Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-12-20

the whole work Is being badly managed.
housing. in hygiene, In street repairing.
In dredging and in digging earth and
rock. Now and then an experiment will
oe q failure; and among those who hear
Thomases will at once believe that this
whole work Is a failure. Doubtless here
n there some minor rascality will be
uncpvered; put as to this, have to say
mat after the most painstaking inquiry
l nave been unable to find a single reput-
ape person who had so much as heard
pl any serious accusations affecting the
honesty OF the commission or of any
responsible officer under 1t. append a
letter dealing with the most serious
cnarge, that of the ownership Of lots in
colon; the charge was not advanced by
reputable and is utterly base
less. II is not too much to say that the
whole atmosphere OF the commission
nreathes honesty as 1t breathes efficiency
h hna energy. Above all. the work has
nave never heard even a suggestion Of
spoils politics In connection with it.
nave investigated every complaint
to be any shadow Of Foundation. In
Two or three cases.. all of which I
nave indicated in the course of this
message, came to the conclusion that
there was foundation for the COM
plant; and that the methods of the
commission in the respect complained
OF could be bettered. In the other in
stances the complaints proved abso-
iusely baseless, save in two or three
instances where they referred to mis-
taxes which the commission had al
ready found out and corrected.
ISLANDERS and Libeiers.
So much for honest criticism. There
remains an immense amount of as
reckless SANDER as has ever been pub
fflissnea, Where the slanderers are Of
mem. Where they are Americans, I
feel for. them the heartiest contempt
ana l~ndignation:, because. in d spirit
they are. trying to interfere with and
hamper the execution of, the greatest
work of sthe kind ever attempted, ana
are are seeking to bring to naught the eff
the credit Of America one Of the giant
feats of the ages. The outrageou
accusations of these ~slanderers con-
st itlt. a gross libel upon a body Of
igence, expert ability, high charac-
tetr and devotion to duty, have never
been excelled anywhere. There is not
a man among those directing the work
on tne 1sthmus who has obtained his
position on any other basis hi merit
alone, and not one who has used his
position In any way for his own per-
sonai or pecuniary advantage.
Plan to Build by Contract.
After most careful consideration we
have decided to let out mostf of the
work by contract. IL we can come to
sa q &. terms with the contract
suited to the peculiar genius of our
people; and our people nave devel-
oped the type. Of contractor best fitted
much better to do the work in large
part by contract than to do it all BY
the government, provided it is pos
sipie on the n hand to secure to the
Hnnnfr 6tnp N So -s--A-
to make 1t worth while for respon-
sible contractors of the best kind to |
undertake the work; and provided on
the other hand 1t can be done on terms
70 the contractor at the expense OF
tne government. After much con.
siaeration the plan already promui-
gated 6y the secretary Of war was
features was drafted after careful
and thorough study and consideration,
by the chief engineer, Mr.. Stevens,
Wno, while IN the employment Of Mr..
ern railroad, had personal experience
81 this very type of contract. Mr..
stevens then submitted the plan to
the chairman Of the commission, Mr.
with MI. Rogers, the legal adviser Of
Lne commission. to see that all legal
.dificulties were met. He then submit
t tar o Taft nd NJ ms mys pian s. sec eeth se ere
submitted it to some Of the best com.
sci at the New York bar, and after
w wnIas MI ! T Tent any eyer NJ It s Xery carefully
aid the. plan in its general features
before Mr.. Root. MY conclusion ia
it combines the maximum III adj
vantage with the minimum OF disad-
vantage. Under It q. premium will be
put upon the speedy and economical
construction of the canal, and a pen-
atty imposed on delay. and waste. The
aoabtl Is r Rtro Will saSs u j. be te aSsaSsi
in some respects before we can come
to a satisfactory agreement with re-
sponsibie OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES even
after the bids have been received;
and of course 1T is possible that we
not come to a agreement, in which
case the government will do the work
Itself. Meanwhile the work on the
lsthmus is progressing steadily and
Single Commissioner Desired.
A seven-headed commission is OF
We should, have but one Commission
er. with such heads of departments
and other officers under him as we
may anS p nscssfary. ~ We as should n9o1 be
best engineers in the country as com
engineers.
accompany this paper with a map
showing. substantially what the canal
will be like when it is finished. When
the Culebra cut has been made and
the dams built Qf they are built as al
present proposedl there will then be
IF. the canal two great fresh-water
lakes. connected by a broad channel
at the bottom Of a ravine,
across the backbone Of the. Western
ieve. that the work will be completed
IN about eight years; but 1t is never
safe to p~rophesy about such a work
this. especially in the tropics.
Confident Of Ultimate Success.
OF the success of the enterprise
I'm as well convinced as one can be
$ a stupendous work upon which our
elbow countrymen are engaged down
here on the isthmus, and while we
should hold them to a strict ~accounta-
form it. we should recognize, With
generosity, the epic nature Of
he task upon which they are engaged
md its worldwide Importance. They
loud UNNECESSARILY to the credit OF
which will benefit all the
world. and which will last for ages
come. Under Mr. shonts \ Mr..
started with every omen OF good for
:une. They and their worthy associates.
the highest to the lowest, are
would. give to the picked men Of 4
s'ctnrinma army: for thia connuast ~
will. in Its great and f~Ar-reach-
Affert, stand a. among the verv
c~onquests, whether Of peace
,r Of war, which have ever been won
~ any of the peoples Of mankind. AZ
badge As to be given to every Ameri-
IAN citizen who for a specified time
las taken part In this work; for par.
.icipation in 1t will hereafter be held L
% reflect honor upon the nan par
icipating Just as 1t reflects honor upon
! soldier to have belonged to a mighty
'rmy in a great war Tor righteous
Tess. Our fellow countrymen on the
sthmus are working for our interest
Ind for the national renown in the
lame spirit and with the same eff
work in time Of war. 1t be- 4
us in our turn to do all We (
to hold up their hands and TO aid