Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-11-10

In regard TO all equipment purchases. both
for the canal and the railroad. II should be
stated that the gauge Of the Panama rail-
road being wider than the standard gauge
iu the United states made II impossible TO
use secondhand rolling stock Of any kind
al locomotives and cars had, therefore. to
be built 10 order. After the supplies reached
the isthmus VIC had to contend not only
with the lack OF terminal facilities and
mechanical appliances already mentioned,
but also with an inadequate equipment with
which to distribute 1t to its destination or
been largely surmounted. The elimination
Of yellow fever ana the establishment OF
better systems of housing and feeding the
employees have enabled us to recruit our
working forces till those assigned TO the
material and supply division now number
over 2,lo0 men.
what Has Been Done.
have so far, gentlemen, endeavored to
give you an idea Of the difficulties which
we have had to encounter and overcome in
order to make the isthmus place nj to
work in and to collect the tools with which
10 work. so far as actual excavation and
dredging are concerned, we have not en-.
deaVored to accomplish much. AS general
principle, in which | think you VIII all
concur, 1t is inadvisable to attempt to run
a railroad before the tracks are laid. We
are now working however, six steam
shovels in Culebra cut. which is the largest
single factor in the construction of the
canal, and have removed approximately
100000 cubic yards OF material. BY this
work we are accomplishing two things
First, we are putting the levels Of the cut
]
the largest number of machines which can
! be effectively operated; and, second, We are
| gathering data which will he useful in
! future estimates of the cost Of canal con-
| struction. In the Culebra work 2,600 men
are now employed. We are also building
! railway tracks and yards, and are dredging
at both ends of the canal, so far as advis-
| able until the question of type of canal is
| decided 1t should be understood that all
! the work we have done is applicable to any
'fhe question of labor is grave and
| 49, 1aDw~A 1.FAw e..
| enough to know that we can secure a
| sufficient supply of labor from the tropics,
SO far as numbers are concerned. The
| matter. Unless a much greater efficiency
| can be developed than is secured at pres
| Probably l can best convey to you a Just
estimate Of the quality of this labor by
| relating an incident which came under the
| observation of Senator Willard during his
visit on the isthmus: Sitting on the deck
of the steamer Havana, he was watching
chinery from the hold of the vessel. The
! tackle got caught in the rigging on the
! deck above; tIe foreman in charge OF
the gang of laborers sent one Of them
| above to free the tackle The iaborer
| went to the place to which he was sent,
| and did what he was told TO do The fore
man. paying no attention to him after he
started on his Grand missed him a few
minutes later and, looking around for
| him, discovered him sitting peacefully at
! the post to which he had been sent. What
| are you doing there?" yelled the foreman
You told me to come here, sab" We'll
why didn't YOU. come back?" You didn't
1t is to this class of labor that we are
paying from 50 TO 80 cents per day in
we do not get more than % per cent of
the shiee re efficepGy Of labor IN the United
which we are compelled to apply the
| eight-hour law-that is. to aliens who
know nothing of the laws existence I'M
til they arrive on the isthmus. Such APP
plication will increase the labor cost OF
canal construction at least 25 per cent,
! and will add many millions unnecessarily
| TO the total expenditure.
Canal VIII BE Built.
we have been doing on the isthmus. In
line with this, let me add that Chief En-
gineer stevens is preparing three COM
plete sets of plans applicable to as many
types of canal, so that when decision shall
have been reached as to what type will
be used, no delay in beginning work will
ensue. II is our confident belief that by
July ! next the plant as purchased will
be installed and working to its fullest
that time the dirt will begin TO ny in
earnest.
The canal will be built-rest assured Of
that-and 1t will be built at Panama. Those
TWO phases of the problem have passed IT.
reNocably from the field of debate There
is an industrious and voluble band of hired
Ananiases moving to and fro in the land
whose mission II is to deny this. The bur-
den OF their song is: The canal will never
nected with the enterprise, including the
president, and commissioners, and engi-
the members of this band chanting their
song, singly and in chorus, wherever men
congregate, and wherever few reporters
are gathered together. They are rehears-
ing for the grand burst of noise when con-
gress shal nave assembled. When they are
not rehearsing they are putting the words
| or their song into bogus interviews and
other written forms of newspaper publica-
ton, which they are sending forth by
this and other cities. As one contemplates
the output of this singular industry, this
GaGjSS4iry Oh nGtion he Is moved to say of its
tain Dumain: He will lie with such voliI-
bility, sir, that you would think truth were
a fool"
Railroads Oppose President.
Who is capitalizing this industry? What
| is the bountiful source of this spouting
spring of mendacity? Is it to be found
Are these supplying funds for the susie.
nance of such campaign of misinforma-
ton? What interests except those fool
milan canal would put up money to delay
and possibly defeat it's construction? That
mere mere are re interests OF that Kind is not q
history. They have been fighting canal
for more than half century, and they
fought 1t successfully TIL Theodore Roose-
welt. armed with his big stick" appeared
as its champion. From that moment their
efforts have been powerless but they have
not yet discovered the fact they are
wasting their energies and their cash, for
behind Theodore Roosevelt stand the
American people in solid mass and with de-
termined front, shouting as one man;
4 Give us a canal that will be adequate tC
meet the demands of the commerce of the
world. and give il to us at the earliest pos
sible moment" That, gentlemen, is the
command which the commission under the
inspiring lead of the president, is obeyine
to the letter. We are building the "Roose,
| welt canal"
Clifford Pinchot, the chief OF the forestry
service of the department of agriculture