The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-11-29
GOVERNMENT WORK
 VERSUS CONTRACT Latter Chosen for the Panama Canal Operations, and the
 Reasons Stated. ABSTRACT FROM THE
 COMMISSIONS REPORT Advantages of the Contract System Set Forth for the Particular Work in
 Hand.

Particular Work in
 Hand.
 The annual report of the Isthmian Canal commission is in the hands of President Roosevelt closing with the fiscal year, October 1T. An especial in terest attaches to it in the judgment of engineers as affording a comparison between the work accomplished by a commission dominated by civilians and one controlled by officers of the army ! and navy. The common verdict is that the fortunes of the canal have under l gone no deterioration as consequence
 Of the change, though the report as a l whole is too technical for popular newspaper consumption. The various 1 improvements undertaken in the canal l zone and the work of excavation are recited with professional directness cad absence of imagination and will | be examined with interest by civil ex-
 perts
 An interesting feature of the report 1 of the commission is discussion of
 "contract versus hired labor" which is
 likely to provoke more or less of con-
 troversy in labor circles where the pol icy of the government has not always l been received with satisfaction Says
 the report:
 "The question of government work | versus contract in connection with the
 Panama canal has been discussed, and l A conclusion reached in favor of the
 latter method because of certain stated
 advantages that are claimed to result
 To those familiar with river and har.
 Dor improvements, erection of public
 buildings, light-holses etc., and witf
 contracts under the government, thu
 advantages set forth are not so appar
 ent or real.
 Tt is claimed that contractors have
 under their control and at their dis
 .posal trained labor forces and that bI
 a. combination of such forces, througf
 an association of contractors, teair
 work will result, thereby accomplish ing the desired end more quickly. Al
 matter of fact, conditions seldom
 enable a contractor to maintain in
 tact his entire organization on on'
 piece of work for transfer to another
 the completion of a job means the dis
 banding of the force, and though nev
 work may bring to him some of his ol'
 men, new organization must in eacl
 case be perfected.
 "The Panama canal presents a piec
 of work unprecedented m magnitude
 which must be done under condition
 entirely different from similar classe of work in the United States. Tn work naturally divides itself int
 dredging, dry excavation. the construc [ ton of the locks and dams, and tn construction of the new Panama rail
 road There Is no contractor or syndi { cate of contractors that by any com bination could bring to the 1sthmus a organization ready for team work ol any of these units. While 1t Is possi ble for several contractors to conhin forces, assuming that a sufficien number of men can be gotten togethe in that way, there still remains tn necessity for whipping this force int
 shape in order to secure an organiza ton that will produce the team worl SD advantageous in the accomplish ment of results.
 { "From the United States the suppl of labor is the same whether the Worl be done by contract or by the govern ment. and the character of the labo must be the same. So long as wor is plentiful the dread of the Tropic will deter men from seeking wor f here in preference, and this Is equal | applicable to the contractor and tn government An adequate supply c labor from the United States is nc ! possible, and recourse must be had securing it abroad The records her | show that no contractor can even al !, tempt to recruit labor in the West IT dies, and that great opposition will d( | velop to any recruiting by authorize 7 agents of the commission if the laDt procured is turned over to contractor These island governments can not v blamed for their hostility toward tf latter because of their experience ul der the French, which left an i1del 7 ble impression throughout the We Sf Indies. A representative of the Italia \ government has recommended to tl E authorities that Italian labor be pc \ n,ttted here for employment under tl S commission, but he is not favorab N inclined to the control of such lab' 2 hciag vested with a contractor. a eIt is true that in some cases u S contractor may have an acqualntan ', which will enable him to secure suit \ ble men more easily than goverl S ment agent, and, again, he may brll ,|,t | to a work a greater experience, but 2 far as the most important parts of t 1 Panama canal work are concerne ~ this advantage is not apparent & anv case the knowledge of the speci' M ist in the particular work that is m be done Is the element that will Q A complish the most satisfactory resul M and, so far as dredging and lock a n1 dam construction are concerned, aaA goyernment's experience has been, a% not greater, at least as extensive la that of any contractor or assoeiati A@ of contractors that can be secured sA tne United States. For these units gN the work the governments aequaii = ance is equally extensive, and expe kI enced men can be drawn from the n4 lrf1 Q