New-York tribune., 1905-07-06
FOR PANAMA CANAL DATA
Whg General Hams and Mr. HdrrOd
Are Going to the Isthmus.
TFRou THE rRIr7-Sp BuRsAr.l

washington. July 5-The President has given
positive orders that members OF the Panama
CanaI Commission have official eommunica-
ton with former Chief Engineer Wallace. and
this order explains the necessity of sending two
members of the commission. General Hams and
Mr. Harrod, to the isthmus to secure further in
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS which should it is
maintained, have been prepared ana submitted
to tire commission by Mr. wallace long before
his resignation.
Mr.. Wallace had it is assumed. acquired
large amount of information on the various
problems which necessarily confront the com
mission-in fact. it was inevitable that his work
up to the present time should have consisted
chiefly Of acquiring information which now only
the time has come to use. But the former chief
engineer failed to record much OF the data he
doubtless possessed and a great deal of the
work he did viii for that reason have to be done
over again.
II is believed. however, that General Hams
and Mr. Harrod. having digested and complied
all the information now in hand. have so ac-
curate an idea Of the remaining points on which
data is essential at this time that they will be
able TO accomplish their mission in compare
lively brief space of time and that when they
return the data which it is desired to place be-
fore the International Advisory Board. which
the President has asked to meet within the next
lhree nonlnS can De finally and definitely pre-
pared.
1t is assumed that with this information be-
fore Il the International Advisory Board viii be
able to arrive at a definite conclusion. and that
its decision together with the views OF the
entire commission. will be ready to lay before
Congress when It cOnvenes In December.
1t is supposed that Il will not be necessary
again TO assemble the advisory board after it's
meeting in September, although that will de-
pend in some degree upon the conclusiveness Of
the decision reported at that time and possibly
upon whether or not IL coincides with the views
of the commission itself.
No effort will be made by the commission
reach a decision regarding the respective merits
OF lock and sea level canal until it has the
benefit Of the conclusions OF the advisory board.
which are expected to be ready about September
30. OF course, even then the final decision will
rest with Congress.
There is no necessity. however. for reaching
decision on this subject for the present. and the
preliminary excavation can continue uninter-
ruptedly for some time along lines which would
not be changed. whatever hnal decision
reached
There are also some labor problems which
General Hains and Mr.. Harrod will have TO
work out. These, II was supposed, had all been
solved by Mr. Wallace but such is found not TO
be the case In fact. Mr.. Wallace left this sub
ject in a sadly muddled state Here, too how
ever, there is no necessity for haste. for the
present the energies of the commission are de-
voted largely to providing suitable accommoda-
tions for the laborers. and until this work is
completed II would be inadvisable to take more
laborers to the isthmus Additional hospital ac
commodatlon is, according to the surgeons also
needed In the iBthmus. and every effort will be
made from now on TO supply these two needs.