Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-15
THE PANAMA CANAL
CONTRACT MAY NOT BE AWARD
ED FOR SOME DAYS.

Owing to the vast importance of the inter-
ests involved 1t Is not likely that the 18TH
milan canal commission will be prepared to
announce it's action in the matter or the
award of the contract for the construction
of the Panama canal for several days yet.
It Is said that the commission is somewhat
embarrassed in its present consideration OF
the question by the fear that it may be
brought before Congress within few days
with a view to the enactment of legislation
restricting the employment of certain
classes of labor alien otherwise.
So far as the limited time and study de-
voted to the bids submitted Saturday allows,
the Joint bid of William ]. Oliver of Ten
nessee and Arson NJ. Bangs of New York
appears to be the one most acceptable to the
government officials. They offered to do all
the work of construction required at the
rate OF 6I5 per cent of the total cost or
the canal.
Contractors Requirements.
1t is explained that the contractor will
have to do only with the work of construc-
ton. The government will furnish the ma
terials and machinery The contractor will
furnish all labor, foremen, superintendent,
clerks, general office staff and tools of a
minor character, and he will make what are
known as outside repairs upon equipment
and machinery; but there his obligations
end The government must supply all loco
motives. cars, steam shovels, dredges and
the like, as well as all raw materials to be
put into the work, such cement, eXplo-
sives, oil, coal and fuel.
The plant in Panama now owned by the
isthmian canal commission will be simply
turned over to the contractor who, with
his great force of skilled men to direct the
labor. will go ahead and finish the job with
which the government has been wrestling.
But the government does not relinquish
Of Thn oh Of
engineer of the canal commission will be
In direct charge of the work of consiruc
ton. and in matters of policy his word
will be final. The government of the canal
zone is, of course, retained in all its details,
and the commission will run the commits
sary department the sanitary department,
the mess houses, quarters for men and
officers, the Panama railroad, an auditing
department, department of material and
supplies, and, in general, will assume all
the functions of administration
The form of contract prepared by the
lsthmian canal commission provides a syS-
tenn of bonuses and penalties which will
tend to make the contractor hurry the work
along. Although the question of the award
of the contract is still unsettled. Chairman
Shonts frankly expresses his satisfaction
that so responsible a combination as oliver
bid
What Mr.. oliver Says.
Mr.. Oliver. who fully expects to secure
the contract. says that American negro
labor will have a large part in building
the canal If his views prevail In work
through the south he now employs thou
sands of negroes Five thousand or more
OF them will be taken to the isthmus
large force of white superintendent, with
foremen, steam-shovel men and SUBJ
bosses will also be sent.
The conditions under which Mr.. Oliver
has performed contract work in Mississippi
and other southern states are not unlike