New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-07-06
BIERD AND HIS MACHINE
General Manager of Panama Rail
zcay Talks of Conditions on Isthmus.

will prove important factors in the construc-
| ton Of the Panama Canal and together will
! overcome many obstacles which might other
wise prove insurmountable. We have more
genius in the canal organization than is gen
| orally realized and the track shifting machine
recently invented by w. G. Bierd is a striking
| instance of the inventive genius which is being
exerted in the canal zone" This statement was
made by Secretary Taft after his last visit to
| the canal. and many engineers confirm his esti-
mate of Mr. Bierd. general manager of the
| Panama Railway, and Of the machine he has
invented.
Mr.. Bierd is now in Washington, having come
| TO the states leave Speaking Of conditions
| on the isthmus, he said recently:
Existing conditions on the isthmus are salts
! factory in every respect There is a spirit of
| enthusiasm and cooperation among the men
| which is always the command of the chief
engineer, and which augurs we'll for the prog
ress of the work The men are well paid we'll
| housed and we'll fed. They contented and
happy. and they all doing their best What
more could be desred?"
Asked why ii was so often reported that a
spirit of militarsm exists, that Colonel Goethals
| had failed to inspire his men, that the civilian
| employees were claiming that their suggestions
wer" rejected and their enthusiasm deprecated,
until 7ne and all had come to say, To foei,
| Let the colonies build the canal, they know
| much abcut it," Mr.. Bierd replied:
The spirit of militarism to which you refer
| does not exist on the isthmuS 1t is true that it
was confidently expected. and the conditions
which you say are reported to exist those
which We're generally looked for when Chief
Engineer Stevens resigned. He had, TO a re-
markabe degree the faculty of arousing the
enthusiasm of his men. and when he resigned
and II learned that the work had been con
fded to the army engineers the civilian en-
ployes were blue. They fully expected that
they would he asked to obey and not 10 think,
suggestions But every one has been pleasantly
disappointed. Colonel Goethas is thoroughly
Democratic He has already won the good will
of every man on the isthmus. He welcomes
suggestions and gives kindly consideration TO
complaints. He has preserved, as far any
man could. the organ.s- ,ion built up by Nj.
Stevens. and it is doing as good work as it did
before Mr.. Stevens resigned"
Asked If it were not true that the excavation
had fallen off in May and would show stin
further falling off for June Mr.. Bierd said:
There was a falling off in May. There may
be a little falling of in June. But there are
several good reasons for that. In the first
place Mr.. Wallace was urged 10 make the
dirt fly, and he tried TO do so before his plans
were perfected & his equipment completed.
When Mr.. Stevens took hold he said: 1t win
take two years to complete my equipment
and organization. It won't pay 10 make the dirt
H. until that is done But. once completed.
will make it ~ in earnest Stevens did better
than he promised. He completed his OrganiZa-
ton ana equipment In sofnethlhg less thah TWO
years When II was COMPLETED he said 20 his
men: Now. boys. equipment is complete
and everything is in working order. We have
TWO months of the ary season 'e''' Lev US Snow
tle'h III WASHING '''! ""'' ID" '''' ''. ~
man N'i'' ~ WIN 81" 80 -, -
recorded for March and April. But the men
were making squirt. They could not keep II u0.
- 90 100, - 80 ,,,,, ,,o,,,o dl,,,, Tho iowa
ret Oh Stevens
borr, tho MOI, co,,Id not have kent mn The pac,
q, ,,btcb rba, wore ,beu s-oInp and he yyes too
GOOD a leader 70 have permitted them TO- lie
wanted ,hep, ~ mako a record 20 show what
was in them and to establish their confidence
I'm themselves. But that pace would have proved
hearthreaking If kept up too long. and no one
would have appreciated that better than John
Stevens. Had he remained he would have
slowed down q bit but would have congratu-
lated himself on the fact that he had demon
strated 10 himself and 70 his men that they
possessed q reserve force which nc could call On
in an emergency
Then. in May came the lhclp'h' sHlNe 'I
the steam shovel men II did not amount To
much. but II amounted 70 enough 70 MAKE II
impossible to attain high record Tor that
month. The strike would nave occurred had
Stevens remained lie had reported against the
increase or pay demanded ny the men ana inc
President properly decided that Jh'y We're ask
Ing too much. Now that is all over. The men
are content with the pay they are receiving and
there viii be no more trouble from that source
Finally. the rainy season set IN N May ana
that hampered the work somewhat as II heces-
sarily must But all this talk ahout the men
being disheartcncd having lost interest, having
no more reserve force and no enthusiasm is
nonsense pure and simple"
The track shifting machine to which Secre-
tary TAFT referred and which Mr. Bierd in
vented has proved great success Already