The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-14
SENATE D|SCLOSES
 MUCH OF DETAIL Makes Public Work Accom-
 plished on Canal TESTIMONY OF OFFICERS Eiehty-eight Per Cent of Material Used Was Bought in the United States
 and Much of the Balance
 on the lsthmus.
TESTIMONY OF OFFICERS

Washington. December 1S.-In making public all of the testimony taken yester- day by the Senate committee on appro- priations in relation to the Panama canal bill the Senate has disclosed In greater detail the work on the isth- mus than has been given by all of the re- ports of the isthmian canal commission officers or others authorized to discuss ca- 1 nal affairs. The testimony taken during the meeting covers sS pages, devoted al- most wholly to examinations of Secre- tary of War Taft, Theodore P. Shonts, chairman of the commission; J. B. Bishop secretary. and D. ". Ross, general pur- chasing officer. It developed during the testimony of Secretary Taft and Mir Ross that SS per cent of the materials pur- chased by the commission were shipped per cent of foreign materials, n.lrly the entire amount was secured on the isth- mus. It was stated that there are 17,000 men employed on the isthmus in canal work, but none of these are now en- gagged in excavating. The work of dig ging the canal was stopped when MT. Stevens went to the isthmus in June last as chief engineer MT. Taft said that 1000 of the men were employed in the department, and 13000 in track work, construction of buildings, in ma chine works, and putting together the equipment in getting ready for the work of excavating. Continuing MT Taft said:
 Mir Stevens states-and I think MT. Shonts agrees with him-that former En- gineer Wallace made mistake in ex- pending what he did expend for actual excavation work in the Culebra cut It was not done for the purpose of eXcava- tion although it did accomplish some thing to the extent to which there was excavation work, work which may not have to be done again. But It was done for the purpose of making estimates as to the cost, and MT. Stevens thinks that the material which was removed was de- posted at places from which it will have to be again removed, and that estimates based upon those experiments therefore, are estimates based on which do not as- simulate to the actual work to be done."
 "So that it really was not good sample work?' Asked Senator Hale.
 No, sir replied Mir. Taft. "Of course the great problem there is not excavation The great problem is transportation and the disposition of the waste. Dirt taken from Culebra cut has to be hauled by raii from four to fifteen miles,"
 MorL zf Ny,Iaea
 MT. Shonts then said of the work done by Mir. Wallace:
 He selected the easy work at the top of the cut where he had gravity haels. He wasted it at the nearest place he could and mislead himself and other peo- pie by taking the cost per cubic yard, thus arriving at the result under the most fa- vorable circumstances at the unit of cost which he could do the entire work. For that reason the work was practically wasted"
 It was stated by Mr. Shonts that under MT. Wallace's direction dirt was removed during the dry season at cost of 43 cents per cubic yards. but that the cost was increased to $1.50 per yard during the wet season. Members of the committee having expressed surprise at this great dnIerence MT. Shonts said:
 "There would not have been so much difference if Mir. Wallace had properly ballasted his tracks so that when tho wet season came on his cars would not get off the tracks so much Even those big shovels turned over. so he had all to contend with by reason of the failure to start right, and to have his tracks laid properly and ballasted properly so that they could resist the torrential rains. That added very greatly, 1 think to the enor- nous increase of his cost after the wet season did come on; for the present eff ficiency of his plant was then redrcNl to 25 per cent and sometimes less"
 Kind of Canal.
 Interesting testimony as to the type of canal to be built, and the embarrassment that may be felt by members of the com mittee in discussing the bill on the floor was taken during the hearing. Senator Hale put the situation in this manner:
 "One of the first questions Mir. Nor gan will ask you. gentlemen, will be this
 You have made certain bases and you ask for certain money to carry you on until April or June.'
 Now suppose the gentlemen say to the appropriations committed: What kind of a canal are you going to have there?' What could we say, gentlemen?
 "I think that you will say that you do not know" replied Secretary Taft
 .Then the next question will be when will you know, ' said Senator Hale
 Well I think this, gentlemen, that un- der the Spooner act, if 1t is look canal, the President has the right to go ahead and build the canal as a lock canal" the Secretary answered.
 And determine the size and every thing?" inquired Senator Teller.
 AS the circumstances are such, and the language of the act is such as to in- dicate that that was the intention of Congress-, replied Secretary Taft.
 ''ro the limit of the appropriation" in qured Senator Gallinger
 Yes, to the limit of the aprpopriations,e said MT. Taft
 But if the President is going to build a sea-level canal, he will certainly have to consult Congress I think he should consult Congress in any event. though the act Itself evidently intended that the canal should be built for S145.000,000. It assumed the estimate of the canal commission to be correct, and the type there fixed of a lock canal to be the one the work was to be proceeded on.'
 In reply to inquiry from Senator Warren. the Secretary said the sum named would be equally applicable whether it is to be a sea-level or lock canal but it is of great importance that after two or three months from now have expired the type of the canal should be fixed MT. Wallace was of the opinion that the work could go on economically for two years