Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1905-12-19
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Editorial Comment by the Ore
gonian on Panama Canal.

Comment by the Ore
gonian on Panama Canal.
When Engineer Wallace re-
from the Panama Canal
service, general regret was ex-
pressed over the great loss that
would be suffered through delay
in replacing him. In the light
of recent developments, it be-
comes quite apparent that, de-
spite the tremendous loss &C
casloned by recognizing the
force and changing the plans for
work, positive gain has resulted
by his retirement. Both Sec
rotary Taft and Chairman Shonts,
OF the Panama Commission, SO
strongly condemn the work done
by Mr.. Wallace that it seems
certain the project has been left
in better shape by his departure.
The views expressed by the Sec
rotary and the chairman bear out
in every respect a most interest
ing report which has just ap-
peared in Harper's Weekly, ex-
tracts from which are reprinted
elsewhere in this paper.
Construction of the canal was
such a vast undertaking that the
difference between the proper
method Of carrying on the work
and the Wallace method would
1entail an enormous loss to the
government, as well as delay
lcompletion of the canal for many
years. It is quite clear, from
authentic reports received by the
officials, that fhe work done by
MI. Wallace caunot be used as a
criterion or base on which to
make estimates for future work.
This is a fact that should effect
ually forestall any captious crit
cism on the part of the members
of the minority party in Congress,
who are only lukewarm on the
canal project. The commission
must be given pretty free rein,
and entrusted with a good dea.
more discretion than would BE-
Given the men in charge of an m.
dertaking of smaller magnitude.
The delay and unnecessary ex
pense, according to Mr.. Lewis
LOT Harper's staff. have her,
almost entirely due to failure o
Mr.. Wallace and the old com
mission to start right. They be
gan the work of excavating Oh
an extensive scale, without frs
placing the plant, terminals AM
railroad tracks in condition 70
handling it. Practically moth
ing was done to improve SAM
tItary conditions, and, as a result
There was immense loss through
death OF laborers and the inabilit'
of those who were not totally in
capacitated to render full valu
FOR the money paid them, Sine
the retirement of MI. Wallace j
!, has been discovered that some c
J the dirt which he excavated be
fore he had facilities for handlin
: it or before his plant was in any
, thing like good working order
t will have to be rehandled.
When Congress. was scalin
t down the SIC, 900, 600 emergenc
! appropriation to $1,000, ooe
. some OF the canal distractions,
: were inclined to be harsh in the
3 tcriticism over the amount {
money already expended wit
5 bnt the little in the way of tino
, e resui.s for it. Y
{. tae beg a@ang hs.d . be Il. 1.
s aua it 0..sflie beginning Of a
. undertaking that carried with
7 the employment sd housing an
2 feeding If AZ afl.a of tina
Is 900 men for a period Of froi
eignt to ten years, and the mas.
: ing and setting in readiness of
mechanical plant that cost mi
lions. When a task of sue
magnitude, the money spent Q
any temporary makeshifts wa
st1ittle better than wasted, and, Il