The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1907-01-25
Probably Last Public Statement BY
Chairman ShOnts.
END OF CREATIVE PERIOD
Foundation Well and Securely laid for
Active Construction Work.

and arrangements should be made to
obtain such food from the United
States.
4. That the Panama railroad should
be double-tracked throughout it's en-
tire length; that new locomotives,
fiat, dump and passenger cars should
be ordered; that terminal and switch
ing yards should be constructed, and
that existing docks should be enlarg-
ed and new ones provided.
5. That in expenditures for improv
ed facilities of all kinds only such
sums should be applied to existing
facilities in the republic Of Panama
as were sufficient to keep them in
proper state Of repair, and that all
necessary additions should be located
within the canal zone.
6. That in purchasing material and
supplies of all kinds in the United
States bids should be called for on
the basis of the price covering deliv-
cry on the isthmus in order to give
each section of the country and each
port equal opportunity to furnish the
materials desired thus making the
canal work comprehensive Ameri-
can.
| These policies have been in opera
tion nearly year and a half, and dur
ing that period the preparatory work
has been virtually completed. 1t was
SO nearly completed within year that
actual work of canal construction be.
gan in July last, as soon as congress
decided upon the type of canal that
we were to build.
Difficulties Encountered.
In giving you an account OF what
has been done during the creative
| period, I ask you to bear in mind con-
stantly that we were working 1000
miles from base Of supplies, in a
country that was literally destitute Of
everything we needed. Every foot OF
lumber, every bit Of machinery, everv
tool, every nail, every pound Of paint.
every skilled mechanic, every railway
tie and rail, every locomotive, fiat
car, dump car every piece Of furniture
every bit Of plumbing material, and
virtually every ounce of food had to
be brought 1900 miles. We had to
build towns and villages under these
conditions, and to reconstruct and en-
large a decrepit single-track railway,
| fully a quarter Of a century behind
the times, making it a thoroughly
equipped modern double.track system,
with up-to-date locomotives, cars nt
all varieties. terminal and other
yards, and with up-to-date men for It's
operation. We had to build docks
adequate for the demands Of an enor-
nous traffic, and fit them with mod
ern appliances for the prompt handling
/ Of cargoes. Every piece Of machinery,
every locomotive and car, every crane
for the docks had to be set up In
this country, taken apart and trans
1 ported 1000 miles by sea, and then
! set up again before they could be put
/ into use. To do this work great mod
/ ern machine shops had to be erected
and equipped with appliances and
men.
In the preliminary work we have
spent down to January /, 1907, about
| s32, 100000 OF this amount about
81, soc, 900 has been expended in govern
ment and sanitation; about $7,000,0 ,00O
in construction of quarters and other
buildings, docks, wharVes, railway en-
largement, water works and sewers
about $4,000, 900 in permanent plant;
! over s4,500,OO in miscellaneous mate.
rial and supplies, and over $1,5Oo,0Oo
in the construction OF sewers and
i waterworks and street paving and i'm
1 provement in Panama and Colon. The
il last named will be refunded ultimate
ly to the government.
/ Successful Sanitary Work.
i In regard TO the success Of our san'
tary work, President Roosevelt says In
his special message to congress. writ
! ten after his personal inspection on
the isthmua, that the results have
been astounding" and that "the con
j ditions as regards sickness and deatf
i (Ouuelnuea on nlgaeh Page.l