The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-12-15


fifty or sixty thousand dollars, In
the city of Reno, New. That build
ing is not yet constructed-the
foundations are not yet laid; and
yet the reclamation services has
during the intervening period ex-
pended over 100000 in reclama-
ton work in Nevada; has diverted
the Truckee river, a stream of
floods during certain seasons of the
year, a distance of 80 miles by a
new river over into the Carson val
ley; has constructed dams and locks
and all the hydraulic machinery that
was necessary to make that enter
prise effective, and the water is
now being turned out upon the
soil.
This contrast would indicate less
inefficiency in the inherent nature
architect.
But there is really deeper rea-
| son, which will appear upon con-
sideration of all the facts.
About half of the three years
referred to by Senator Newlands
was occupied by the extensive sur
veys and Investigations needed to
determine the feasibility and cost
Of the project. The extensive con-
struction referred to by Senator
Newlands had occupied only about
a year and half.
| In addition to this, the reclama-
ton service has made surveys and
investigations Of nearly 100 pro-
| ofo in fh0 ori1
mined the feasibility of about 80
Of them, and begun construction on
"a. Approximately half a million
acres will be placed under irriga-
ton by next spring, and this area
| will be nearly doubled in another
year.
To accomplish all this work, it
| was necessary to organize the entire
service around the nucleus of about
a dozen engineers, and this has been
| accomplished in the space of little
over four years. AS a piece of gov
| eminent work this organization is
the marvel Of foreign and Amer
lean engineers for the rapidity and
efficiency with which it has been
accomplished.
Though it Is the aim to do this
work mainly by contract, it has been
found very difficult to do so on
account of the immense amount of
railroad and other construction
work in progress in the West. The
department was compelled, there
fore, to enter extensively upon con-
struction work without the inter-
vention of contractors. In several
cases large contracts had been let
and the contractors have failed. In
the case of the Gunnison tunnel, for
instance, the contractor ACCOMPLISH
ed little except to involve himself
in bankruptcy and to furnish an
illustration of how the work would
not be done. The government is
now pushing that work by the d.
| rect employment of labor. And in
this way it is performing the work
with speed and efficiency, making
what is believed to be the worlds
record in rapidity of driving a large
tunnel
That explains the superiority of
the interior departments construc-
ton work over the work of the
treasury department.. The work of
| IAO III 1HCA, uOHC ny Tie govern
ment's own employees, Is economic
ally and efficiently done; that of
the latter. done by contract, is so
uneconomically and inefficiently done
that Mr.. Shaw parades 1t is evil
dence of the inherent incapacity"
Of government to perform it's own
functions. The whole question
raises the issue not of public or
private management of public work.
but of performance directly by gov
eminent employees or Indirectly bv
contractors.
! That public work by contract. as
compared with public work by pub
lie employees is uneconomical and
inefficient, is proved not only by
contrasting Secretary Shaw's illus
tration of the construction of the
Chicago postoffice, which was done
by contract, with the reclamation
work of the interior department,
/; which is done direct, but also by
-