murphy. secretary of tthe Isthmian Canal Com mission. Discussing the recent large purchases of Southern lumber, Secre- tary Murphy says:
 T am filling requisition made by the commission from Panama, and this re- quest for lumber came in the form of c rush order. There was no time to spare in advertising bids. so our pur- chasing agent went personally to New Orleans and other Southern ports and filled the order without delay. It called for 6,00o,000 feet of lumber, 40.- 900 piles and 10000 railroad ties. The agent secured the material in New Or- leans, Mobile and other Southern 1um- ber headquarters. and they wore shipp- ed out of New Orleans. Some com plaint has been made. particularly by New York dealers that we did not give any but Southern dealers or ship owners e show in the matter. For the Information of lumber dealers and others throughout the country. I will say that 1t is the intention of the commission to invite and receive bids whenever possible.
 Tn these recent acquisitions. how yer, 1t was imperative that the mate- rial. which was required for construc- tion work. be secured with the least possible delay. The orders were filled in a very few days at very satisfac- tory prices, and in securing shipping facilities some idle vessels were found in New Orleans, by engaging which a saving of 5000 in regular carrying rates was achieved. New Orleans will inevitably be a great shipping point for materials to be used in the con- struction of the canal, simply on &C., count of its advantage of location and excellent shipping facilities.
 The Isthmian Canal Commission which is expected to return by Sep tember 14th from its third trip to Panama, has been largely occupied in preliminary work of organization and in formulation of laws for the proper government of the canal strip. Its chief work up to the present has been the direction of putting the entire strip in sanitary condition. Secretary Murphy says:
 While there is a great deal of mis- apprehension as to the unhealth- occasionally room for a vast improve ment in sanitary condition all through Panama, and until the health condi- tions on the Isthmus have reached a satisfactory state there will be no at- tempt made to actively engage in ca- nal digging outside of the Culebra cut, Through drainage, the use of petrol cum, etc., the sanitary stan has all ready succeeded in effecting a remark able diminution of mosquitoes. Be- curing an abundant supply of pure water is also of prime importance, and in Panama and Colon not only are wa. ter works being introduced, but a conn plete sewerage spstem Is being estab- lished. both of which have hitherto been unknown in eeither place. We acquired from the French government one of the finest hospitals in the world, in a healhly location on a hill at Aucon. just outside Panama, and il Is being supplied with American at I now sending down twelve trained nurs es by request, and in the same party by the way, there are going two engi neers, eight blasters and drillers sever foremen and one supervisor. It Is ex pected that after the return of tn, commission steps will be taken tc complete the organization of the var ious departments.
 "The climate may be all right. st Co q very few opportunities for unemployed Americans to get work Those wht will do the work of building and sup erintending the canal will undoubted ly be almost exclusively sent into tn, country by arrangement, whether tn, government does the work, or 1t is le to contractors.
 ''The commission has received al sorts of propositions from contractor. who have laborers to supply. Chi nese, Japanese and Greeks are amont those offered, and an American contrac tor offers to furnish from 1000 to 3,o0t Southern negroes most of whom hay, done railroad work. Of course the la bor problem cannot be determined un til it is decided by what method tn, work shall be done.
 '-The only cutting now in progres. is in the famous Culebra cut wher, ZtzOU JAmalca negroes are at work They have been employed by tho French company, but at the time ol the purchase by our government { thousand of them had wandered off Since then everyone has voluntarily returned and asked to be put back tC work, which is of some value as ar indication that Uncle Sam stands wei as an employer of labor, and that ther, will be no difficulty in getting anC keeping all the laborers required These Jamaicans are we'll trained anC amenable to discipline, and can b, made the nucles of a good workinl force.
 The commission has adopted thu lock system for the canal instead O the sea-level system favored by pr Lesseps. It will be less expensive anC take much less time to complete, and i also allows of a more feasible method of taking care of the waters of tn, Chagras river. which sometimes rise1 twenty-three feet in six hours, anC once rose thirty-four feet. There i, an average rainfall of 130 inches fl