The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-09
REDUCE THE PAY
AND RUIN SE[V|CE
President Warns Con-
gress Against Gut
ting Salaries.
CAN'T TREAT THEM
WITH NlGGARDNESS
Men FIT to Do the Task Won't
Stand for Parsimony in Addi-
ton to False Accusa-
tiens Which Are
Brought Against
Them.
tgy Asaociated Press,

NDs 5AsSUCldted ITess.D
= WASHINGTON, January s.--The let
ter OF the President transmitting to Con-
gress tue annual reports OF the 18th
milan Canal Commission and the Panama
Railroad Company. together with secre-
tary frafts letter transmitting the same,
Is as follows:
40 the senate and House of Repre-
scntat!vcs:
The work on the isthmus Is being adj
rniritbly done, and great progress has
been made. especially during the last
nine months. Tho plant Is being made
ready and the organization perfected.
THE first work to be done was the work
OF sanitation the necessary preliminary
TO the work Of actual construction; and
this has been pushed forward with the
/. Utmost energy and incans In short
while shai lay before you the recon-
inendations OF the commission aud of the
board OF consulting engineers as 10 the
proper plan TO be adopted for the canal
itself. together with my own recon-
1nendations thereon. All the work 40 far
has been done, not only with the utmost
expedition, but In the most careful and
thorough manner: and what has been
accomplished gives us good reason to
believe that the canal will be dug in
shorter time than has been anticipated.
end ut an expenditure within the cstl-
mated amount.
"Ail our citizens have II right to con-
Eratuiate themselves upon the high stand
ard of efficiency and Integrity which has
been hitherto maintained by the repre-
gontatives OF the government In doing
this great work. II this high standard of
efficiency and integrity can be maintained
in the future at the =aHle level which it
has now reached. the construction OF tho
Panama Canal VIII be one OF the features
to which the people of this republic will
look back with the highest pride.
irresponsible Critics.
From time to time various publica-
tions have been made. and from time
TO time In the future various similar pub
Iications doubtless will be made, purport-
ing to give an account of jobbery or i'm
morality. or ineaiciency or misery. as
obtaining on the Isthmus. have care
fully examined into each OF these -accu-
cations which seemed worthy OF atten-
ton. In every instance the accusations
have proved to be without foundation in
any shape or form. They spring from
several sources. Sometimes they take
shape of statements by irresponsible in
vestigators OF sensational habit OF
mind, incapable OF observing or repeat
ing with accuracy what they see, and
deslrous OF obtaining nctorlety by wide
spread slander. More often they origi-
nate with or are given currency by indi-
viduals with a personal grievance.
The sensation mongers, both those who
stay at home and those who visit the
lsthmus, may ground their accusations on
false statements by some engineer who,
having applied for service on the COM
mission and been refused such service,
now endeavofs to discredit his SUCCESS
ful competitors or by some lessee or
owner OF real estate who has sought
action. or inactfon, by the commission
to increase the value of HIS lots and is
bitter because the commission cannot be
used for such purposes; or on the tales
of disappointed bidders for contracts; or
OF Office holders who have proved In
competent. or who have been suspected
of corruption and dismissed, or who have
been overcome by panic and have fed
from the Isthmus. Every specific charge
relating 10 jobbery, to immortality or to
inefficiency. from Whatever source 1t has
come, has been Immediately investigated,
and in no single instance have the state
ments of these sensation mongers and the
interested complainants behind them
proved true. The only discredit inhering
In these false accusations is to those
which originate and give them currency
. and who. to the extent of their abilities,
thereby hamper and obstruct the COM
pletion OF the great work in which both
the honor and interest of America are so
deeply involved.
II matters not whether those guilty
OF these false accusations utter them in
Il mere wanton recklessness. or folly or In
spirit of sinister malice, to crafty some
personal or political srudge.
Poor Salaries, Poor Work.
'Any attempt to cut down the salaries
OF the officials of the Isthnian Commits
sion, or Of their subordinates, who are
uollls important work, would be rnino,ls3
4 from tpesslifldpointsof accomplishments
work effect1NelS To quote the words. OF
n9&SAf the best observers on the lsthmus.
decentralization of the service is certain
II the reward for successful endeayor IS
reduction of pay l3s
We are undertaking in Panama a gi-
gahtlc task--the largest piece of cngl-
leerlng ever done. The employment of
the men engaged thereon is only tcmno.
iary, and vet 1t will require the highest
order OF ability If 1t is. to be done edo.
nomically, honestly ana efficiently. To
attempt to secure men to do this work on
insufficient salaries would amount to nut
Ting a premium upon ,inefiicency ana
corruption, Men3ft for the work viii NOT
undertake 1t unless they are we'll puid. q
In the end the men who do undertake.
IL viii he left to seek other employ.
ment with, as their chief reward, the
regulations thoy. achieve, Their work Is
infinitely more difficult than any private
work, both because OF the peculiar condi-
tons Of the tropical land In which II is
laid and because i is Impossible to free
\ them from the peculiar Limitations in
separably connected with government
employment; while 1t is unfortunately
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