Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-01-18
THE PANAMA CANAL.
Will Congress Take Eand in Let
 ing the Contract?

VIII VuukIChS 4dAc 4AcAu An 4Vs-
 ing the Contractg
 Washington. Jan 1S.-Apprehen- sion is felt in administration circles that congress may interfere in the letting of the contract for the con- struction of the Panama canal The bids made few days ago for super vision of the actual digging of the great waterway varied materially in the percentage of the cost of the ca nal which the contractors propose to charge. The lowest bid was that of Oliver & Bangs. 6.75 per cent of the total cost of the construction. One of the bids was as high as SS per cent of the cost. The difference indi- cates a wide discrepancy either in the judgment of the contractors or in their understanding of the pro posals submitted to them,
 The proposals were most carefully drawn and were somewhat vollmi- nous. After they had been prepared by the legal authorities of the Pana- ma canal commission they were re- vised by Secretaries Taft and Root, two of the foremost lawyers in the cabinet or in the country. Despite the care manifested in their prepara- tion the proposals are scarcely un- derstood the same way by any two persons who have read them.
 The government is not particular ly concerned, however, as to that feature of the matter. The contrac- tors are assumed to know what they are doing and the successful bidder will have to take the responsibility for his contract.
 A disposition is manifested in congress to direct by law what sort of labor shall be employed on the canal. The labor organizations of the country are opposed to the use of Chinese labor or coolie labor from any country and are exerting their influence to induce congress to crys- tallize their objection into law.
 Should any such law be enacted. it might prove embarrassing not only to the government, but also to the concern to which the contract for supervision of the digging may be awarded. The contractor is expected to furnish the labor for the canal work and, naturally, he would not care to be hampered by an act which would force him to employ only cer- tain classes of labor.
 It is likely the contract for super vision will be awarded to the Oliver Bangs combination. In this concern, William J. Oliver of Knoxville, Tenn, is the real man behind the gun. He expressed willingness to undertake the task alone, but Chairman Shonts insisted that the responsibility could not be rested on single individual. Mir Bangs, therefore. joined forces with him.
 MT Oliver is regarded as one of the great contractors of the world. Ev- cry bank of consequence in the south endorsed him to the canal commits sion and from all over the country the president and the commission re- ceived testimonials of his ability, in- tegrity and financial standing. He has done a great amount of important work for the Southern railway and Samuel Spencer, late president of that system, had such confidence in him that he never required him to give bond.
 Should Mir Oliver and his associate get the contract. negro labor will be employed to great extent in the work of construction. The men will be taken to the isthmus from this country to the number of several thousand. Their work will be super intended by white foremen, princi- pally from the south--men who are accustomed to handle negro labor.
 Should the Oliver-Bangs firm get the contract. work under it will be- gin within sixty days after the sign ing of the papers.