The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1907-04-23
ADJUSTS MANY DIFFERENCES
Holds Long Conference With Panama
Authorities.-.Praise for Ma@oon.

Norfolk, Va, April 22.-The May
flower, having on board Secretary
Taft and party, returning from the
south, passed in the Virginia Capes
today and proceeded to Washington,
where immediate preparations will be
made for the presidents trip to the
opening OF the Jamestown exposition.
The party arrived in Washington
shortly after IL o'clock. Later Secre-
tary Taft gave out statement in
which he says he found matters in
Cuba ''in what, under the circum-
stances, must be considered a very
satisfactory condition, that there is
every ground for hope that the plan
adopted for census, preliminary elec-
tion and then general election six
months later will result in the selec-
ton of a president and congress, who
will be able to maintain themselves
and give stable rule to the island, and
that the delay in taking census is
taken by the Cubans as an earnest
effort of the. American government to
obtain stable government before it
leaves there"
He says that next Friday he will go
to Cincinnati to attend Yale meet
ing and on Monday night will discuss
the Panama canal before the Cincin-
natl Business Mems club, returning to
Washington by the following Wednes-
day.
Mr.. Taft says that in Panama the
engineers reported to him that the
foundations for the sites of the locks
were entirely satisfactory.
Secretary Taft's statement follows:
..We reached Colon on Saturday.
March 8. We spent Saturday, Sunday,
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday on
the isthmus. The test pits had been
sunk upon the proposed sites of the
locks and the engineers, Messrs. No
BILE, Stearns and Freeman made their
examination. They informally report
ed to me that the foundations were
entirely satisfactory, but they expect
to make formal written report.
also, at the request of Col. Goethals re-
quested them to answer certain tech
nical questions as to the best means
of constructing the dams, both at Ca
tun and at Sosa.
Il held long conference with the
Panama authorities in the presence of
Senator Kittredge, of the canal COM
mittee, and Minister squiers, in re-
spect to a number of matters which
needed adjustment between the zone
authorities and the Panama govern
ment, and we tentatively reached a
satisfactory arrangement which will
be formulated in subsequent CORE
spondence.
Il also heard certain complaints con-
cerning the dealing Of the Panama
railroad with it's lots in Colon and
took the matter under consideration,
awaiting more complete statement Of
the details to be made by the lot
holders.
II also heard the applications of the
steam shovel men and the construc-
tive locomotive engineers and con-
struction conductors, with reference
to their terms of employment, includ-
ing wages. I have forwarded re-
port On this matter to the president.
what has happened in respect to
this don't know. We were very busy
during the five days we spent in Pan
anna.
Il left the engineers and Mr.. Rog-
ers, general counsel of the isthmian
canal commission, on the isthmus-
the engineers for the purpose of MAX
ing further report on the technical
questions which referred to them,
and Mr.. Rogers for the purpose of
pushing some condemnation litigation
to acquire title to land which in the
now deepening of the work becomes
necessary for us to take over.
Il found Mr.. Stevens on the isthmus
and also Col. Goethals. Majors Hilbert
and Gaillard and Admiral Rousseau.
Mr.. Stevens is very much out of health
and needs long rest. He has brought
to an efficient state a great organiza-