The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-12
WOULD IGNORE COST LIMIT
Taft Thinks It Should Not Delay
Work on Canal.
Believes Congress Would Provide
Funds il Engineers Estimates Ex-
coed Limitation Fixed.

Secretary Taft, Chairman Shonts. and
/ General Counsel Rogers. Of the Panama
Canal Commission. were before the
House Committee on Interstate and For
I eign Commerce yesterday 70 explain the
features Of the contract proposed to be
made for the construction Of the canal
II was a subject upon which the COM
mittee members were not informed. and
az the project. in legislative sense, is
under their jurisdiction. they wanted TO
know about t.
1t was stated that the contract was
terminable at the pleasure Of the govern
ment at any time after year. upon the
payment Of $4,000. which should consti-
tute release in fun OF all claims against
the government After one-third Of the
work committed to the contractors shall
have been completed. then the contract
may be terminated upon the payment of
per cent Of the estimated cost Of the
portion yet 10 be done.
Does the eight-hour law apply 10 the
work done under the contract" was
asked.
Il DO not think So" replied General
Counsel Rogers.
Excuse me" interrupted Secretary
Taft. but the law does apply to all work
on the isthmus"
And this was accepted as final
In the course Of the hearing Secretary
Taft said that in the month Of January
556. 900 cubic yards of earth were taken
from the Culebra cut-more than twice
as much as was ever removed I'm any
previous month. either by the French
contractors or the United States forces.
Mr.. Mann. of Illinois. wanted to know
whether or not the department was TAX
ing any steps 20 keep the expenditures
in connection with the construction Of
the canal within the limit Of cost fixed
by Congress.
Secretary Taft replied that within if
teen days after the awarding of a con-
tract a board Of engineers, two to be ap-
pointed by the contractors and three by
the War Department, would be organized
10 fix and determine the amount Of work
10 be done by the contractors and esti-
mate the cost.
Suppose that estimate shows the cost
to be in excess Of the limitation fixed by
Congress. what will you do?' asked Nj
Mann.
If it is left to me, I'd go ahead" re-
piled the Secretary.
He explained that there was no intent
or desire to drive through" the act Of
Congress. but that while il was manda-
tory upon the President to build the
canal. the language covering the restric-
ton as TO cost was indefinite. In that
view Of the case. he believed that the
work should proceed. and that Congress
would provide the funds.
Well" said Mr.. Mann, 7 had rather
YOU would drive through the law than at
tempt to go around il.
in the hearing before the Committee
on Appropriations Saturday, Chairman
Shonts told the committee that while
President Roosevelt was on the isthmus
the employees in the administrative force
there asked him why they. working more
than eight hours q day. should not re-
caive pay and a half for the overtime
The President said he could see no rea-
son, and recommended that the commits
sion issue an order to that effect, which.
he said. that body now had under consid-
Grafton.
This statement deeply interested mem
bers of the committee, who saw before
them the prospect Of a wholly unexpected
addition to the cost of the canal, the ex-
tent of which could not be fOretOld or
even estimated. They recalled that the
canal was exempted from the eight-hour
law at the request of the administration
and against the earnest protest of the
labor unions One Of the arguments used
in support Of the provision was that, as
the employees had nothing else but work
70 occupy them on the isthmus, they pre-
ferred to labor ten hours rather than
eight But il was not expected that they
would ask TO be further remuneTated by
overtime paw.