The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-12-24
Commission Reports That all Pre-
pafations Are Completed
ARE TO BE PAID ESTIMATES on
THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION
WORK

report issued today, says that bids for
the completion Of the canal will be opn-
ed JAM II, 1907. The report explains
that 1.-THE plan upon which bids were
invited contemplates a competition for
the work between two Or more groups
of contractors, each gIoup composed of
cntractors who have achieved a sig
nificant success in at least one Of the
departments of construction involved in
the present undertaking and whose
combined experience covers the whole
task. By the terms of the invitation
proposals by single individuals Or firms
whose experience and whose organiza-
tions must be relatively limited are
therefore discouraged
The contractor who receives the
award will be paid an agreed percent
age upon the estimated reasonable cost
of the actual construction work as fix
ed by an engineering committee, of
whom the contractor will name two
members and the commission three.
This committee will likewise from all
available data, estimate a reasonable
time for the completion of the canal;
and a system of premiums and penal
ties to be paid to the contractor ac-
cording as the work is completed with
in or beyond such estimated cost and
time is provided for. The amount of
percentage to be. paid the contractor
fixes the basis of competition.
Rapid Progress Expected.
The commission reports that the
| work of preparation is now practically
complete, and that there is nothing to
hinder the rapid progress of the actual
construction Of the canal. While the
preliminary work has been going for
ward, digging has been going on at
an accelerated pace. In the year end
ing Dec. 1906, 100000 cubic yards of
earth were moved from the canal
Dr1S1l1. against I4S,UUV CuUlC LII
the year before, and though in the rainy
season the number of cubic yards re-
moved in October was 1926, 200 against
| 244,844 for August.
Facilities for work have also been
greatly improved, the Panama railroad
having been better equipped and or
ganized and large quantities of needed
supplies having been placed on the
ground, the total expenditures for the
year closing June 80. 1906, amounting
to $S,743, 4S2.05. The number of steam
shovels mas been increased in the
course Of the year from ten to forty
six
Location Of Locks and Dams.
Since the decision by congress, in
June last, decreeing the construction
of a lock canal at an elevation of
eightyfive feet. the commission has fix
ed definitely the location, on the At
lantic side, of three sets of locks and a
great dam at Gatun, and, on the Paci-
fc side, of one set of locks at Pedro
Miguel and two sets at La Boca and
two dams in the vicinity of La Boca,
large one between Sosa High and CO.
rozal. and a smaller one between Sosa
High and San Juan hill.
The commission declares that negro
labor is not satisfactory in the canal
work Very satisfactory results, how
ever, nave been obtained from laborers
mate very much better than do the ne
groes. The selection of bidders to pro-
vide Chinese labor, in answer to invi-
tations issued by the commission In
August has not been made. The In
vitation asked for proposals to furnish
$500 Chinese for not less than two
years, with the privilege of increasing
the number to $4,000. Bids received
agree to furnish the men at from nine
to eleven cents an iour, according to
the number employed.
The isthmus is reported to be COM
pletely free of yellow fever, and sick-
ness among the people is not above the
normal. In the past year there has
not been single case of yellow fever.
Smallpox appeared twice, but, the re-
port says, the population had been so
thoroughly vaccinated that it spread
only slightly.
| Reorganization.
In harmony with the plan of pro-
curing a more direct method Of adj
ministering the affairs of the commits
sion, an executive order was signed by
the president on Nov II, 1906 (E,xhi-
bit K. during his visit to Panama,
amending the executive order of April
1. 1905, under which the commission
had been previously reorganized. The
work is now divided among the fol-
flowing departments: The department
of engineering and construction, the