The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1905-07-07
CAE PANAMA. CANAL BE BUI1r9
Resignation OF John +. Wallace
Brings Relaxation
(FrOm Denver News-)


CFrOm Denver News-)
The resignation OF John T. Wallace.
member OF the Panama canal com
mission and chief engineer OF the
canal, has led to revelations which
the country as yet hardly understands
During the month OF Nay, il is
charged, every cubic yard OF earth or
rock excavated from the great Guile
bra cut cost three times as much as
the estimates upon which the con-
gressional appropriation for the build
ing Of the canal was based and It is
believed that unlessc there IS some
radical change in the methods in
vogue the cost Of the whole canal viii
be increased in the same proportion.
The time required for the work
also is about three times as great as
was estimated, and If this proportion
continues to hold good the end Of the
century viii be in sight before the
canal IS ready for the passage Of
ships.
The steamers which are arriving in
New York from Panama are carrying
Iare numbers Of Americans who lave
surrendered their positions on the
canal because Of the annOyances Of
life on the isthmus and because OF
the deadly menace OF yellow fever,
which is reported to be causing a
mortality much higher than is noted
in the official reports They tell stories
not only OF the ravages OF yellow few
er and other diseases, but Of misman-
agement Of the work and OF an al
most entire absence OF measures for
the sanitary care Of the Iaborers,
among whom the death rate is very
high. They criticize Mr.. Wallace and
other responsible heads for an alleg-
/ ed absence Of the attention to detail
necessary to expedite the canal, keep
down the cost and protect life.
/ Whether this criticism is merited or
not it is difficult to judge, but the op-
/ inion seems to be unanimous that
progress is as slow, the cost as high
and the mortality as great as during
the period OF French construction
When the French gave up the canal
and the United States took charge Of
/ it we fOndly and confidently express
ed the belief that American push
would make short work Of the prob
/ lens which had bafhed the Euro
| peans Up to this time the hope has
not been realized, and the authori-
ties at Washington are just beginning
| to reach the conclusion that the IN
! hcuIt with which Uncle Sam ever has
undertaken to cope.
| Possibly it may yet be urged that
/ the Panama route should be aban-
/ dOned and the original Nicaragua
route be selected after all. If this
Il should prove to be the case, it will
have been shown that Senator Nor
/ gan and those in the senate who stood
! with him in a preference for the Mic
aragua route were well advised con-
| corning the merits Of the two prOpO-
4
forced to face the question Of whether
I or not it is wise to persist in the Pa
mama scheme at a cost Of 100000
! 900 or sOO,OOO,OOO and fifty or sixty
/ years Of time, besides many thousands
| Of lives, rather than to return to the
/ Nicaragua scheme, which contem-
/ plated an equally useful canal, con-
| structed through a healthful and sa-
/ lubrious country, at a cost Of about
/ $500, 100000 and less than twenty
years Of time The Panama plan was
pushed through congress only by the
/ hercuIean efforts Of the late Senator
Hanna, who threw himself into the
fight in its favor with all the energy
/ Of his nature, and who received the
support Of the transcOntinentai rail-
| way lines, which infinitely preferred
| that if an attempt was to be made to
| build an interoceanic canal it should
be made at Panama
The merits Of the contrOersy be
| tween the authorities and Engineer
Wallace are not clearly observable.
Secretary Taft reached the public ear
/ first by issuing a statement in which
| he charged that Mr.. Wallace had
thrown up his responsibilities, with
out regard for the public interests.
merely because he had receied an Of
fer Of a much higher salary in this
country. wallace replies that this is
not a correct statement Of the case,
and that his determination to with
draw was based in part upon the dit
dculties which were brought upon
him by the fact that proper discretion
is not based in the men on the ground,
but is kept in the hands Of the men
who remain in Washington, and
whose task is the easy one Of building
the canal on paper. Whether this in
reference and supervision complained
Of BY Wallace has anything TO do with
the bad management charged by per
sons returning from Panama doubt
less viii be Termed by the public in the
course Of time
In any cent, IL il certain that the
job OF putting a canal across the is
thmus at Pnama Is by NJ means a
holiday employment, and that the
French may have been wise when
they pocketed their Ioss and with
drew from the enterprise.