Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-05-11
CANAL
MONEY
WASTED
Contract System the Only It
ficient Way of Carrying
Oct the Work

4 Colon, Panama, April lJ.-bast sun
day was great day in the history Of
Colon. for when the sun had scarcely
begun its climb across the heavens, the
good ship Finance steamed into the
harbor, bringing as her guests Theo
dore p. Shonts, chairman of the canal
commission; w. Leon Pepperman, also
of the canal commission and Mr.. Cool
ey. of the civil service commission.
For two long days the people had been
watching for the vessel Their chief
concern was the letter from home--the
United States mail, now two days over.
due.
| Imagine then their feelings when they
discovered that the delay of the mails
was due to the fact that Mr.. Shonts
preferred not to sail from New York.
but had directed that the Finance steam
into Key West, Fla, and call for him
and his honorable party. Mr.. Shonts
admits that he is not a good sailor,
and really he did not look in the best
of spirits when he climbed down the
gangway on Sunday morning. So rather
than to ride the pillows off Cape Hat
teras, he ordered the Finance to Key
West.
Cost $4,000 to Avoid seasickness.
That is all very well. You or would
do the same thing with our private
yacht, perhaps. But Mr.. Shonts is
drawing down something like $4,000
per annum from the government, and
why shouldn't he have the government
ships lose two days ad delay the mails
in order that he may avoid bit of
seasicknessi OF course, we must forget
that it costs $500 or 5000 day to run
the Finance, and that the government
paid a pilot $3.50 to guide the Finance
into Key West. What matters it If
the taxpayers lost $4,000, just so Mr..
Shonts did not have to go around Cape
Hatterasi And it is too bad that, af-
ter all, he did get seasick, coming down
from Key West.
All along the line, among the minor
official residents, and even among the
laborers, 1 have discovered a distress.
ing lack of confidence in Mr.. Shonts.
He has done many little things, one OF
which / have cited above, that have in
cured for him the i'll will of the peo.
pie. Another case in point, which l
have from half dozen different steam.
ship agents at Colon, occurred last Aug.
ust, when Mr.. Shonts made one of his
weekend trips to the canal zone. Ac'
cording to their testimony, Mr.. Shonts
desired to leave Colon two days before
the scheduled sailing date. So he or
dered the captain to stop taking on car.
go and get up steam. There was some
demurring, but repetition of the order
coupled with suggestion that 'some'
body would get fred" brought the
ships officials around, and the boat left
according to Mr.. Shonts' desire. But
several cars Of perishable fruit that
had been shipped to Colon, to go via
that steamer TO New York, were left
high and dry on the dock. and the skip
per lost a seasons profit.
Also Mr.. Shonts' statement to the
senate committee on interoceanic can
ais that he would resign his princely
job if compelled TO take his wife to
the isthmus, has not tended to increase
confidence in the healthful properties OF
the canal zone atmosphere, and II ID
with poor grace that the carpenters and
machinists and clerks and engineers are
urged to bring their families with
them.
WAISTS Through Lack Of Foresight.
made second trip TO the site fol-
the Colon standpipe that was to have
been completed April !, according t.
Secretary Taft 3 statement. I found {
ragged hole in the ground, two fee
deep and Is feet or more in diameter
filed with green slime. was accom-
panied by the foreman that had beer
in charge of the digging. and from hin
/ learned that the site had been con
demned.
"Whyf" asked.
Because when they dug down Il
inches they encountered water and I
sAifting coral formation" he replied
''Mr Stevens personally condemned tn
site."
Looking around me observed bar
rel upon barrel Of cement, 40 carload
Of sand, a mass Of pipe and various an
sundry other materials that was 70 hav
been used on this muchly>advertise
standpipe. this grim April fool joke o