The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-08
BECOMING SYSTEMATIzED.

AS a result of it's new policy IN treat
ment of the Panama canal project the
administration expects to make saw
ing Of from three to four million dol
lars, and possibly more, the amount de-
pending upon the total cost of the
waterway. 1t is also contemplated that
the Government will be able to exercise
larger control Of the work through its
own engineering force, which of late
has been doing some very effective
work
Probably the cause for the high bids
which were submitted was in the fact
that a bond for five million dollars was
exacted from each of the contractors.
The Oliver proposition was to supervise
the construction for SIX and three-quar-
tcrs per cent of the entire cost That
of the McArthur"Gillespie combination
was for twelve and one-half per cent
Under the new arrangement the admin
lstration believes that it will be able
to accomplish the work at the rate of
five per cent for supervision, 1t has
been determined to let contracts for
different sections of the work to differ
ent contractors, eXacting no bond what
ever, but retaining practical control IN
the Government engineering corps.
Another important matter is the re-
tention of control of quarters and of
the subsistence department by the Gov
ernment. Upon the proper conduct of
these depends the health of the labor
ers and consequently the well-being of
the work, Even if these are to be run
by the contractors themselves, 1T has
been decided that the best interests of
the work demand that the engineering
force of the Government shall exercise
the right Of rigid supervision. The
President has not decided how many
sections the work shall be divided into.
but expert advice to him is that there
be a section for each particular class
OF construc ton, so that constant famil-
iarlty with the nature of the work will
have a tendency to expedite its pros
ecution,
IT is likely that there will be nine
sections IN all, probably requiring the
"'' 'i'No Va tOuJl oCUOTSs = IL /
SO divided there Will be the Colon sec
tlon from the Caribbean sea to the
mouth Of the Mindi river; the second
from that point to Gatun lock; the
third to be the Gatun locks themselves:
the Gatun dam will constitute the
fourth; the works for regulating the
level of tho lake at the dam will be
the fifth; the sixth will be from Gatun
lock TO San Pablo, III which there will
be but little excavation, although it
covers stretch of over fifteen miles,
Cnlebra cut is to be the seventh sec
ton, In which the largest amount of
excavation is necessary; from this point
to Pedro Miguel lock will be the eighth;
and last of all will be that from Pedro
Miguel to deep water in Panama bay.
BY retaining control in the govern.
ment engineers, the matters of santa.
tion, food supply and the relations of
the contractors with the Panama rail |
road VIII he regulated in such way as
to prevent complications which might |
otherwlse arise to the dctriment of the
work. 1t would seem that under such |
arrangements there is good prospect for
hnal completion of the canal: but
friends of the sealevcl proposition are
not at all satisfied with the prospect of
dlihculty in maintenance of the lock-
canal, which may be a constant source
OF aggravation and impedIment to util-
ity
The present effort at precision in the
Fanama canal project Will put at rest