The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1906-01-11
SENSATION ONLY Thin AIR
President Says Panama Canal Is
Making Great Progress.
NO GROUND FOR CONCERN
Scandalmongers Have Personal Amoi
tons and Can Do No HARMS
Against Cutting Salaries

WASHINGTON, d. c., Jan. S.-Ihe
letter of President Roosevelt transmit
ting to Congress the annual reports Oh
Isthmian canal commission and the Ia
mama Railroad company, together with
Secretary Taft's letter transmitting the
same, is as follows:
The work on the isthmus Is being al
rnirably done and great progress has been
made especialiy during the last hlhc
months The ulant Is being made ready ana
the organization perfected. The hrSt WORN
TO be done was the work OF sanitation
Will Not Take Long Time.
In short while l shall lay before you
the recommendations of the commission
and of the board of consulting engineers
as to the proper plan 10 be adopted LOT
the canal itself, together with my own
recommendations thereon.
What has been accomplished gives Us
good reason TO believe that the canal VIII
be dug in a shorter time than had been
antic pated, and at an expenditure WITHIN
the estimated amount. All our citl2ens
have a right to congratulate themselves
upop the high standard OF efficiency and In.
tegrity which has been hitherto maintained
by the representatives OF the government
In doing this great work.
All Sensation Falls Flat.
From time to time various publications
have been made and from time to time IN
the future various SllDllhT publi'hNtol'
doubtless will be made, purporting 10 give
an account Of iobbery, or immortality, or IN
efficiency, or misery, as obtaining on the
isthmus. ! have carefully examined INTO
each of these accusations which seemed
worthy Of attention. In every Instance the
accusations have proved to be without iouh-
datou IN any shape or form.
They spring from several sources. some
times they take the shape %? statements by
irresponsible Investigators Of q sensational
habit of mind, incapable Of observing or
repeating with accuracy what they see anu
DESTROYS of obtaining notorigty by Wide,
spread SANDER. More often they originate
with or given currency by individuals with
Il personal grievance.
No Cut in Salaries.
Anv ATTEMPT TO cut down the salaries Of
the officials Of the isthmian commission or
Of their subordiuatcs who are doing impor.
tant work would be ruinOus from the
standpoint of accomplishing the work ci,
feCtvcly. To quote the words of one OF
the best observers on the isthmus: De
moral2ati0n OF the service Is certain If the
reward for successful cndcayOr Is reduc-
ton OF pay
We are undertaking in Panama a gigantic
taSk-the largest piece of engineering ever
done The employment Of the men engaged
thereon Is only temporary, and yet 1t Will
require the highest order of ability IT 1t ~
TO be done economically, honestly and eff
fciently. To attempt TO secure men to do
this work on insufficient salaries would
amount TO putting premium upon ihet-
hCicncy ana corruption,
Must Not Be Niggardly
repeat that the work on the lsthmus
has been done and Is being done admirably.
The organization is good. The mistakes are
extraordinarily few, and these few have
been Of practically no consequence. The
zeal intelligence ana efficient public service
of the isthmian commission and its sub
ordnatcs have been noteworthy. | courr
Che fullest, most exhaustive and most
searching Investigation of any act of theirs
and If any one Of them * ever shown to
have done wrong his punishment shall hc
exemplary But | ask that they be decent.
~ paid, and that their hands he upheld IA
long as they act dcCcutly
ON any other conditions We shall not be
able - get men Of the right type to do the
wOr.: AID this means that on any other
condition we Wall Insure, If not failure, at
least delay, scandal aud iurtIroncy In the
task of digging the giant canal