Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-09
READY TO GO AHEAD
PRELnINARY WORK ON THE
CANAL ABOUT DONE.
Chairman shonts Says That Type Of
Waterway Should Be Determined
at Once to obviate Delay.

Secretary Taft has made public a spe-
cial report OF the present conditions on the
fsthmus of Panama made by Mr. T. P.
Shonts. chairman OF the commission, fol-
lowing his visit to the canal strip in April.
Mr.. ShoEts devotes special chapters to the
water supply. health conditions food and
quarters for employees. track and terni-
nal facilities. the Culebra cut. ma terial and
supplies. the working force. recreation for
employees, law and order. civil service ex-
aminations. the new monetary arrange
ment. the Panama railroad and the Pacific
Mail. the subsistence department. etc. and
states his conclusions as follows:
Preliminary Work.
The results already obtained Justify the
policy decided upon during my first trip
to the isthmus, and briefly outlined In my
report to the President under date of Au-
gust II, 1905. In that report I called at
tention to the fact that the serious mistake
which had been made up to that time was
In attempting to make the dirt fly In ad-
vance of thorough preparation. and inform
ed the President that instructions had been
issued TO close down the work of eXcava-
ton. except in far as was necessary to
put the cuts in proper shape for the in
stallation of the maximum number of steam
shoyels for economical service.
The work of canal construction divides
itself properly into two parts, one OF which
must precede the other
First. thorough preparati ton. This in
cludes the creation of an effective organi-
cation: the sanitation of the isthHus; pro-
viding suitable quarters and food for en-
pioyes; constructing proper terminal yard
and railway track facilities and interme-
diate yards for the handling of the vast
quantities of supplies and materials: the
installation of a system of tracks through
the cuts; the working out of all engineer
ing problems and the formulation of COM
prehensve plan for carrying forward the
work in each department.
Second, the actual construction of a
given type of canal.
THE work of preparation is at once the
more important and the more difficult OF
these two tasks. If It be not done thor
oughly. intelligeptly and well in every part.
the second task-that of actual construction
will be handicapped from the start. The
launching of every great enterprise. the
creating of an organza ton with which to
carry on the work. Is always the most diff
cult part of it. Once that has been accom-
plished successfully, the subsequent task of
execution Is comparatively easy.
Type of Canal.
This preliminary stage Is nearing com
pletion the isthmus. Inspection during
this last visit showed that the many intri-
cate problems connected with the engineer
Ing branch of this task have been worked
out, that In many other departments the
preliminary work has been completed. and
each week is witnessing its completion in
others. Other necessary work will occupy
tho organization to advantage for a short
time to come, but at the present rate OF
progress the time is fast approaching when
decision as to type of canal will be essential
TO the continuation of work.
FINALLY. the most important and pressing
question before the commission today is a
decision in regard to the type of canal to be
constructed. Chief Engineer Stevens pointed
out TO me the route of several diversion
channels the construction of which should
be under way, but which he cannot COM
mence until the type of canal is decided
upon. We have also in mind certain other
intermediate yards which We cannot locate
until that decision Is reached. We are also
holding back the improvements at La Boca
1.-THE Pacific terminus both as to terminal
yards and the extension of the steel pier.
already referred to, not knowing whether
or not the type decided on will cause us to
abandon all these improvements. The ex-
tent and character OF additional machinery
to be used as we'll a. the extent and char
acter of additional equipment to be pur-
chased. are all awaiting the determination
OF this most vital question, and inasmuch
as all this machinery and equipment must
be manufactured to order in the United
States, and manufacturers in almost every
branch are filling their books with orders
months ahead, the delay IN reaching a de-
cision as to type may mean very serious
delay in getting the necessary plant and
thus ultimately mean serious delay In the
construction of the canal