Omaha daily bee., 1907-01-25
SHONTSTALKSN RANSASCIT
Head Of Canal Commission Guest Of Knife
and Fork Club
WORK ON BIG DITCH IS DISCUSSED
Speaker says Creative Period Has
Come 90 an End ane the Period
of Actual Construction.
Begun.


shonts, who yesterday resigned the chair
manship Of the Isthmian Canal commits
sion. was the guest Of honor here this
evening at the monthly dinner OF the Knife |
and Fork club Of Kansas City. In an
illustrated address he gave q record Of the
work done 20 date on the Panama canal
THE creative period" declared Mr..
Shonts, has come TO an end. and the
period of active construction has begun.
AS to the manner in which the creative task
has been performed we are content TO let
the facts speak for themselves"
In closing Mr.. shonts quoted as follows
from President Roosevelt's message, writ
ten after the chief executive returned from
the isthmus:
The wisdom Of the canal management has |
been shown in nothing more clearly than |
IN the way In which the foundations nave
been laid.
Mr. shonts, who arrived in Kansas City /
this morning, had earlier in the day denied |
that his resignation OF the craftsmanship |
had resulted from any disagreement with |
President Roosevelt or any member of the |
commission, and declared that the best of |
relations existed between himself and all |
his associates. He left for New York late |
tonight.
Text of the Speech.
After reviewing the work and plans of
the commission, as given in official re-
ports. Mr.. shonts said in part:
The isthmus Is today as safe place TO
visit as most other parts of the world, ana
much safer than many parts of the United
States so far as danger from disease Is
concerned. Observance Of sanitary laws
and regulations Is compulsory and Is rig
idly enforced. We have hospital system
which is surpassed by none in the world,
the blessings Of salvation, free to ali, but
they are compulsory. Whenever an emf
ploye Is discovered with too high tempera-
ture he Is compelled to go to hospital
whether he wishes to or not.
/ shall not weary you with details about
what we have done in building quarters
wholesome food and pure water If you
will visit the isthmus, as / hope many OF
Scattered along the line of the canal
succession Of trim villages containing pop
plations ranging from few hundred m req up 20
dam which win hold back the waters OF
the great inland lake of 10 square miles,
existence within four months, situated
upon the hilltop, supplied with pure water
and with a modern sewerage system. II
oVerlooks the quaint native village below
on the banks of the Chagres which, when
the dam shall have been constructed and
der water. New homes for the inhabitants
OF this village are 70 be provided upon the
nearby hillsides; You Will see at Culebra,
buildcd upon bluffs overlooking the great
cut and surrounded like an amphitheater
by rising slopes of beautiful hills, a town
Of 5.Oi inhabitants, with modern sewerage
Eys en- and an abundant supply of pure
water A year aud half ago the site OF
this som was covered with an impene>
trable Juagle, with scarcely a sign OF hui
. man hab.tation.
Jamaicans Stnrve Themselves.
In regard to the common laborers from
the West Indies, experience has shown that
induce them to eat sufficient quantity to
keep them In good physical condition. We
onered tnem cooked 1909 AT a AZ tenos vs. per per
meals at a price reduced by the cost of
cooking and service. Both plans resulted
enthusiastically. We even tried, In single
instance, under peculiar conditions the
policy of giving them uncooked food free.
They, DECLINED to go to the trouble OF cook,
ing II. Next we had 1t cooked and offered
Il to the same men free. Then for the
first time they ate. and ate heartily. We
adopt a policy similar to that which Is
followed Ia railway and other construction
work in this country. Beginning with the
them fixed wage including three cooked
meals day. Two important gains are ex-
pected from this policy. II their physical
condition is Improved because of nonrishing
food Chief Engineer Stevens believes their
efficiency as workers will be increased. and
Withstand disease will be perceptiby mag
nihed
Actual work on Canal.
As / said to you in the opening part of
my address. the work OF actual excavation
was restricted during the creative period
TO merely preparatory lines. still some:
making the dirt fly" During the fiscal
year ending with June last 100000 cubic
sanst gi5 OS Yards ro repnwsd c dnr,n Prs I'M
previous year. Notwithstanding the rainy
season, which extends from the end OF
April to the end OF December, there was,
during the month of August. 1905, a total
excavation I'm the Culebra cut of PA, S4i
cubic yards, which was the largest amount
N IN IN inns ttrin ~
month since the canal has, been under
American control In September, 1906, the
and In October, 1906, 1t was $4,000 cubic
yards. Altogether, the surface In the
Culebra cut has been brought down sixty
five feet below the level left by the French
A large amount of the excavated material
has been used in Milling for railroad yards
and double tracking OF the Panama rail-
French dumps and to new dumps recently
placed-two at Mirahores, two at Pedro
one at Bias Obspo, one at Haul Opispo and
very large one, two miles long, at Taber-
nilla. We have at present force Of ffty-two
steam shoVels available for work Most of
them are at work in the canal prism.
mainly In the great cut, Others will be
added as fast as the additional railway
tracks and dumping grounds necessary for
the handling of an increased amount Of
excayated material are provided until, the
number actively engaged reaches the limit
OF ability to employ them TO practical ad-
vantage.
Pleased with Result.
The speaker then told OF action taken to
place shipments from Atlantic and gulf
ports on an equality and for bids on the
work as heretofore given in press dis
patches, and then concluded;
That, gentlemen. is the record OF things
done. We have created state. We have
created a great human machine to carry
on the work l mean Wy that We have
created an organisation on the most APP
proved scientific administrative lines, under
which the various branches OF the wod
are divided and distributed among depart
ments each of which has its own well de-
hned field OF duty and each OF which Is
performing that duty. We have made the
isthmus a healthy place In which to work.
We have built quarters for the workers and
have provided for them abundant supplies
of wholesome food and pure water We
have built up a railway system adequate
for the needs OF canal construction, as
well as commercial business. We have ac-
eumulated the plant with which to do the
work. We have completed the engineering
plans upon which the work is to proceed
With the broad policies of which / have
spoken carried into operation, the creative
period has come 10 an end. and the period
OF active construction has begun. AS "a
the manner In which the creative task
has been performed we are content 70 lei
the facts speak for themselves.
Naval Appropriation Large.
WASHINGTON, Jan. A.-An appropria-