The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-02-07
Wallace Says His Boss Was
Very Angry
WITNESS SHOWS SOME HEAT
Graves Pardon Of Committee Because
He Says This Is the Only oppor-
tunity He Will Have to
Clear Himself.

Washington, February 6.-During the
course of his testimony before the SEN
ate committee on intercceanic canals to-
day. John f. Wallace, former chief en-
gineer of the isthmian canal said that he
did years work and that his successor
had no benefit of his analysis or recon-
mendations because he said, "the sec
retary of war told me he did not want
it, and had no use for me except on the
isthmus as a directing engineer. He
was so angry in his treatment that he all
but cursed me-"
Yesterday Mr.. Wallace was diverted
from a description of conditions the
isthmus which he made today at the be-
ginning of the session. He gave a minute
account of the conditions he found there
and the difficulties he encountered in get
ting material and supplies and the de-
lays that occurred in filling requirements.
While he was cabling to have the orders
expedited, he said he received word from
Admiral Walker that cablegrams cost
money. 1t was a delicate hint, he said,
that he had better not use the cables 50
much.
Machines Not Fit for Use.
"The work l did" said Mr.. Wallace,
extended over a camplete year, taking
in dry and wet seasons. was working
along a definite programme which l in
tended to put in writing in my annual
report and would have done so if | had
been permitted to make a report. l ex-
perimented with the French excavators
so as to tell whether it would be the
more economical to use or destroy these
machines which cost probably SO,0O0,OOO.
/ experimental far enough to know that
these machines were not fit for use''
Telling of these experiments, MIR. Wal
lace said he had not estimated that be-
cause excavating could be done in March
for 43 cents cubic yard. it could oe
done for the same cost in the rainy sea-
son in May. 1t was important to deter
mine whether the higher cost of excavat-
ing was due to the heavy rainfall, the
reduction of time to eight-hour day
or the use of the French excavators said
Mr.. Wallace. Continuing he said he un-
derstood the cost had gone up a great
deal after he left The organization was
demoralized he said for the reason that
the men had seen their chief discredited
and knew that a successor would be ap
pointed who would not be in sympathy
with the work done.
1t was brought out that Mr.. Wallaces
successors had not the benefit of his an
alysis of the years work, and the re-
commedations.
"Why did they not have it?" asked Mr..
Taliaferro.
because the secretary of war told me
he did not want it, and had no use for
me except on the isthmus as directing
engineer" said Mr. Wallace.
do you mean that he was angry?"
asked Senator Morgan
Yes, sir, so angry that in his treat
ment he all but cursed me- replied Mr..
', allace.
At this point recess was taken until
$50 p. m.
Men Are Well Fed.
At the afternoon session of the commits
sion Mr. Wallace said that in all his
experience in railroad construction he
had never seen men better fed than they
were on the isthmus. The complaints, he
said came from clerks who went to the
isthmus from Washington or New York,
who had got the idea from musical COM
edies that life in tropical climate was
Efforts to establish Young Mems Chris
ton association on the isthmus for the
benefit of the canal employees was stopped
because of an official objection to 1t, said
Mr. Wallace. He asked TO be more ex-
plicit and said that Governor Magoon.
had said that Secretary Taft did not
wish the work to go on Mr.. Wallace
thought this was because the community
was Catholic.
When Mr. Wallace showed some feeling
in referring to the statement of Mr..
Shonts that dirt had been wasted by MIN,
Senator Hopkins said:
IF you are as careful of the reputa-
tion of Mr.. Shonts as he was OF yours
when he came before the committee there
will be no i'll feeling here
Nothing can repair the damage that
has been done to my reputation the wit
ness replied MANY criticisms of me
have been made which had no chance to
answer. This is my only opportunity and
simply desire to set myself right l
hone YOU will pardon me if l show some
heat
Should Make Complete Statement.
Senators Simmons and Taliaferro said
that Mr.. Wallace should be permitted to
make a complete statement even 1t did
involve criticisms of others 1t was point
ed out that Chief Engineer Stevens had
corrected the statement of Mr.. Shonts and
had set Mr.. Wallace right and the lat
ter said that so far as he knew Mr.. Ste
vens had been perfectly fair.
Discussing labor conditions Mr. Wallace
said many civil service appointees were
sent to the sthmus who were not quite
bad enough to discharge, yet were thor
oughly incompetent He said 1t had been
shown clearly that the civil service sys-
TEN was not adapted to procuring ex-
pert labor for work on the sthmus.
Speaking of the Bohia dam, Mr. Wall
lace said he discovered that solid rock
bottom could not be found nearer than
167 feet instead of 127 feet had been
shown by the Walker borings.
He did not favor eight-hour day and
recommended that few restrictions as
possible be placed on Mr.. Stevens and
that the wolves should be kept off his
back" If the canal work should be let by
contract said Mr.. Wallace, 1t would in
crease the contract price about 20 per
cent. He thought the man in charge
should be permitted to get his labor in