River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-12-20

protected. In place which has been
Tor ages th byword for unhealthfulness:
| strangers suddenly put down and set to
hard work there will now and then be
! outbreaks of disease. There will now
and then be shortcomings in administra-
ton; there will be unlooked-for acct
dents to delay the excavation of the cut
or the building of the dams and locks.
ural, and, even though serious, no one
OF them will mean more than a little
extra delay or trouble. Yet each, when
discovered by sensation mongers and re-
tailed to timid folk of little faith. will
serve as an excuse for the belief that
the whole work is being badly managed.
experiments will continually be tried in
| housing, in hygiene, in street repairing,
IN Dredging and in digging earth and
rock. Now and then an experiment will
| De a failure; and among those who hear
OF 1t, a certain proportion of doubling
whole, work is a failure. Doubtless here
ana there some minor rascality will be-
uncovered; but as to this, | have to say
Ihat after the most painstaking inquiry
1 nave been unable to find single reput-
aDle person who had so much as heard
OF any serious accusations affecting the
honesty or the commission or of any
responsible officer under it. 1 append
letter dealing with the most serious
charge, that of the ownership of lots in
Colon; the charge was not advanced by
a reputable man, and is utterly base
/ less. 1t is not too much to saw that the
whole atmosphere OF the commission
and energy. Above all, the work has
been kept absolutely clear of politics. I
nave never heard even a suggestion of
sp0nS politics in connection with it,
nave investigated every complaint
brought to me for which there seemed
10 DE any shadow of foundation. In
Two or three cases, all of which l
have indicated in the course of this
message, l came to the conclusion that
mere was foundation for the COM
plant, and that the methods of the
commission in the respect complained
OF could be bettered In the other in
stances the complaints proved abso-
instances where they referred to mis-
takes which the commission had al
ready round out and corrected.
ISLANDERS and LIbelers.
So much for honest criticism. There
remains an immense amount of as
lilshed. Where the slanderers are of
foreign origin have no concern with
| feel for them the heartiest Contempt
and indignation; because in a spirit
OF wanton dishonesty and malice,
they are trying to. interfere with and
hamper the execution of, the greatest
work of the kind ever attempted, and
are seeking to bring to naught the eff
t6 OF their countrymen to, put to
the credit of America one of the giant
feats of the ages. The outrage
accusations of these Slanderers con-
stitute gross libel upon a body of
public servants who, for trained intel
ligence, expert ability, high charac-
tetr and devotion to duty. have never
been excelled anywhere. There is not
man among those directing the work
on the isthmus who has obtained his
position on any other basis than merit
alone, and not one who has used his
position in any way for his own per-
sonar or pecuniary advantage.
Plan to Build by Contract.
After most careful consideration we
have decided to let out most of the
work by contract if we can come to
satisfactory n,e terms with the contract
suited to the peculiar genius of our
peoples; and our people have devel-
oped the type of contractor best fitted
much better to do the work in large
part by contract than to do it all by
the government, provided 1T is pos
Slble on the one hand to secure to the
contractor sufficient remuneration
to make it worth while for respon-
sible contractors of the best kind to
undertake the work; and provided on
the other hand it can be done on terms
which will not give an excessive profit
to the contractor at the expense of
sideration the plan already promul-
gated by the secretary of war was
adopted. This plan in it's essential
features was drafted after careful
by the chief engineer, Mr.. Stevens
who, while in the employment of Mr..
ern railroad, had personal experience
of this very type of contract Mr.
Stevens then submitted the plan to
the chairman of the commission, Mr.
Shonts, who went carefully over it
with Mr.. Rogers, the legal adviser of
dicntfes were met f4e then submit
ted copies of the plan to both Secre-
tary Taft and myself Secretary Taft
- AL - 1E 10 I1aeS+
sci at the New York bar. and after
wards I went over it very carefully
with Mr.. Taft and Mr.. Shonts, and we
laid the plan in its general features
before Mr.. Root My conclusion is
that it combines the maximum of adj
vantage with the minimum of disad-
put upon the speedy and economical
construction of the canal, and PEN
atty imposed on delay and waste. The
plan as promulgated is tentative;
doubtless it will have to be changed
in some respects before we can come
to a satisfactory agreement with re-
after the bids have been received;
and of course 1T is possible that. we
can not come to agreement, In which
case the government will do the work
itself Meanwhile the work on the
isthmus is progressing steadily and
without any let up.
Single Commissioner Desired.
A seven headed commission is of
{ a
we should have but one commission
err with such heads of departments
and other officers under him as we
may find necessary. We should be
expressly permitted to employ the
best engineers in the country as con-
sulting engineers.
accompany this paper with map
showing substantially what the canal
will be like when it is finished. When
the Culebra cut has been made and
the dams built Gf they are built as at
nresent proposed) there will then be
at both the Pacific and Atlantic ends
of the canal two great fresh-water
lakes, connected by a. broad channel
running at the bottom of ravine.
across the backbone of the Western
Hemisphere. Those best informed be-
lieve that the work will be completed
in about eight years; but it is never
safe to prophesy about such a work
as this especially in the tropics.
Confident of Ultimate Success.
OF the success of the enterprise
am as well convinced as one can be
of any enterprise that is human. 1t
is a stupendous work upon which our
fellow countrymen are engaged down
should hold them to strict accounta-
bility for the way in which they per-
form it, we should recognize, with
frank generosity, the epic nature OF
and it's worldwide Importance. They
are doing something which Will re.
doud UNNECESSARILY to the credit of
America, which Will benefit all the
world, and which will. last for. ages
to come. Under Mr.. Shonts and Mr..
Stevens and DIR. Gorgas this work has
started with every omen or good for
time They and their worthy associates,
from the highest to the lowest, are
entitled to the same credlt tnat we