The Washington times., 1906-10-16
In Letter to President,
Says Amount of ExCa-
yatlon Surprised
Him.
SANITATION LAB0RS
NEARING COMPLETION
Governments Experience
VIII Aid in Making Ad-
VantageOuS Contract
With Bidders.

Secretary Roots letter 10 the Presi-
deht giving his opinion OF conditions in
,--9 -''ls-ilii- canal zone. was made pub
iic today az the White House.
Hopeful and indicating the secretarvss
confidence in the ultimate success OF The
project. it IS as follows:
Department OF state.
Dear Mr.. President.
You have asked me 90 write 10 vgu
what ! said orally about Panama canal
iJ-pgh i"oLA upon nay return from the isthmus
1 speHt TWO days on the Isthmus. and
Of course. took only a clirsorv T,Ie,, -
tAe Work. but went over The canal ter
minals az Panama and CristobaI ay5
practically. over the entire constructfoi
work OF the canal. Including the CuIebrs
cut. which went through on The CON
stFuctiou tracks. I saw also the work
"hlch had been done at different places
for the residence Of officers and work
men. ana FOR the repair and construc-
ton shops
Got Information.
I had the advantage Of very Yuu ds,
tailed explanations at all pofats bv sfr
stevens, and / talked with the haau 80
e-cn or the departments, such qs srcs-
tdtl-I'i u44sPoFlatioa construction. and
suFpAts- These men impressed me r-erT.
iaForably as being first rar4 suacir1z-,ys
OF tleaf-leaaed active. and coupete1r
americans or thc constructing tvDa
tHey an seem 10 De intensely interested
There were about 30 900 De0ule on rbe
1sLLlihus- OF whom there was Dr0f7 fIT-
~ i,i = SI.-se yL ABOUT -o,ylJ az work daily.
ine amount of actual evcavaffcr1
" il-ciI i4ou Deru done and was being
done, ~ and near the CuIehra c1It b0fT
grained and surprised me ssv
Alollu tLluA, thirty steam shovels ar
Work, eating into both earth and rocI-
@4lA = capacity ana power which made
lne little old machines left bv me-
tFeIlcn company seem ike TOYS TvVo
hundred and fGsty-iiya thousand cTlb{c
4afdS were taken out ia August. and
-a5,s1 We're taken out in SeUfeuber Z
understood that half as many more
steam shoVels We're set up and ready
70 De put into operation as fasr sz
the opening up OF the work makes
room Tor them.
Much Already Done.
I judge that the bulk of the work
which does not show i'm the excavation
figures has nov been d0ne-that fs the
sanitation. construction OF quarters. ho-
tells, and mess houses. terminal Yards
wharNes, docks, piers. warehouses. ma
chine shops and the main system OF
railways for disposing of material-so
that @ steady decrease OF that kind of
work and a steady increase of actual
excavation may be- relied upOn ia the
Iuture, The quarters appear 10 be clean
ana comfortable. and the sanitary ar
engagements for them seem TO be worked
OUT with great care.
a big reception was given by tha
American employees and their families
q HHHH
gena. At o. rough guess there were i. 900
10 100 in attendance. LEFT them
dancing on the great rooted pier al
Cristo3al, IS healthy and happy look
Ing lot Of young american men and
women as one could find in the United
States.
OF course. the e>,vacation which IS
now being made, not only Eeous the
work moving while the contracts are
being sOt ia shape. out 10 is furnishing
the data upon which the specifications
can be made, upon which the bidders
can make their calculations and upon
whether The bids are reasonable. Moth
ing Increases the cost OF @ puDlic work
more than To compel contractors 10 bid
on uncertainties. and nothing IS more
important for the public protection than
that the Government engineers shall
have some experience under the same
or similar conditions. 10 guide them in
fixing the terms or contracts and speci-
hcattOnS. Those terms and specifications
have, Of course, TO be fixed with refer
tIcc 10 the supuIatI0us which the per-
sons whose bids are desired are will
ing TO make.
Effect on Contracts.
II this IS not done, responsible con-
tractors VIII not bid. This can only be
done for "a great work like the canal by
consulting a fairly representative num-
her of people in the contracting busi-
ness, as 10 the reas0Da blcuess and fair
ness, from their point OF view, Of the
provisions WTIEff a - proposed 20 make
the basis for competitive bids
1 understand that the contracts which
are now ready have been prepared after
ng firms Of the United States, and many
eminent outside engineers, so as to Sc
cure a form Of contract that would
adequately protect tEe Government, and
pon which, al the same time. respOn-
Die persons would bio
I do not think that the time occupied
In this has been excessive. or that, es-
1ecialIy in view OF the fact that the
work has been vigorously prosecuted
In the meanwhile, there Is any ground
for imputing any delay whatever TO the
MANAGERS of the canal construction. 1t
seems TO me 10 have been an admirable
combination of vigorous work I'm the
present with careful preparation for
'uture work.
The greatest danger in the way OF
,anal construction now SENS 60 me 10
be- lest the really good and able men
Tho are competent 10 handle IL, and
who can get profitable employment any
where, should be unwilling 20 continue
n the service under lndlscriminate mis-
and abuse
Faithfully yours.
osignSD ELIHU ROOT.