Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1905-11-16
CANAL IN DI5
HATS WHAT ENGINEER
ROUDOLPH |, PREDICTING
ONE OF CONSULTING ENGINEERS
TELLS OF WHAT HAS TO BE
DoNE-EloHT HOUR RULE
WAS A MISTAKE.

| "No - m'o fNNG'
Washington, October 24.-The 18th
milan Canal Commission today made
public a letter written by lsham Ran
dolph. a member of the board Of con
sulting engineers of the Panama canal,
to zina X. Carter, president of the
sanitary district Of Chicago, which EN-.
bodies the views of Randolph concern.
| ing canal matters. He has recently re.
turned from a visit to Panama with
other members of the board, and his
opinions are interesting, and, in view
of the publication Of this letter by the
Commission, may be considered semi.
official.
In his letter Randolph says: what
we do know is that 1t can be done;
that Americans can do II and that
In as short a time as so stupendous an
undertaking can be put through.
Hence we may reasonably look for the
passage of the great ocean freightCrS
from the Caribbean to the Pacific be-
fore our calendars are headed 1915,
How much before this deponent saith
not. This IS no easy triumph for the
builders, who must contend with and
I'overcome difficulties not encountered
in our temperate zone.
First, there are climatic difficulties
which my Investigations force me 10
believe have been magniiied. The
question of proper housing has been a
problem, but its solution Is progress.
ing, and It has had to wait upon the
lumber. which must come from the
, States. The French left behind some
$500 buildings which are being made
habitable. When the equipment is on
hand and the organization perfected
at least $4,000 men will be required in
the various departments OF industry.
The source of supply for labor so
far has been Jamaica. The efficiency
of this labor Is as low as % per cent,
taking an average laborer in our lati.
tude as the unit This Is due in part
TO the fact that the supply Is not cquaI
to the demand, and an independence j.
thereby induced which tends to worth
lessness. II Il foreman undertakes to
make them do fair days work they
quit and move on TO the next camp
where they know that job await.
| them. The introduction of the eight
hour system on the isthmus seems a
lamentable mistake and one which adds
about % per cent to the labor cost OF
the work.
THE whole line Is cluttcrcd up with
abandoned French machinery, the cost
value of which Is said to reach $50,
100000. This machinery Is valueles;
and out of date.
81 cast no reflections upon the worl
OF the French. They left behind then
evidences OF engineering skill and sue
Cessful battles with difficulties which
convince me that II the honest work
ers had been sustained and the vas
sums which were diverted into robbie
channels had been legitimately ap
piled, II might today be the mission
of the United States only to enlarg
the Panama canal.
"On my last day in Panama, afte
hours OF tramping in the rain an
through the mud of the Culcbra cut
and laborious climbing up the hills
| arrived with the others of our part,
at Government hashhousc. We wen
in unannounced and ordered dinner
There was no delay in serving an,
there was reasonable variety o
well.coOkcd, wholesome food.
THE hospitals are a source of prid
to our people You will, no doubt
have seen statements which purpor
to have come from members of on
board OF consulting engineers fore
shadowng our report All such stat,
ments you can set down as manufa,
tured. Our report, or our reports
should we fail TO agree, will embed
our COnNictiCn5 as to the best type @
canal, its probable cost and the rci
sonable time within which we belicv
that the waterway can be Construg
ed Until We are ready to make on
: official statements we are not giyin
out individual statements"