Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-12-19
SATISFACTORY WORK AT
PANAMA.

Il
votes considerable space to the dis
cussion of the relative merits OF gov
eminent construction and construc
ton by private contractors. 1t is tn,
tclief OF Colonel Goethais that mucl
better results can be obtained by TIL,
government Itself than II the work 1!
LET out TO private concerns. His chic
argument is that the government is II
position to do the work cheaper ant
better than any private concern 1.
able TO do II. In airport OF his argu-
ment he says that the character oil
the plant now In operation at Panama
would be practically useless to n pri-
yate contractor upon the completion
OF the contract, hut thatit can be uti-
lied by the government until 1t is
worn out. Other conditions which he
points out In support OF his statement
are the enormous labor force
requiring special organization :
inc superiority of government expert
ence In dredging. locks and dam con-
struction. and the ability of the gov
ernment to obtain competent engi-
ncers from the army. In summing
up Colonel Cocktails declares that the
government has actually secured ana
an organization on tho
lsthmus that cannot be surpassed by
any private contractor"
That no mistake was made when
the Panama canal work was taken out
of the hands of private contractors
and put In charge of army engineers
hns been proved. While the conclu-
sions of Col. Gocthais are interesting.
they were not necessary to provo
that the government has made good"
Mt Panama In canal construction. In
the government has done
what no contractors would have Mt
tempted and that is to insure health
Iul conditions on the Isthmus which
makes 1t possible and easy to Nscure
IN abundance of labor both skilled
md unskilled. In speaking of the
sanitary conditions which now pre-
inil at Panama, the Washington Post
,ays:
Modern sanitation has suppressed
'ellow fever altogether and greatly re-
luced the prevalence of malaria and
diseases. contributing still
urther to the efficiency OF the canal
orces. The, government provides
schools, churches, hospitals. recrea-
ion ccnters. comfortable and cleanly
Affiliations, and palatable food-all of
he elements that go to make con-
entcd and cheerful body of workers.
me average contractor would have
provided none of these things, regard
ng them rs unessential from bus
ness standpoint. They are not only
essential, but vital to the success of
he enterprise. The sanitation of the
Canal Zone as n preliminary 10 tho
'ctual work of construction was n
brilliant stroke of genius. 1t laid the
foundation of success whore no prl-
'atc contractor would have laid 1t, blu,
where 1t had to be placed, II the err
rors of the French engineers were
not to be repeated"
1t Is more than probable that the
organization which the army engi-
neers have perfected and which has
produced such encouraging results
VIII be maintained because Colone,
Goethals ventures the opinion that any
change from the present favorable
conditions would result In dlsorganiz-
ing the canal work and greatly in
crease Its cost and the time required
TO complete 1t, In the light of this
fact there Is not much reason to he-
lieve that Congress will not undertake
to change or NEEDLE with conditions
on the Isthmus. AS long as the country
Is In for digging the canal, It Is GER
'aihiy wise to let we'll enough alone.
Hr=zEa=-===E-
There Is compositor In Middle
town. n. Y, who has been at the case
Tor CT consecutive years. An utter
ance OF his opinion OF proof readers
would not probably fit in with the
gladstone season of the year.
Bourke Cochran says that "Ameri-
ca is ruled by the autocrats. Rookie
Teller, Morgan. Hartman. Hill and Ar
mour. Nonsense. where are the wom-
en- and children.
--zz-==.=-=@
IL was certainly appropriate that