The Washington times., 1906-12-17
PANAMA CANAL A SUCCESS. SAYS PRESIDENT

the side streets are also in good
condition. In others the change N
The streets is rapidly going On.
through three-fourths Of the town
Is now possible TO walk. even during
the period of tremendous rain. in low
shoes without Wetting ones feet, owing
10 the rapidity with which the surface
water IS carried away IN the bitches.
IN the remaining One-fOurth Of the
streets the mud is very deep-about as
deep as IN the ordinary street of a low
lying prairie river town of the same size
tn the United States during early spring
All men TO whom J spoke were a unit
In saying that the conditions Of the
Colon streets were 100 per cent better
Ih3n year ago. The most superficial
examination OF the town shows the
progress that has been made and Il
being made In macadanIizing the streets.
Complaint was made to me by an entire
~ reputs bic man as TO the character Of
some Of he material used for repairing
certain streets. On investigation the
complaint proved well founded but IL
also appeared that the use Of the mate
rial IN question had been abandoned,
the commission after having tried IL IN
one or two streets hnding it not appro-
PIRATE.
Complaints Not Well Founded.
'The result OF the investigation Of
this honest complaint was typical of
what occurred when / investigated most
OF the other honest complaints made 10
me. That is. where the complaints were
not made wantonly or ma1ciously. they
almost always proved due TO failure to
appreciate the fact that time was neces-
Sary IN the creation and completion Or
This Titanic wori, iu q tropic wilderness
u is impossible 10 avoid some mistakes
IN building a giant canal through Jungle
covered mountains and swamps, while
and providing FOR the feeding and gen
eTGl care OF from twenty to thirty thOus-
ard workers Th- complaints brought
To me. either Of insufficient provision in
caring for some Of the laDOrrTs, or OF
failure TO finish the pavements Of Colon.
or Of failure t0 supply water. or Of fail
ure 90 build wooden sidewalks for the
use OF the laborers in the rainy sea
son on Investigation proved almost
without exception. 10 be due merely
TO the ITter inability Of the commission
10 do everything at once.
For instance. IL was imperative that
Panama which had the highest death
rate and where the chance of yellow
fever epidemic was strongest. should
be- cared for first; yet most Of the com
plants as to the delay In taking care
of Colon were due to the inability or
unwillingness to appreciate this simple
fact. Again. as the thousands OF lab
Orers are brought over and housed. II
is not always possible at the outset 10
supply wooden walks and bath houses
because other more vital necessities
have To he met. and in consequence.
while most of the settlements have good
bath houses, and % a large extent at
least. wooden walks there are plenty
OF settlements where wooden walks
have not Vet ben laid down. and
visited one where the bath houses have
not been provided. But IN this very
settlement the frames Of the bath
houses are already up. and in every case
the utmost effort Is being made 10 pro
vide the wooden walks. OF course. in
some of the newest camps tents are
used pending the building OF houses
Where possible, / think detached houses
would be preferable TO the semi-dcthched
houses now IN general use
Critics Not Consistent.
care and forethought nave been ex-
ercised by the commission. and nothing
has reflected more credit upon them
than their refusal either to go ahead
too fast or TO be deferred BY the fear or
criticism from not going ahead fast
g rfyrfo,Fg a note the fact