The Washington herald., 1907-04-03

New York. April Representative II.
T. Rainey, of Illinois. who has spent
eight days on the Isthmus of Panama.
seeing things on his own accord, arrived
to-day from Colon aboard the steamship
Colon. with very favorable opinion of
the progress of the work. but "a poor one
/ Of the commissary department.
lie said he had refused the cOuTtesies
/ offered TO him by the officials Of the
canal as he did not want cut-and-dried
reception, such as he believed had been
extended to the President and various
parties Of Congressman. whose coming 70
/ the canal had been announced long be-
fore they got there.
May Dig Canal in Five Years.
Il went through al the cuts myself"
said Mr. Rainey. "and ate meals at the
dining halls provided for the white en-
ployes and the ordinary laborers I found
the best class Of American mechanics
there and the utmost enthusiasm exists
among them. a friendly competition be-
| tween the several crews Of steam shovel
/ ers makes the dirt fiy. The day I LETT.
crew No POI, with a niAety-ive- ton
shovel. took out 2.090 square Yards Of
dirt which is the worlds record FOR any
/ steam shovel and t.ts ambition Of the
other crews is 10 beat that. The rate at
/ which the work is going on indicates that
the canal Will be dug in I'VE years and
/ the locks completed IN the same period.
/ Mr.. Rainey says that everything seemed
TO be ideal except the commissary de-
/ partment. and that was spoiled by being
/ transferred from the docks in a tempeTa-
ture OF eighty OF ninety degrees. in a
/ leisUrely way, 10 ordinary cars.
MisrepFesent Price of Meals.
a Congressional party. continued
! Representative Rainey. that recently ate
/ IN one of the dining halls. We're sold that
the same sort of luncheon they had eaten
was served every day to the canal eni-
ploycs at a cost of 80 cents a head can
prove that the-luneheon that the Congress
slonal party Of hfty-three had was or
dercd five days in advance and cost sl.65
1 a head.
Not long ago members of commercial
clubs from St Louis were served with
luncheon in the Culebra dining-hall and
were surprised when they were informed
]
/ the dinner cost 30 cents a head Why, the
oyster soup alone must have cost close
on to that The President also ate one of
those 3O-cent meals. I found out that il
/ was generally understood that the Presi-
dent was going TO eat at one of the din
/ ing-halls, and they were all ready for
4 him.
/ Predicts Another Big Scandal.
Mr.. Jackson Smith is in charge Of the
commissariat and is burdened with work
He leaves the details to subordinates. I
/ believe that If the matter were investi-
gated carefully it would bring to light
a scandal second only 20 the bad meat
scandal OF the Spanish-American war. II
/. has been always understood that the Com
missary Department was to supply food
at a cost just covering expenses. have
found out that stewards were ordered
TO make profit of at least $50 or $50 a
week from their dining halls
q must say that all the meals are
/ well served except the meats.
Claims There Is Grating.
There is no doubt of grating on the
isthmus. Take, for instance, shoes for
which the Commissary Department
/ charges S pair. The same sort Of shoes
can be bought in the United States for
50 a pair.
THE sanitary department, under charge
of DR.. Gorgas, is entirely different from
the conmissary The sanitation has been
made practically perfect. There is not "a
/ serious ease of Illness on the island.
Everybody down there regrets that
/ Stevens Is going TO leave. I saw him
while / was there, and he appeared to
be in good health. I heard nothing of
the rumors that he was leaving because
he thought the canal was not going to
| be a success"