The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1906-12-18


locks. Each such incideat will be en-
tire1y natural, and, even tho serious,
no one of them will mean more than
a little extra delay or trouble. Yet
each, when discovered by sensation
mongers and retailed to timid folk of
little faith. will serve as an excuse for
the belief that the whole work is
being badly managed. Experiments
will continually be tried in housing.
in hygiene, in street repairing, In
dredging n digging earth and rock.
Now1and then an experiment will be
a failure; and among those Who hear
of it, a certain proportion of doubt
ing ThOmases will at Once believe
the whole work is a failure. Doubt
less here and there some minor ras-
cality will be uncovered; but as to
this, l have to say that after the most
painstaking inquiry l have been u-i-
able to find a single reputable person
who had SO much as heard of any ser
ious accusations affecting the honesty
of the Commission or of any respon-
sible officer under it.
l have investigated every complaint
brought to me for which there seem
ed to be any shadow of foundation.
In two or three cases, all of which
I nave indicated in the course of this
message, I came to the conclusion
tina there was foundation for the
complaint and that the methods
of the Commission in the res
pect complained of could be bet
tered. In the other tar the
complaints proved absolutely baseless
ave in two or three instances where
they referred to mistakes which the
Commission had already itself found
out and corrected
S~Ianderers and LibeIers.
So much for honest criticism. There
remains an immense amount of as
reckless SANDER as has ever been pub
lished. Where the slanderers are of
foreign origin I have no concern with
them. Where they are Americans, I
feel for them the heartiest contempt
and Indignation; because. in a spirit
of wanton dishonesty and malice.
they're trying to interfere with, and
hamper the execution of, the g%reatest
work of the kind ever attempted, and
are seeking to bring to naught the
of their cOuntrymen to put to
the credit of America n of the giant
feats of the ages. The outrageous
accusations of these slanderers cOnsti
tute a gross libel upon a body of pub
lie servants who, for trained intelli-
gence, expert ability, high character
Int devotion to duty, have never been
excelled anywhere. There is not a
man among those directing the work
on the Isthmus who has obtained his
on any other basis than merit
alone, and not one VINO has Used his
position in any way for his own per-
sonal or pecuniary advantage.
Plan to Build by Contract.
After most careful consideration we
decided to let out most of the
work by contract, if we can come to
satisfactory terms with the contrac-
tors. The whole work is of a Kind
suited to the peculiar genius of our
people,; and our people have develop
ed the type of contractor best fitted
to grapple with it. 1t is of course
much better to do the work in large
part by contract than to do it all by
the Government, provided it is pos
Sible on the one HAND to ecure to
the contractor a sufficient
ton to make it worth while for re-
sponsible contractors of the best kind
to undertake the work; and provided
on the other hand it can be done on
terms which will not give an exces-
sive profit to 4 contractor at the ex.
pense of the Government. After .mucn
consideration the plan already pfomul
gated by the Secretary of War was
adopted.
A Single CommissioTer Desired.
A seven-headed commission is of
a clumsy executive instrument
We should have but one commissioner
with such heads of departments and
other officers under him as we may
find necessary. We should be express
~ permitted to employ the best engi-
neers in the country as consulting N
g%ineers.
1 accompany this paper with a ma
showing substantially what the ca
nal will be like when it is finished.
When the Culebra cut has been made
and the dams built (if they are built
as at present p~roposed) there will
then be at Doth the Pacific and At
lantic ends of the canal, I'VE great
fresh-water lakes, connected by a
broad channel running at the bottom
of a ~ravine, across the backbone of
the Western Hemisphere. Those best
informed believe that the work will
be completed in about eight years;
but it is never safe to prophesy abou
sue work as this, especially in the
Tropics.
l am informed that representatives
of the commercial clubs of four cities
Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati \ st.
Louis-the membership of which in
cludes most of the leading business
men of those cities, expect to visit
the Isthmus for the purpose of exam
lining the work of construction of the
canal 1 am glad to hear it, and I
direct that every facility be Civ
them to see all that is to be seen