The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-01-02
Chief Engineer Stevens
Says There Was an
Absence of Harmony
at Panama as Failure
Was Expected.
Makes Disclosures and
Believes Much Of the
Labor Has Been USE
less--Recommends a
Change in Reports.

neer Stevens, in charge of the con-
struction work on the Panama canal
officially declares that when he as
! sumed his duties on the isthmus m
July, after J. II. Wallace's unexpect-
! ed and sensational retirement, he
found existing there an abnormal state
Of feeling among the. employees man
ifesting itself in lack OF interest, alb
sence OF harmony, encouragement and
indifference.
Even divisions of the same depart
| ments were afrected. This. he explains
was in great measure due to the
grounded impression that the policy
which was being pursued in carrying
out the work was not O successful
one and that only failure could be ex-
pected," although the sudden change
, In executive officers, senseless rumors
and dread of epidemic were not to be
lost sight of.
Stevens goes further than Secretary
of War Taft in recent speech. He
cQrroborates the charge that the work
| under Wallace in the Cuiebra cut was
worse than useless, as II was done IN
accordance with no plans and the ex-
cavated material will have to be again
handled. This portion of the canal,
the commission admits, is the largest
single factor in the construction of
the isthmian waterway. When Stew
ems got there he found II steam show
els and several thousand men at work
and about one million cubic yards OF
material removed
The steam shovels, Stevens reported,
were served by such equipment as
could be picked up on the work as
left by the French, in the nature OF
small Belgian locomotives and dump
cara" and operated on lines, which, by
the utmost stretch of the Imagination
could not be termed railroad tracks.
Thousands of yards of material, he
charges, were loaded and hauled by
this equipment, over these tracks 10
land dumps. the latter improperly To-
Gated, and in character unsuited to the
end In view. While conceding that
the original purpose under which tins
work was undertaken was a wise one,
ne declares the long continuance of 1t
and the utter absence, as far as it
could be learned, of any thought or
attempt to plan a systematic methcd
of handling the work as whole, would
seem to be open to grave crA-
icism.
II was for this reason, he explains,
that all actual excavation work possi-
Bile was ordered suspended and only
resumed largely to enable an organ
ization to be held together, along an
intelligent plan, after re-adjustment
These disclosures appear in a re-
port made public this evening.
Stevens says that the railroad tracks
have been built, and a large amount
of transportation and auxiliary equip
ment ordered and that the work will
be begun and prosecuted, although by
reason of the wet season, the working
year win be about eight and not u
months.
The chief engineer declares, how
ever, that the construction of canal
is one of magnitude and not of mira
cles, although" he adds, "the time
required. and the consequent cost will
be more dependant upon the kind of
canal to be built to q far greater ex-
tent than has been, ! fear, appreciat-
| ed" 90
While the labor problem is serious
one. he believes IL will be readily solv-
ed, and q higher degree of efficiency
attained by prompt methods of pay
ment, proper amount or we'll cooked
| food, and more careful selection of
foreman and superiptendents.
Stevens earnestly advocates the re-
moval Of civil service regulations,
| which he declares are unwarrantod
and hampers the work. He wants leg
islation that will take the canal pro-
| ject from under the eight hour scope
which restriction the commissioners
In their report state will increase the
cost Of the canal many millions OF
dollars, and benefit few American la
borers on the isthmus, while burdening
! American labor north by increased
| taxation.
Stevens strikes at red tape. which
] his predecessor, Wallace, declared
} prompted his retirement. Stevens
makes this appeal
"A thorough business administra-
tlon, unbampered by any tendency to
teehnicalities, into which many OF
our public works sometimes drift. is
, absolutely necessary, and such an ad-
ministFation honestly and energetic
ally carried out will be the best guam