The Elbert County tribune., 1906-12-20

hard work there viii now and then be
and then be shortcomings in administra-
ton: there viii be uniooked-for acct
or the building OF the dams and iocks
Each such incident Will be entirely nat
nrai, nf and eyen anougn & serious ,S no s, one
extra delay or trouble. Yet each, when
discovered by sensation monsers and re,
tailed to tmid folk OF little faith. will
serve as an excuse for the belief that
the whole work is being badly managed
housing. In hygiene, In street repairing,
IN dredging and In digging earth and
be failure; and among those who hear
OF IL certain proportion OF doubling
whole work Is failure. Doubtless here
and there some minor rascality will be
that after the most painstniing inquiry
have been unable to find single reput-
able person who had SO much as heard
Of any serious accusations affecting the
honesty Of the commission or OF any
responsible officer under It. nppend
charge. that OF the ownership OF lots IN
Colon; the charge was not advanced by
less, 1t Is not too much to say that the
/ whoie atmosphere o, the commission
| and energy. Above all, the work has
been kept absolutely clear OF politics. I
| mn, my. neNnr Ss,r heard even sugSesuon OF
have investigated every complaint
| brought to me for which there seemed
] two or three cases, all OF which l
have Indicated in the course OF this
there was foundation for the com
plant and that the methods OF the
| Of could be bettered In the other in
stances the complaints proved abso-
utely bnseless, save In two or three
takes which the commission had al
ready found out and corrected.
SANDERS and Linelers.
So much for honest criticism. There
reckless slander ae has ever been pub
lilshcd- Whore the siandcrers are OF
foreign origin | have no concern with
feel for them the hearticst contempt
and indignation: because, N spirit
they are trying TO Interfere with and
hamper the execution or the greatest
are seeking to bring to nanght the ef-
forts OF their countrymcn 20 put to
the credit OF America one OF the giant
accusations Of these slandcrers con-
public servants who. for trained intel
ligence. expert ability. high charac-
tctr and devotion to duty. have never
been eNcelied anywhere There Is not
a man among those directing the work
on the isthmus who has obtained his
position on any other basis than merit
position In any way Tor his own per-
sonal or Decuniary advantage.
Plan to Build by Contract.
After most careful consideration W.
have decided to let out most OF tho
satisfactory terms with the contract
ors. The whole work is OF kind
suited to the peculiar genius OF
: oped the type Of contractor best fitted
; much better to do the work in isrse
part by contract thnn to do Il all by
the government provided II is pos
gible the hand to the
( to make II worth while FOR respon-
= sible contractors OF the best kind to
undertake the work; and provided on
Y the other hand 1t can be done on terms
l to the contractor at the expense OF
$ the government. After much con-
! gated by the secretary OF war was
!, adopted. This plan, in It's essential
and thorough study and confederation.
p by the chief engineer. Mr.. Stevens.
, y,i,9S' wh9' while i,, In The employment ol MT
!; ern railroad. had personal experiences
o. this very type Of contract; Mr..
: stevens then submitted the plan to
the chairman of the commission. Mr..
I shonts. who went carefully over Il
c the commission. to see that all legal
1 difficulties were met. He then submit
3 ted copies OF the plan to both secre-
tary TAFT and myself Secretary Taft
submitted II to some of the hest coun-
sci ut the New York bar. and after
with Mr.. Taft and Mr.. Shonts. and we
i laid tho. plan in Its general features
= Tint ~ combines the maximum of ad-
: vantage with the minimum OF disad-
! put upon the spccdy and economical
n construction of the canal. and pen
r atty Imposed on delay and waste Tho
q plan as promulgated Is tentative,
5 doubtless II will have TO be changed
: in some respects before we can come
a to "A satisfactory agreement with re-
e sponsirle ontractors-perhaps even
). after the bids have been received:
n can not come to n nsroe-rcnt In which
,. case the government will do the work
II itself Meanwhile the work on the
n isthmus is progressing steadily and
d without any let up.
u Single Commissioner Desired.
a seven headed cormission is of
/ course a clumsy executive instrument.
ii er. with such heads OF departments
It and other officers under him rs we
" " nxpressIy ,,Iy iai permitted 10 employ the
l. best engineers in the country as con-
= accompony tfls paper with a mar
,e showing substantially whit the canal
-e VIII he like when It is finished When
At the dams built Of they are built as al
present proposed there VIII then be
Of the canal two great f-esh-water
" lakes. connected by a broad channel
e. pnnlss pernss the he @ backbone ,o or the westerr
ne Hemiaphere. Those best informed be-
le iieve that the work win be completed
to in about eight years: but II is nevel
le safe TO prophcsv about such n worL
y as this. especially in the tropics.
IS Confident Of Ultimate Success.
D. or the success OF the enterprise
Is am as well convinced one can b,
= of any enterprise that is human. Il
- ls a stupendous work upon which oui
y fellow countrymen are engaged dowr
~ there the isthmus and while w.
=. should hold them to strict accounta
~ hility for the way in which they per
form IL. we should recognize with
ie frank generosity the epic nature o
ie the task upon which they are engaged
y and xyorld -tyfda fruporta moe ~