Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1906-10-11
THEY ASK FOR BIDS
Invitations for Proposals to Com
pIete the Panama Canal Issued
by the Commission.
BEFORE NOON DECEMBER u
Are to BE Expressed in Terms of
Percentage ON Estimated Cost
One Company Must Take
Entire Contract.

Washington, Oct. 10.--Invitations
for proposals to complete the Pana'
ma canal were issued Tuesday by the
canal commission and the form Of
contract under which the work is to
be done was made public by Chair.
man Shonts, who also gave out let
ter written to the secretary Of war
giving the commissions reasons for
contracting the work.
The contract provides that each
bidder must undertake the entire
work Of construction. No bar will
be offered to corporations associat-
ing in the undertaking, but they must
be legally organized into single body
with which the government can deal.
Bidders will not be considered who
do not have available capital Of
$5,000,0 900. A certified check for
100000 is required with each propos-
al and bond of 100000 will be re-
quired from the successful bidder.
The biding is not limited to American
contractors. All proposals are to be
in before noon of December ~, when
they will be opened. Proposals are
to be expressed in terms Of percent
age upon the estimated cost of con-
struction, which is to be fixed by
board Of five engineers, three repre-
senting the government and two rep
resenting the contractor The chief
engineer of the canal commission is
to be chairman of the engineering
board. The engineering board will
also estimate a reasonable time for
the completion of the canal and will
agree upon system Of premiums and
penalties to be paid to the contractor
according as the work is completed
within or beyond the estimated cost
and time. All the government plant
for actual construction work, includ-
ing the railway, is to be placed at the
disposal Of the contractor and is to
be maintained by the government,
The contract specifies that the com
is to retain control of all en-
cheering work in connection with
the construction of the canal, also
engineering, the police, san
itary, hospital and commissary de-
partments, mess houses, quarters,
and maintenance of
buildings, operation Of the Panama
railway, an auditing department to
which contractors accounts are to be
open, and department of materials
and supplies.
Sixty days after the signing Of the
contract actual work is to begin on
The isthmus and the contractor is to
AXE over all employees on the isthmus
which the commission does not wish
o retain. No American employee is
o work more than eight hours.
In support Of the commissions po- |
,ition that the canal can be con-
racted to a greater advantage than 1t |
AN be built by the government, Mr.. |
'honts' letter to Sec. Taft says that be-
'ause of the unprecedented and great
y extended industrial activity of the
ime, and the consequent violent COM
EDITION for all classes of superintend-
nts, foremen, sub-contractors skilled
Mechanics, and even ordinary labor
rs, 1t would take the commission
ears to secure men and build up de-
construction organizations
Thich would equal in efficiency those
ow controlled by the leading con-
FACTORS Of the United States"
Chairman Shonts says IN his letter
hat the commission carefully con-
ldered letting the work in sections to
eparate contractors and decided that
would arise which could
OF be overcome in case this plan
'ere adopted. The letting Of the
'Ork to one contractor on a basis Of
NIT prices was also considered and
as believed by the commission to be
plan which would be more expen-