The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-11-27
CANAL COMMISSIONERS
REPORT TO WAR SECRE TARY

Washington, d. c., Nov. 27.--The annual
report OF the Isthmian canal commission
TO Secretary of War Taft has Just been
made public. IT Is q voluminous docu-
ment. highly technical I'm character and
accompanied by large number of photo
graphs showing tho progress OF consiruc-
ton work and particularly the character
of boarding places and sleeping apart
meuts occupied by canal laborers.
The report, which takes up over hum
dred pages OF tabulated expenditures
and details OF construction. includes SOW
eral recommendations and shows that
the active working force now engaged
i'm the canal zone is giving better results
than at any period since the work was
started. Operations, as far as oxcava-
ton is concerned. appear to have been
almost entirely confined 10 the Cuebra
cut. where in three months before tho
publication OF the report nearly two and a
half million cubic yards OF earth had
been removed.
The report quotes from the report OF
board Of consulting engineers with re-
gard to the safety Of the proposed locks,
one OF the investigators on this board
being John r. Freeman of Providence.
The cost of sanitary improvements in
tho city of Colon and the city of Panama
up to date has been sl.750,0Oo the greater
part of this outlay in both cases being
for new waterworks system. brick paw
ing and sewerage
There has also been great activity in
the building of officers quarters, hos
pitfalls. family quarters and bachelors
quarters along the entire line OF the
canal. A total OF 767 new buildings were
constructed during the year, and on June
30 there were on hand nearly 5000 gov
crnment buildings of all kinds The
average force of mon employees was
1910, and nearly s5,0OO000 was spent on
new buildings and construction of all
kinds.
Ten million dollars worth Of material
was purchased by the government and
nearly 2Ooo0 tons OF miscellaneous old
material that had been used and chan
doned by the French government was
disposed Of TO dealers in the United States
as scrap iron.
The report contains the following state
mcnt with regard to contract VS.. hired
labor:
The Panama canal presents piece
Of work unprecedented in magnitude,
which must be done under conditions en-
tircly different from similar classes of
work i'm the United states. The work
naturally divides itself into dredging, dry
excavation, the construction of the locks
and dams and the construction OF the
new Panama railroad. There is no con-
tractor or syndicate of contractors that
by any combination could bring TO the
isthmus an organization ready for team
work on any of these units.
From the United States the supply OF
1ssbor is the same whether the work be
done by contract or by the government
and the character OF the labor must be-
tho same So long as work Is plentiful
the dread OF the tropics will deter men
from seeking work here in preference.
and this is equally applicable to the con-
tractor and the government
The wage scale on the isthmus Is
the United States the wage scale is de-
termined by the amount paid for the
Same class of labor In the immediate
vicinity; there is no pressure brought 20
bear on higher authority for any increase
over the salaries or amounts offered, and
strikes are unknown. 1t is true that con-
djtlons on the isthmus are such that de-
nrsnds for increase in pay are frequent
and that 10 accomplish what was denied
by those Immediately in charge of the
work recourse has been had TO higher
authority.
The wage scale the isthmus is
practically adopted and contractor
would be obliged TO maintain IL. Under
the recent decision that all questions Of
'pay are to be left with the commits
sion, this body Is placed on as secure a
hasis relative ~ .hs soryant oemands
for an increase as any association Of con-
tractors.
Experience has showns that continuity
or construction Is more apt 20 result In
cases where the goternment undertakes
tho task tnan when Il is turned over to
contractors
ITO Aiyone who has had experience
with contracts on government work,