The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-09-05
OLIVER AND CANAL
Contractor Who Does Things
Seeks Job on Big Ditch.
MAY FURNISH DIRT CARS
incidentally Ayers That if He Had
Charge He Could Complete the
Work in Five Ysars-Was on
Wrong Side Of the Line.

Wrong Side Of the Line.
A Washington special says: William
J. Oliver, whose strenuous endeavor
to secure the contract for the Panama
canal made him a national figure, has
been in Washington on a business trip.
He expects to get the contract for fur
nishing dirt cars for the big ditch, and
is incidentally closing some plans for
engineering feats in Brazil and Cuba.
He is also busy with some legal mat
ters in connection with the great dam
and lock which he is building at Chat
tanooga.
Mr.. Oliver has not yet given up
hopes of having his name inscribed at
the Atlantic end OF the canal as its
builder. and he smiled somewhat en-
couragingly when a reporter CT the
i Washington Herald asked him if, &C.
cording to the report, he would build
the canal after everybody else had
failed"
What do you think OF the progress
OF the canal?" the reporter asked.
'It will be finished" Mr.. Oliver an
swered. The men at tAe head OF it
are determined workers, but they are
under many hanGicaps. In the first
place, all the plans of that canal must
be kept in one mans head. One man
must be the executive, and do the work
according to his own plans, and no
others. It's dig, dig, all the time, and
it's no skirt-dance, as anybody who
knows anything about the business can
testify.
"Now, a man is there today and not
| there tomorrow. The plans that one
executive has in his head and has be-
gun to place in operation, are frustrat-
| ed when a successor is appointed. The
successor has his pla.s, and spends
| a year showing where the other fel-
! low was wrong. When he gets his
| plans formulated and working he
leaves, and that's the way it goes. The
| canal will be built, Dut it will take
| time
major Goethals is capable. man,
and one who really understands the
! business, and I hope he will succeed,
for the south wants that canal frishs d
and finished quick, and as long as 1
can't build it q come from the wrong
side of the line) I hope Major Goe-
thals makes a fine job. You know I
wouldn't add any political prestige to
the administration
"Could you build the canal in your
lifetime, Mr.. Oliver?"
Il could finish it in five years. I
am sure I could. would transport a
lot of my co!ored men and a lot OF
others and dig day and night until
il was finished. know l could do it,
and it's not because 1 am a better en-
sineer than many others. But l would
know first hand what the bitches were,
and 1 would be driving my hired
hands all day long. 1t isn't the same
when the government has it. The chief
gets information second hand and
through, maybe, ten hands, and by
the time it gets to him it is pretty
we'll colored, and he IS led to believe
that things are going swimmirsly.
Its a great job, the largest in the
world, and when it's finished | will be
the first to take Off my hat and be
thankful
In speaking of the effects OF the
administrations policies cn railroads,
Mr.. Oliver said:
There can be no doubt that it has
caused the railroads to be fearful and
wary. They are under hsavy handi,
cap, and in my opinion a great fnan'
cial depression will be caused un.ess
the policy OF the administration
changes. In fact, that policy is ruin
Gus. Work is being stopped all over
the south, and several of my opera,
tions are completely tied up.
There will have to be cnange, and
the people seem to be coming to real
ize it. do not believe in placing the
business of a country in the hands OF
socialists and thsre a:e many others
of my opinion. These threats OF I'M
prisonment and other talk Of that kind
will hamper the business Of the coun'
Io1.