Arizona republican., 1906-01-11
TAFT'S REPLY
 TO B|GFlOW
One Charge the Secretary
 Admits
On the Occasion of His Visit He Avoid. ed the Seamy Side of the City of Colon.

Washington, Jan. 1O.-An elaborate and comprehensive answer to the charges against the istnmian canal commission contained in an article in The Independent has been made by Secretary Taft. It is in the form of q letter to the president, who on Janu- ary 6, in a communication to the sec retary, says his attention has been di- rected to an article published purport- ing to have been written by Poultney Bigelow, attacking the administration of affairs by the canal commission and yourself on the isthmus," and adding. will you please advise me what basis, If any, there is for these charges?"
 In his reply Secretary Taft says that Chief Engineer Stevens is now in Washington and is personally cogni- zant of the facts with respect to every local condition described by the writer of the article, and d memorandum of comments thereon by MT. Stevens is appended to the letter as an exhibit
 Discussing conditions at Colon, the secretary quotes MT. Stevens as say ing that every one knows, who has been on the ground that the problem of draining the city is one of extreme difficulty, owing to the island being surrounded by he sea on one side and by fresh water swamp on the other; that the land on the average is not more than one and one-half feet above sea level. Uncertainty as to the plans of improving Colon has rendered inn practical any radical destruction of unsanitary buildings, most of which are on lands owned by the railroad company and leased on short terms to middle men. Meantime, the secretary says, the sanitary conditions in Pana- ma required much more urgent treat ment than those at Colon. The death rate at Panama since the government took charge of the health of the isth- mus, the secretary says, is from twen- ty-five per cent to thirty-three and a third percent greater than in Colon.
 Regarding the charge of indifference as to food supplies for the laborers, the secretary refers to the reports on the market contract and says the very diligent efforts made in this regard are sufficiently set out there, as all ready published.
 Bearing on the charge that there is no water supply in Colon, Secretary Taft quotes from a dispatch from Gov ernor MagCon of January !, advising him that there is no scarcity of water in Colon; that a permanent reservoir with a capacity of 5O0,OOO,0OO gallons is under construction, with two per manent standpipes, under contract to be completed April 1.
 Secretary Taft declares that the rate of wages is well advertised throughout the West Indies as ten cents gold an hour for a day of eight hours, which may be increased by diligent work to thirteen cents an hour. It is also un- true, he says, that a great prejudice exists against negroes in the railroad management.
 Political influence, Secretary Taft says, has played no part whatever in the selection of appointees. Secretary Taft says the charge that quarantine officials construe the law and enforce it as far as possible to interfere with commerce is utterly unfounded."
 The isthmus is being freed from the danger of yellow fever and other con- tagious diseases, observes the secre- tary. by an effort unprecendented in the history of the world. Being sur rounded on every side by disease breeding ports, it is of the highest inn portance, if the work done on the isth- mus is to remain permanent, that the quarantine be strictly enforced.
 Secretary Taft continues: Finally 1 come to the charges specifically made against the secretary of war. They consist in 9 refusal to accept the guidance of Tracy Robinson in visit ing the purlieus of Colon and refusal to have an interview with John Lundie chief engineer of the electric and re- frigrating plant in Panama.
 ITO the first charge, 1 plead guilty"
 He says an impression was sought to