New-York tribune., 1907-01-31
CONTRACT NOT GIVEN.
United States May Still Dig Canal
OliDer Can Rerisc Bid.
lFrom The Trihune Rurennl

washington. Jan. 3O.-The Panama Canal con
tract is not yet in the possession Of William ]
Oliver and his associate The announcement which
seemed TO he almost official 10 the effect that tf
Mr. Oliver secured sufficient financial backing his
hid would be accepted. was to-day declared nra,,a
ture The pledge given 10 NJ. Oliver and the only,
ono 80 Tar given Is that If he secures satisfactory
partners the government viii consider his bid with
that OF the Macarthur Gillespie combination Mr.
oliver viii have opportunity Of amending his
lid II he pleases. and so will the MacArth,r-C C.il
iespie Company. II il wishes to re-enter the COM
petition.
In other words, we have merely told Mr.. Oliver
that we are going to start all again." said an
official II the administration to-day Mr. Oil
ver's bid VIII be scrutinized Just carefully as
that of rhe other firms II he goes on with the
project far enough TO secure the financial backing
that is needed as a guarantee Of good faith. and
the administration will feel perfectly free 10 reject
his bid 1t is possible that both the bids win be
Thrown out and that Chief Engineer Stevens will
be ordered 10 20 ahead and dig the canal for the
government. task that he IS perfectly able to
undertake and through"
The following statement was made public at the
White House tonight by Secretary Loeb:
ReForts % int in The papers seem TO indicate belief
awarded TO Mr.. Oliver This is not So No decision
awarded any OF the bidders Mr. Oliveris HID
was so hopeessly defective that il could not be
plete It in shape tha: viii enable it to receive con-
soeratlon. II IL is put into such shape IL will be
considered. together with the bid already made by
the Gillespie Macarthur combination which may
Itself he altered, and then. whichever bid after
TIE most careful examination seems most advan-
tageous may be taken, both bids rejected and
the canal be constructed under the direct super
vision OF the government In such the gov
eminent would. wherever IL chose use contractors
simply as agents. The real object I'm contracting
:he work Is 10 have assembled a large number
y the best specialists in each class OF work and
no prime consideration VIII he the ability and ht-
making the bid.
The President and the commission would not even
consider a bid OF merely men The work
Is already goirg well. Over half a million cubic
Yards were taken out of the Culebra cut in Janu-
RrN and the amount being taken out is steadily
Increasing.
Alexander NJ Stewart. OF the contracting firm OF
James Stewart g. Co. who was in Washington in
company with his brother, J. G. Stewart. on Tues
day 10 confer with William J. Oliver the bidder
for the Panama Canal contract, was back in the
New York Office OF the firm at No l25 Broadway
Yesterday afternoon. He declined 70 talk about
the conference with Mr.. Oliver saying he did not
want 20 embarrass Mr.. Oliver in any way but
he intmated that his Arm would not take part IN
the contract.
Il think Mr. Oliver will get the contract" he
said and think he viii be able to get all the
financial backing he may need in carrying out
the terms Of the contract. The risks To ba
taken by the contractor seem to be large The
time for the completion Of the canal and the total
cost are 10 he determined In advance by a com
give bond OF Seo0ooG0 TO carry out conditions
Vet known