Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-06-30
FRIDAY EVENING. JUNE 80, 1905.

In Is idle to deny that the affairs on
the Isthmusof Panama are in chaotic
condition and that the American people
must realize that they are now face to
face with condition that will require
all the pluck and all the indomitabe
energy of this nation TO meet and to
overcome. The resignation of Chief En-
gineer Wallace has served the good pur-
pose of bringing to light the actual con-
dition of affairs. Upto the present time
il has been believed that the danger OF
yellow fever was the principal obstacle
to the digging of the canal. Now it
seems that the mere sanitary condition OF
the istbmus, deplorable as it is, is the
least of the troubles. For two years the
American people have believed that the
work of digging the great isthmlan canal
was in progress. 1t appears now that
nothing has been done. Millions of dol
lars have been spent, and the distress
ing truth is now apparent that the engl-
neers have not yet even decided whether
the canal shall be lock canal or a sea-
level canal. Until this question is de-
cided all engineering plans must be held
in Grievance. When it will be decided
apparently no one can tell Comment
ing upon the canal matter the Philadel-
phia Record says;
While Chief Engineer Wallace de-
clines to speak of the reasons which
caused him to tender his resignation
from the Panama Canal Commission, 1t
il not beyond the ability Of an ordinar-
ily intelligent person to make pretty
accurate guess. Up to the time when
President Roosevelt and Secretary Taft
backed water, under pressure from the
= "stand- patters" and the tarif-protected
trusts. all was serene in the canal COM
mission The canal was to be finished
off-hand, we were told, and well within
the limit of the estimated cost. The
veto by the tariff grafters of the Presi-
dents order that ships, supplies ma
chinery and construction material for
the canal work should be purchased in
the cheapest market appears to have
been responsible for the present dishar-
mony in the once happy Panama family.
The immediate consequence OF the
backdown was the complete demoraliza-
ton of Engineer Wallace's field force,
which had already been hampered by the
order respecting the enforcement at Pan
anna of the eight-hour law and the de-
lay, due to departmental red tape, in
che proper sanitation of the isthmus.
The effect of these conditions on the
progress of the work appears from the
summary from the daily reports from
the field for the month of May. In the
latter month only 10000 cubic yards Of
excavation was completed, as against
25S,37 for March and April. The
total number of cubic yards to be exca-
waited is 100, 600, 600, and at the rate of
progress during May over one hundred
years would he required to complete the
work. The labor cost per cubic yard
during May was over one dollar. Ii
the cost of administration had been
added and allowance made for deteri-
grafton the figure would have been near
er two dollars per cubic yard. In the
estimates it is assumed that excavation
would not exceed in cost fifty cents per
cubi; yard. On the basis of the May
reports the cost of the canal would be
three or four times the amount esti-
mated, or from $3.50, 600, 600 to ST.
900, 600. 600 instead of $3.50, 900, 600.
1t is a wonder that an engineer with
a reputation IN lose prefers to resign
rather than to go on under such harass
ing conditions? IT is impossible to con-
duct a great public work economically
and efficiently unless graft shall be en-
tirely eliminated. This is true whether
The work be municipal filtration plant
or national canal whether the graft
ers be machine contractors or tariff ben
efciaries. For The extra profit exacted
by the trusts in the sale of machinery
and material to the government is graft
none the less because such extra prof; is
sanctioned by a robber tariff. The Pan
ANA canal cannot be built within the
estimated limit of cost by a republican
administration unless the party shall di-
vorce itself from the ''stand patters"
and abandon their policy If looting the
treasury and fleeing the public under
the pretext of extending protection to
American industries.