Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1906-12-18

strangers suddenly put down and set
to hard work there will now and thet
| be outbreaks of disease. There vii
now and then be short comings in adj
ministration; there will be unlocked
| for accidents to delay the excavation OF
the cut or the building of the dams and
locks. Each such incident will be ell
tirely 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 being badly
managed. Experiments will continually
be tried in housing, in hygiene, m
street repairing, in dredging and in
digging earth and rock. Now and then
an experiment will be a failure, and
among those who hear of it a certain
proportion of doubling Thomases will
at once believe that the whole work is
failure.
Doubtless here and there some minor
rascality will be uncovered; but as to
this l have to say that after the most
painstaking inquiry l have been I'M
able to find q single reputable person
who had so much as heard of any
serious accusations affecting the
honesty of the commission or of any
responsible officer under it. l append a
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
baseless. 1t is Lot too much to say
that the whole atmosphere of the COM
mission breathes honesty as 1t Lreathes
efficiency and energy. Above all. the
work has been kept absolutely clear of
politics. 1 never heard even a sug-
gestion of spoils politics in connection
with it.
| have i'm astigated every complaint
brought to me for whicI there seemed
to be any shadow of foundation. In
two or three les, all of which | have
indicated in the cours of this message,
1 came to the conclusion that there
was foundation for the complaint, and
that the methods the commission in
the respect complained of could be bet
tered In the other instances the COM
plants proved absolutely baseless save
in two or three instances where they re-
ferred to mistakes which the commits
sion had already itself found out and
corrected.
So much for honest criticism. There
remains an immense amount of as reck-
less Islander as has ever been pub
lished.
Sanderers and LibeIers
Where the landerers are of foreign
origin 1 have 10 concern with them.
Where they are Americans. | feel for
them the heartiest contempt and in
dignation; because, i'm a spirit of wan
ton dishonesty and malice, they are
trying to interfere with, and hamper
the execution of, the greatest work of
the kind ever attempted, and are seek
ing to bring to naught the efforts of
their countrymen to put to the credit of
America one of the giant feats of the
ages. The outrageous accusations of
these slanderers 'onStitute a gross
libel upon a body of public servants
who, for trained intelligence expert
ability. high character and devotion to
duty, have never Leen eX;elled any
where. There is not a man among
those directing the work on the Isthmus
who has obtained his position on any
other basis than merit alone, and not
one VINO has used his position in any
way for his own personal 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 terms with the contrac-
tors. The whole work Is of a kind
suited to the peculiar genius of our
people; and our people have developed
the type OF contractor best fitted to
grapple with II. 1t is of course much
better TO o. the work In large part By
contract than to do 1t all by the gov
provided II is posslbl, on the