The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-28
OLIVER GETS 1 CANAL AWARD Tennessee Man Secures | Contract. IS ANNOUNCED OFFICIALLY Must Associate Himself With Other Constructors.  With Anson M Bangs of New York. He Was the Lowest Bidder For the Work In
 Panama.

conference at the White House tonight 1t was officially announced that the contract for building the fanama Canal would be awarded to William J. oli- yer. of Knoxville. Tenn. who with Anson M. Bangs of New York, was the lowest bidder h the recent competition. provided that within the next ten days he associates himself with at least two independent constructors whose skiIi and experience combined with his own. shall cover the entire field Of the work to be performed under the contract.
 MT. Bangs Is kinsman Of William J. Gaynor. who was implicated in the frauds against the government at Sa- vannah harbor.
 The official announcement tonight confirms the Associated Press statement of last Friday night. President Roose-1 welt then took the position that since MT. Oliver had met all the require ments of the government, 1t would be unjust to reject his bid of 6.75 per cent for the construction of the canal or even to require him to submit new bid for the contract.
 Mr. Oliver has informed the President that 1t was his desire to submit an tn- dependent bid for the work and when the canal officials informed him that It would be necessary to form partner ship with some other financially re" sponsible contractor. they even went 80 far as to suggest that he enter into al, agreement with Anson M. Bangs Of New York City. MT. Oliver said that after receiving this suggestion from Chairman Shonts. he visited the War Department and was informed that MT Bangs would be entirely satisfactory to the government. Mir. Oliver told the President with this assurance as to the Ae AHr ha tFnr 1adfAta- ly. entered into an agreement with the New York contractor.
 Powerful Influences Brought.
 Powerful influences were brought to bear on the President and Secretary Taft to reject all bids and advertise for new proposals. but the President In. sisted that Mir. Oliver should be given. a reasonable time in which to make a satisfactory arrangement to substitute another contractor or group of contrar tors to take the place of Mir. Bangs. At the White House conference on Sat friday night, the friends of the Mac Ar thur-G Gillespie syndicate argued that the contract hguEes should be increae ed to nine per cent of the total cost Of construction. and that the contract be awarded to Oliver, Mac Arthur and Gil. lesple. This suggestion, however. did not meet with the approval of the New York firm, who insisted that .hey could not undertake the work for less than 12.50 per cent of the total cost. the fig- ure mentioned in their original bid.
 The President, Secretary Taft and the Canal Commission osiclals then decid- ed to award the contract to MT. Oliver. provided he could make satisfactory ar- rangements with at least two other financially responsible contractors.
 Secretary Taft and R. R. Rogers. general counsel to the Canal Commis- sion, were il. conference for two hours tonight and the whole matter was again gone over. At the direction of the President, Mir Rogers prepared the off, ficial statement for the press.
 When informed of the statement by the direction of the President Mir. Oli- ver's representatives tonight said.
 There is absolutely no doubt about Mir. Oliver being able to fulfill the re- auirements of the Canal Commission. There are now at least twenty of the most responsible contractors in the United States who have expressed a willingness to join Mir. Oliver in the work of constructing the canal at the figure mentioned in his original bids These names will be submitted to Pres dent Roosevelt toTrorrow with proof of heir financial ability.
 Before entering into another ar rangement MT. Diver vents to know positively that the contractor he chooses will be accepti ole to the gov ernment."
 Assurances from oliver.
 The official statement given out to- night follows:
 "As a result of conferences at the White House it was today announced by the Isthmian Can l Commissi"n n that In view of assur nres that had Seen received from MT. Oliver and capitalists associated with him tha, Mir Oliver was prepared to make good his bid to complete the construction of he isthmian canal at a per centage Of { 75. with an org nf7ation of contrac- 'ors. and with financial resources in full compliance with the requirements If the invitation for bids. he will be given an opportunity to do so. Mir. O l. yer has been notifed that within ten days he win be renul~ed to associate with himself at least two indeoendent contractors whose skill and experiencA corblned with his own shall cover the rntire field of work to be performed rnder the contract and to organize a rornora ton for the exnress nurnose nf arriving out the nroooseI contract with ', c,ri+al of ss. oo0 mo If which rot lees nm s1.so0, ,000 shall be in cash and sl.. 0n ncO in the form of solvent sub aar;ptions shall he available for the rrrroee of carrying out the cont-ac' md of which the ren"i ing s2.0o0, ,ono re to he devoted to the purrose of procuring Ncnd AS reruI-ed hv he -ort-act but for. -"hs "ut'uR in lieu .ubiect tc the co~dit'"-s of the bond -aeh or cur~ar4 securities satisfactory 'o 'he commission.
 "sotfsFactorv assurances not having been received that the financial stand 'ro oF MT Anson M Rangs met the re- nuirer=Ants of the invitation by iiree- .ion of the rresidenS, he has been re- iected as a participant Tn the bid filed by Nessrs Oliver and Bangs.
 'The privilege has been extended to Messrs. Macarthur and Gillespie. the only remaining bidders whose bid has been deemed worthy of consideration to either withdraw their pending bid or to allow it a bid by the result of Mir. Oliver's efforts 10 make good his bid as herein outlined than to be con- sIdered upon its merit. The other htda have heen reflected beeauaA fin.