Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-11-23
Decision of the Board of Engi'
neers Not Popular With
All Officials
ARRIVAL OF STEVENS AWAITED
Tho Opinion Of tho Chief Engineer OH
the Sea Level Canal Project Looked
for With Much lnterest-consress
Wants Canal Built in Shortest Pos
sibIe Time.

Washington, Nov. 2:.-Chief Engi-
neer Stevens arrival from Panama is
being awaited with u great deal OF I'M
patience by the president, Secretary
Taft and members OF the canal CONF
mission, as well as members OF coa-
gress. They expect him to refute the
decision of the international board OF
consulting engineers to build sea lev
el canal and also to make clear to con-
gress that such a project can not be
safely undertaken unless the country
is prepared to spend hundreds Of mill-
ions of dollars In excess of the present
estimates of cost and wait at least len
and perhaps twelve years longer for the
opening OF the canal.
Mr.. Stevens will be in Washington
SO that he may appear before the house
COMMITTEES on interstate and foreign
commerce and the senate committee on
the interoceanic canal for the purr ose
of giving those bodies the benefit of his
views concerning the type of canal
that ought to be built. There does not
appear to be any doubt that sentiment
in congress will be overwhelmingly
In favor of that which can be bull. In
the quickest time ard at the least
cost
The membership Of both committees
which have charge of this class of Leg
islation is practically unanimous In fn-
vor OF lock canal upon the theory that
1t can be constructed within a reason
able time. This is the attitude Of Col
onel Hepburn, chairman of the house
committee on inters cate and foreign
commerce, and Senator Morgan for
many years chairman OF the senate
committee on the int,roceanic canal.
Both Of these gentlemen We're brig
inally advocates of the, Nicaragua route,
the Typographical textures of which
would have compelled the construction
OF numerous locks They can see no
reason why locks b,lilt upon reason
ably low levels ought not to prove as
efficient under certain circumstances
as sea level canal and both will adj
vocate the lock type.
The understanding in Washington
is that Mr.. Stevens will refuse to ac-
cept the decision Of the consulting
engineers and urge congress to compel
the building of lock canal.
1t is not improbable that the question
OF building the canal by CONTRACT will
also be taken up by the senate and
house committees and a decision
reached before the holidays. Secretary
Taft Is disposed to favor the contract
system. 1t Is presumed that Mr. Ste
vens also is in favor of dividing the
canal into sections and inviting bids
from American contractors to perform
the work of construction.
An unofficial statement which was
made by an officer Of the commission
today discloses that, in addition
to the spending the emergency fund OF
$40, 100000 which was placed under the
control of the president, the commits
sion has contracted obligations to the
amount Of 100000, many of which
will fall due by July l. There are pay
able at the present time bills aggregat-
ing several millions Of dollars fer ma
chinery and supplies purchased by the
commission. These will have to be
taken care OF in an emergency appro-
priation.