Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-11-27
Project So Large that No Syndicate
Can Handle it Successfully.
CONTINUITY IN WORK NEEDED
No Private Organization is Big
Enough to Secure It.
LABOR MUST COME FROM ABROAD
Government VIII Have Mech Less
Trouble in Securing IL Than
Would Private Par
tiea.

! WASHINGTON. Nov. 26.-Under date of
october II Lieutenant Colonel George w.
Goethals submits to the secretary OF war
the annual report Of the Isthmian Canal
commission The report opens with a state
ment OF the present formation OF the com
mission, and the division OF labor between
the departments OF construction and engi-
neerng, department Of labor and quarters,
department of sanitation and department
of law and government. The work OF the
departments is given IN brief, that OF
construction and engineering showing the
work Of dredging and excavation to be
fully up TO the expectations Of the COM
mission, 576SOl4 yards OF material having
been removed in the Culebra division DUR
ing the fiscal year 1907 and total Of
SO76,S27 since the United States started
work. In the Colon division 1,ll2s21 yards
were moved in the year and 20e0 566 since
the United States took charge In the
LaBoca division 1,225,ss7 yards were moved
during the year and 2S15,4S7 since the work
was started
Foundation Work Tested.
The department of construction is at
work on the dams and locks, It has thor
oughly tested foundations for dams and
has tentatively decided the form of locks
to be used, these varying with local condi-
! uOnSt Wnlle many surveys nave Deeu tudues
The principal completed work seems TO
have been done by the division of munici-
pal engineering, the report showing that
about a,7i1,95S has been spent, divided
about equally between work in Panama,
Colon and the canal zone. For the money
spent in the towns the United States will
be repaid by collection Of water rates and
work in these towns will cost about N75O-
coo when present plans are carried out.
The report deals with the work at length.
showing how the towns and working sta
tions have been equipped with water plans
and streets and roads have been paved.
The division of motive power and ma
chinery says that sxty-three steam
shovels, 2S4 locomotives, 2,706 dump cars,
eighteen unloaders, thirteen bank spread
ers. thirty unloading plows, three
track shifters and seven pile drivers are
now ready for service; that coal chutes.
air compressors and similar machinery
have been installed. For the accommoda-
ton of gold employees $50 quarters were
constructed and for the silver employees SS6
buildings were erected Thirty-three houses
we're built for hospital purposes. The
average force employed in this work was
$50 and the expense was A.857 5s75Z The
division of material and supplies purchased
merchandise to the value Of $9.5OOO0O, 90
per cent of which was from the United
States
Contract and Hired Labor.
Dealing with the question of contract and
hired labor, Colonel Goethals says:
The question of government work versus
| contract In connection with the Panama
canal has been discussed, and a conclusion
| reached in favor of the former method
! because Of certain stated advantages that
are claimed to result TO those familiar
| with river and harbor improvements, erec-
| tion of public buildings, lighthouses, etc,
| and with contracts under the government,
| the advantages set forth are not so APP
1t is claimed that contractors have un-
der their control and at their disposal
trained labor forces, and that by COM
bination OF such forces, through an as;
sociation of contractors, team work Will
result, thereby accomplishing the desired
end more quickly AS a matter of fact,
maintain intact his entire organization on
one piece of work for transfer to an an
disbanding of the force, and, though new
work may bring to him some OF his old
men, a new organization must in each case
be perfected.
| The Panama canal presents a piece OF
! work unprecedented In magnitude, which
must be done under conditions entirely diff
ferent from similar classes Of work in
the United states. The. work naturally
divides itself into dredging, dry eNcava-
tion, the construction Of the locks and
dams and the construction Of the new
| Panama railroad. There is no contractor
or syndicate of contractors that by any
combination could bring TO the isthmus
an organization ready for team work on
for several contractors to combine forces,
assuming that sufficient number OF
there still remains the necessity for
whipping this force into shape in order
duce the team work so advantageous in
the accomplishment Of results.
Labor Must Come from Abroad.
From the United States the supply OF
1a.n.T. a. NNnrn
done by contract or by the government,
and the character Of the labor must be
hhe dread of the 5e" tropics Us win deter men
| from seeking work here in preference, and
this is equally applicable to the con-
| tractor and the government. An adequate
| supply of labor from the United States
is not possible, and recourse must be had
TO securing II abroad, The records here
| show that no contractor can even at
tempt to recruit labor In the West Indies,
and that great opposition viii develop 10
/ any recruiting by authorized agents OF
the commission II the labor procured Is
turned over TO contractors. These island
| hostility toward the latter because OF
| their experience under the French, which
the West Indies. A representative OF the
Italian government has recommended TO
the authorities that Italian labor be per-
mitted here for employment under the
commission, but he is not favorably in
clined TO the control OF such labor being
vested with a contractor.
! II Is true that in some cases the con-
tractor may have an acquaintance which
will enable him to secure suitable men
more easily than a government agent,
| and, again, he may bring TO a work a
| greater experience, but so Tar as the most
! important parts OF the Panama canal work
| are concerned, this advantage Is not ap-.
parent
Continuity of Construction.
! Experience has shown that continuity OF
| construction is more apt TO result IN cases
/ where the government undertakes the task
/ than when Il Is turned over to contractors
I This can be easily verified by an examina-
( tion OF the records Che number of failing
| cOntractors) 70 be found In the office OF the
| chief Of engineers For all work done hy
hired labor continuity Of work Is merely n
question OF continuity OF appropriations
I II Is true that continuity may be equally
insured by turning the Panama canal work
| over TO contractors. II the contract 4 81
drawn that practically all risks are assumed
/ BY the government, but why this should be
done at considerable increase In cost, Is
| not apparent
! TO anyone who has had experience with