Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1906-12-20

VI
experiments will continually be tried in
housing. In hygiene, In street repairing
IN aredglng and In digging earth and
rock. NOW and then an experiment will
DC 2 failure; and among those who hear
gu ", certain proportion OF doubling
lhonases VIII at once believe that the
wnoie work is failure. Doubtless here
and there some minor rascality will be
uncovered; but as to this, have TO say
that AFTER the most painstalSing inquiry
| have been unable to find a single repnt-
able person who had so much as heard
or any serious accusations Affecting the
honesty OF the commission or OF any
Responsible officer under IL. append a
Letter letter dealing with the most serious
charge, that OF the ownership OF lots In
Soion; the charge was not advanced by
reputable man. and Is utterly base
whole atmosphere OF the commission
nreathes honesty as II breathes efficiency
hnu energy. Above all. the work has
have never heard even suggestion of
spells politics In connection with II.
nave investigated every complaint
tp or TO me for which there seemed
70 pe any shadow of foundation. In
two or three cases, all OF which I
nave indicated In the course OF this
message, l came to the conclusion that
plant; and that the methods OF the
commission In the respect complained
OF could be bettered In the other In
sM1 ,en, the complaints proved abso-
instances where they referred to mis-
takes which the commission had al
ready found out and corrected.
SANDERS and Llbelers.
so much for honest criticism. There
remains an immense amount OF as
lilshcd. Where the slanderers are OF
foreign origin i have no concern with
5 5i Where they are Americans. I
teei Tor them the heartlest contempt
In ri
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 tho eff
forts of their countrymen TO put to
the credit OF America one of the giant
accusations OF these sianderers con.
stltute gross libel upon a body OF
public servants who, for trained intel
igence. expert ability. high charac-
been excelled anywhere. There Is not
a man among those directing the work
on the isthmus who has obtained his
alone. and not one who has used his
position In any way for his own per-
sonai or pecuniary advantage.
Plan to Build by Contract.
After most careful consideration wa
have decided to let out most of the
work by contract, II wa can come to
satisfactory terms with the contract
suited to the peculiar genius OF our
people; and our people have devei-
oped the type OF contractor best fitted
to grappie with IT, II II OF course
part by contract than 10 do II all by
the government provided II In pos
sible on the one hand TO secure TO the
contractor sufficient remuneration
to make II worth while for respon-
slble contractors OF the best kind TO
undertake the work; and provided on
the other hand II can be done on terms
70 the contractor at the expense OF
the government. After much con.
alteration the plan already promui-
adopted. This plan In It's essential
features was drafted after careful
and thorongh study and consideration.
who. while in the employment OF Mr.
Hill, the president OF tho Great North.
ern railroad. had personal experience
81 tnls very ,ncn type % contract Mr
the chairman of the commission Mr..
Shonts. who went carefully over II
with Mr.. Rogers. the legal adviser %
the commission, TO see that all lega
difficulties were met. He then submit.
ted comics OF the plan to both Score
tary TAFT and myself. Secretary Taft
sci at the New York bar. and after
wards I went over II very carefully
with Mr.. Taft and Mr.. Shonts, and wa
laid the plan In Its general featurei
that " combines the maximum of al.
vantage with the minimum OF dlsad
vantage. Under IL premium viii be
construction OF the canal. and pen
atty imposed on delay and waste. TIL,
plan as promuigated Is tentative
doubtless II will have to be changed
to satisfactory agreement with 70
sponsible contractors-perhaps evei
after the bids have been received
can not come to a agreement. in wh'ct
case the government will do tho worl
itself. Meanwhile the work on In,
isthmus Is progressing steadily ant
Single Commissioner Desired.
A seven headed commission Is n
course clumsy executive instrument
We should have but one commission
or. with such heads OF department
and other officer. officers under him LT.,, ~ "
expressly permitted to employ tn
best engineers In the country as con
sulting encineera.
showing substantially what tho caua
will be like when II Is finished. Wher
the Culebra cut has been made ant
the dams built az they are built as n
present proposed there viii then y,
at both the Pacific ana Atlantic end.
OF the canal two great fresh-watei
lakes. connected by broad channe
across the backbone OF tho Western
hemisphere. Those beet Informed be
lieve that the work will DO completet
in about eight years; but II Is never
safe TO prophesy about such n worI
as this. eanecialiy In the tropics
Confident Of Ultimate Success.
or the success OF the enterprise
am as well convinced as one can b,
of any enterprise that liz human. "
Is stupendous work upon when our
there on the isthmus. and while we
should hold them to strict aecounta-
hility for the way IN which they per
frank generosity the epic nature OF
the task upon which they are enga"ed
and its worldwide importance. They
doud immeasurably TO the credit OF
America which will benefit all the
world and which will last for ages
e. come un b nrca sn this work gnp b m
started with every omen OF good for
tune They and their worthy associates.
from the highest to the lowest; are
would give IN the DIcirad mon of
victorIous aruv: for this CONQUEST ot
peace will. in Its great and far-reach.
greatest conduests. whether of peace
or OF war, which have ever been won
by any OF the peoples or mankind. n
badge Is to be given TO every Ameri-
can citizen who for. a speched time
has taken part in this work: for par
ticIpation In II Will hereafter be held
TO reflect honor upon the man par
ticipating just as II Rejects honor unon
a soldier to have belonged 10 mighty
army in q great war ror righteous
ness. our fellow countrymen on the
isthmus are working for our interest
and for the national renown In the
same spirit and with the same eii-
cheney that the men of the army and
navy work in time OF war. ~ be-
hooves us In our turn to do all we
can to hold up their hands and to ala
tbam IN avery way to bring thair