Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-16
Secretary Roots Letter.


Secretary Roots letter follows:
Department Of State.
Washington October, II, 1906.
Dear Mr. President: r..
You have asked me to write to you what
l said orally about Panama canal work
upon my return from the isthmus last week.
I spent two days on the fstf1mus and, of
course. took only cursory view of the
work. but l went over the canal terminals
at Panama and CriStobal, and, practically,
over the entire construction work of the
canal including the Culebra cut, which l
went through on the construction tracks.
I saw also the work which had been done
at different places for the residence of Off
GERS and workmen, and for. the repair and
construction shops. l had the advantage
Of very full detailed explanations, at all
points by Mr.. Stevens. and 1 talked with
the head Of each of the departments. such
as excavation, transportation, construction
and supplies. These men impressed me
very favorably as being first-rate specimens
Americans of the constructing type They
all seem to be intensely interested in their
work. There were about 10000 people on
the isthmus, of whom there was probably
an average of about $4,000 at work daily.
Digging at Culebra Cut
The amount of actual excavation which
had been done and was being done in and
near the Culebra cut. both gratified and
surprised me. / saw. 1 should think, thirty
steam. shovels at work eating into both
earth and rock with a capacity and power
which made the little old machines left by
the French company seem like toys. Two
hundred and forty-five thousand yards were
taken out in August, and $4,000 were taken
out in September / understand that half
as many more steam shovels were set up
and ready to be put into operation as fast
as the opening up of the work makes room
for them. l judge that the bulk of the
work which does not show in the excava-
ton figures has now been dOne-that Is, the
sanitation, construction of quarters. hotels
and mess houses. terminal yards wharves,
docks. piers. warehouses. machine shops
and the main system of railways for dis
POSING of material-so that a steady de-
crease Of that kind of work and a steady
increase Of actual excavation may be re-
lied upon in the future The quarters APP
pear to be clean and comfortable. and the
sanitary arrangements for them seem to be
worked out with great care.
Employees Happy.
big reception was given by the Amerl-
can employees and their families on the
evening of my sailing for Cartagena. At
rough guess there were 1000 to 500 in at
tendance. 1 left them dancing on the great
rooted pier at Cristobal. as healthy and
happy looking a lot C. young American men
and women as one could find in the United
States.
vi COURSE, the excavation WHICH Is now
being made not only keeps the work NOV
ing while the contracts are being got in
shape, but it is furnishing the data upon
which the specifications can be made upon
which the bidders can make their calcu-
latons. and upon which the government can
judge whether the bids are reasona BILE.
Nothing increases the cost of public work
more than to compel contractors to bid on
uncertainties, and nothing Is more i'm
portant for the public protection than that
the government engineers shall have some
experience under the same similar con-
ditions to guide them in fixing the terms of
contracts and specifications. These terms
and specifications have. of course 10 be
fixed with reference to the stipuiations
which the persons whose bids are desired
are willing to make. If this is not done,
responsible contractors will not bid. This
can only be done for a great work like the
canal by consulting fairly representative
number of people in the contracting busl-
ness, as to the reasonableness and fairness,
from their point of view, of the provisions
which it is proposed to make the basis for
competitive bids.
Contracts Now Ready.
1 understand that the contracts which are
now ready have been repaired after con-
sultation with the leading contracting firms
Of the United States and many eminent
outside engineers, so as to secure form Of
contract that would adequately protect the
government and upon which, at the same
time responsible persons would bid. l do