Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-12-17

, been made In machinery during the past
| quarter OF century. No doubt quarter
of century hence this new machinery,
II which we are now so proud, will sim
ilarly seem out Of date. but 1t Is GER.
tainty serving It's purpose wen now.
NEW RECORDS FOR EXCAVATION.
As soon as the type Of canal was de-
clded this work began In good earnest
The rainy season will shortly be over
and then there Will be an immense IN
crease in the amount taken out; out even
during the last three months. In the
rainy season, steady progress Is SHOWN
by the figures: In August, A2Wp CUBIC
yards, In September, 2sl,Oo cubic yards,
and in october, $4,000 cubic yards In
October new records were established TOT
the output OF individual shovels as well
as for the tonnage heanl Of indiViduai
locomotives.
RAILWAY IMPROVEMENTS.
The most advanced methods, not only
In construction. but In railroad manage
ment, have been applied IN me zone, WIN
corresponding economies IN time ana COST.
rhls has been shown IN the handling or
the tonnage from ships into cars, ana IRON
cars into snips on the Panama laiiluaoi
where, thanks largerly TO the ofilcieney OF
General Manager Bierd, the saving w
time and cost has been noteworthy. MY
examination tended 70 show that some
OF the departments had (doubuess neces,
sarily) become ovcrdevelOpcd, ana couiu
now be reduced or subordinated without
impairment OF efficiency and with saw
ing Of cost
CRITICS AND DoUBTING THoMAsbs.
IL is not only natural, but inevitable,
that a work as gigantic as this whch nus
been undertaken on the lsthinuS hhou1
arouse every species OK hos.lisy a.'a
criticism The conditions are 50 new aho
so trying and the work SO vast, tnat u
would be absolutely out OF the question
that mistakes should not be lnaue. thechs
will occur. Unforeseen difficulties WIZ
arise. From time TO Time seemlngiy wei',
settled plans will have 60 be changed AZ
present 500 men are engaged on 'he
task After "A while the numoer VIII pe
doubled In such a multitude ~ u VI,
evitable that there should he mere ailo
there a scoundrel. Very many Oh ug1
poorer class Of laborers lack the mental
development 10 protect themselves against
either the rascalty OF others or their own
folly, and 1t is not possible for human
wisdom 10 devise plan by when tney
can invariably lie protected In place
which has been for ages byword tor
unhealihfulness. and with so large CON
gregation OF strangers suddenly put Gown
and set to hard work there Will now aliuu
fhen be outbreaks Of dfsease. There WIN
now and then be shortcomings IN admln-
istratlon: there Will be unlooked.for acci.
dents to delay the excavation or the CUT
or the building Of the dams and locks.
Each such incident will be entirely nat
ural and, even though serious. no one
OF them will mean more than a mite
extra delay or trouble. Yet each, when
discovered by sensation mongers and re-.
tailed to tlmid folk Of little faith, VIII
serve as an excuse for the behet tha'
the whole work Is being badly managed.
Experiments will continually be tried IN
housing. IN hygenle. in street repairing;
In dredging, and in digging earth ana
rock Now and then an experiment VIII
be failure and among those VINO near
Of IL, a certain proportion OF doupting
Thdmases viii at once believe That the
whole work is failure. Doubtless here
and there some minor rascality Will be I'M
covered: but as TO this. ! have 70 say that
after the most palnstaking Inquiry have
been unable to fnd single reputable
person who had 30 much as heard 81 any
serious accusations affecting the honesty
OF the commission or OF any responsible
officer under IT,
sLANDERERs AND LIBELERS.
So much for honest criticism. There re-
mains an immense amount of as recklesg
SANDER as has ever been published. Where
the slanderers are OF foreign origin nave
no concern with them. Where they are
Americans. feel for them the heartiest
contempt and Indignation: because, In
spirit OF wanton dishonesty and malice,
they are trying TO interfere with, and
hamper the execution ~, the greatest
work Of the kind ever attempted and are
seeking to bring to naught the efforts Of
their countrymen to put to the credit OF
America one Of the giant feats Of the
ages.
THE CONTRACT PLAN.
After most careful consideration We
have decided TO let out most Of the work
by contract II we can come to satisfac-
tory terms with the contractors The
whole work IL Of O kind suited TO the
peculiar genius a our people; and our
people have developed the type OF con.
tractor best fitted 70 grapple With II II h
OF course much better 10 do the work m
large part by contract than 10 do II all
by the government, provided Il Is possible
on the one hand 20 secure 10 the con-
tractor sufficient remuneration 70 make
II worth while for responsible contractors
OF the best kind 70 undertake the work;
and provided on the other hand Il can be
done on terms which will not give an ex-
ccssive profit 10 the contractor at the ex-
pense OF the government. After much
consideration the plan already promugat-
eli by the secretary OF war was adopted.
A SINGLE COMMISSIONER,
A n-hoaded commission Is Of course
a clumsy executive instrument We should
have but one commissioner, with such
heads of departments and others officers
under him az we may find necessary. We
should be expressly permitted 10 employ
the best engineers In the country as con
sulting engineers.
ULTIMATE SUCCESS
Il is stupendous work upon which
our fellow countrymen are engaged down
there on the isthmus. and while we should
hold thom TO a strict accountability for
the way In which they perform II, we
va