Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-12-19

anywhere in the troplcS-lnQeed, as
far as | know, anywhere else-has
there been such forethought and such
success achieved in providing for the
needs nf the men who do the work.
Work Of Construction.
The work is now going on with
vigor and efficiency pleasant to wit
ness. The three big problems OF the
canal are the LaBoca dams, the Gatun
dam and the Culebra cut. The Guile
bra cut must be made, anyhow; but
of course changes as to the dams, or
at least as to the locks adjacent to
the dams, may still occur. The La
Boca dams offer mo- particular prob
lem. The Gatun dam offers the most
serious problem which We have to
solve; and yet the ablest men on the
isthmus believe that this problem is
certain of solution along the lines pro-
posed In April next Secretary Taft,
with three of the ablest engineers Of
the country-Messrs. Noble, Stearns
and Ripley-will visit the isthmus, and
the three engineers will make the final
and conclusive examinations as to the
exact site for each lock. Meanwhile
the work is going ahead without a
break
The CuIebra cut does not offer such
great risks; that is, the damage liable
to occur from occasional land slips
will not represent what may be called
major disasters. The work will mere
ly call for intelligence, perseverance
and executive capacity. 1t is, how
ever. the work upon which most labor
will have to be spent The dams will
be composed of the earth taken out OF
the cut, and very possibly the building
| of the locks and dams will take even
| longer than the cutting in Culebra
itself. The main work is now being
done in the Culebra cut. The rainy
season. will shortly be over and then
| there will be an immense increase in
| the amount taken out; but even dur
| ing the last three months in the rainy
season, steady progress is shown. On
the top notch of the Culebra cut the
prism Is now as wide as it will be;
all told, the canal bed at this point
has now been sunk about 200 feet be-
low what it originally was. 1t will
have to be sunk about 100 feet farther.
The most advanced methods, not only
in construction, but in railroad man.
agement, have been applied in the
zone, with corresponding economies In
time and cost.
Critics and Doubters.
1t is not only natural but inevitable
that a work as gigantic as this which
has been undertaken on the isthmus
should arouse every species of hos
tility and criticism. The conditions
are so new and SO trying, and the
work so vast, that it would be abso-
lutely out OF the question that mis-
takes should not be made. Checks
will occur. Unforeseen difficulties will
arise. From time to time seemingly
well-settled plans will have to be
changed. At present $4,000 men are
engaged on the task. After a while
the number will be doubled In such
a multitude it is inevitable that there
should be here and there a scoundrel
Very many of the poorer class of Ia
borers lack the mental development to
protect themselves against either the
rascality of others or their own folly
and 1t is not possible for human wis
dom to devise plan by which they
can invariably be protected. In a
place which has been for ages a by
word for unhealthfulness, and with so
large a congregation of strangers sud
denly put down and set to hard work
there will now and then be outbreaks
of disease. There will now and then
be shortcomings in administration;
there will be unlooked-for accidents
to delay the excavation of the cut or
the building OF the dams and locks.
Each such incident will be entirely
natural, 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 retailed to timid folk Of
little faith, will serve as an excuse for
the belief that the whole work is be-
ing badly managed. Doubtless here
and there some minor rascality will
be uncovered; but as to this, have
to say that after the most painstaking
inquiry | have been unable to find a
single reputable person who had so
much as heard of any serious accusa-
lions affecting the honesty Of the COM
mission or Of any responsible officer
under 1t. 1t Is not too much to say
that the whole atmosphere OF the
commission breathes honesty as 1t
breathes efficiency and energy. Above
all, the work has been kept absolutely
clear Of politics. ! have never heard
even a suggestion Of spells politics In
connection with 1t.
| SO much for honest criticism.
There remains an immense amount OF
as reckless SANDER as has ever been
published. Where the slanderers are
Of foreign origin ! have no concern
with them. Where they are Ameri-
cans feel for them the heartiest con-
tempt 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
forts OF their countrymen to put to