The Washington herald., 1906-10-17
JUSTIFIES DELAY ON CANAL
Secretary Root Finds Much Prelimi-
nary Work Accomplished.
Construction by Contract Can Now
BE Rushed with Safety TO Con-
tractor and Government.

President Roosevelt yesterday made
public report submitted TO him by Sec
rotary Root on the progress Of the work
on the Panama Canal, as observed by him
tn his recent VISIT to the Isthmus. The
secretary found a surprising amount Of
work accomplished. and expresses the
opinion that the plan Of completing the
canal by contract, as recently announced.
is admirably suited TO following up what
has already been done by the govern
me4t Mr. Roots statement, in part. is
as follows:
Dear Mr.. President:
You have asked me to write TO you
what / said orally about Panama Canal
work upon my return from the Isthmus
last week
Il spent two days on the Isthmus, and.
OF course. took only a cuTsory view of
the work. but I went over the canal ter
minals at Panama and Cristobal, and,
practically, over the entire construction
work Of the canal. including the CulebTa
Cut, which I went through on the con
st=actiOn tracks
The amount Of actual excavation which
had been done, and was being done, in
and near the Culebra Cut. both gratifed
and surprised me. I saw, I should think.
thirty steam shovels at work eating INFO
both earth and rock with capacity and
power which made the little old machines
left by the French company seem like
toys. Two hundred and forty-five thou
sand cubic yards We're taken out in Au-
gust, and 2S9.000 were taken out in Sep
TENDER. ! understand that hall as many
more steam shOYels were set UP and
ready to be put into operation as fast
as the opening up of the work makes
room for them. 1 judge that the bulk
Of the work which does not show In the
excavation figures has now been done
that IS, the sanitation, construction of
quarters hotels. and mess houses. ter
minal yards. wharves. docks, piers. ware
houses, machine shops, and The main sys-
TEN OF railways for dispOsing oil mate
riai-sO that d steady decrease Of that
kind Of work and a steady increase Of
actual excavation may be relied upon IN
the future. The quarters appear 10 he
clean and comfortable, and the sanitary
arrangements for them seem to be
worked out with great care.
"Of course, the excavation which Is now
being made not only keeps the work
moving while the contracts are being
got IN shape, DuL u Is furnishing the
data upon which the specifications can
be made, upon which the bidders can
make their calculations, and upon which
the government can judge whether the
bids are reasonable.
Il understand that the contracts which
arc now ready have been prepared after
consultation with the leading contract
ing firms Of the United States and many
eminent outside engineers, so as TO Sc
cure form Of contract that would adc-
quately protect the government and upon
which, at the same time, responsible per
sons would bid I do not think that the
time occupied in this has been excessive
or that, especially in view of the fact that
the work has been vigorously prosecuted
In the meanwhile, there IS any ground for
inputing any delay whatever to the man
ayers Of the canal construction. Il
seems to me to have been an admirable
combination Of vigorous work Ia the
present, with careful preparation for
future work
THE greatest danger in the way Of ca
nal construction now seems to me to be
lest the really good and able men who
are competent to handle H. and who can
get profitable employment anywhere.
should be unwilling 10 continue IN the
service under indiscriminate misrepre-
sentation and abuse