Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-20
DOING MORE THAN EXPECTED
FAVORABLE REPORT REGARDING
PANAMA CANAL WORK.
Col. Cocktails Favors Exceeding the
Amount Appropriated by Con-
gress for This Year.

Conditions on the Panama canal have
reached a state Of gravity due to the fact
that construction work is developing faster
than was contemplated when the estimates
for expenditures during the fiscal year 1908
were made nearly year ago. The estimate
is made that about $SOOO.OO in excess Of
the appropriation could be used to advan-
tage in pushing forward the work during
the present year, and Col. Goethals the
engineer in charge, thinks it would be in
the interest of true economy to proceed
along this basis and ask Congress at its
next session to make good the deficiency
as the argument is made that with the pres
ent organization and progress the waterway
can be completed more rapidly than by re-
straining expenditures within the appro-
priatlons now available. Already reports
show that the monthly estimated expendi-
ture for labor Is being considerably ex-
ceeded, and work at the Gatum dam has
advanced faster than was anticipated. In
a statement on the subject given out at the
Office of the isthmian canal commission the
situation is outlined as follows:
Work on Locks and Dams.
With the present organization and the
progress which now is made the canal can
be completed more rapidly than by restrain
ing expenditure within the appropriations
which were made at the last session of
Congress to continue the work until 1893.
The work on locks and dams on each
terminus has been opened and will be
puSned vigorously during the year. while
very little was expended at those places
during the fiscal year which terminated
June so. 1907
The time of conn.,, elton of the canal APP
pears to depend now upon work at Gatlrm
rather than the work of excavation which
has hitherto been generally taken as the
determinins feature, The progress In that
direction has been faster than Anticipated
and the appropriation made at the last ses-
sion of Congress would not be sufficient to
supply the necessary plant to begin laying
the concrete in the locks and dams during
the next fiscal year, although progress al
ready made indicates that such beginning
is advisable.
In order to avoid reducing the force, to
keep within the expenditure already au-
thorlzed for this fiscal year, the chairman of
the commission has recommended to the
Secretary of War that the work be allowed
to proceed and that Congress be appealed
to at its next session to make good any de-
ficiency in the funds now available
IF the funds requested are not provided
1t VIII, of course. be necessary to reduce
the rate of expenditure to keep within the
appropriation on hand. About $S,OOO,OOO in
excess of the appropriations already could
be used to advantage in pushing forward
the work during the present year"
Attitude Of War Department.
Realizing the urgency of the request
made by the isthmian canal commission
for permission to incur a deficiency Of S.
100000, in order to avoid a partial suspen-
sion Of the great work of canal construc-
ton. Acting Secretary Oliver has been In
Geographic CORES. ldence with Secretary
TAFT on the subject and also with Solicitor
Rogers Of the commission. The department
Is desirous of acceding to the request of the
commission. but 1t Is deemed necessary to
make sure that 1t can be done without in
fraction of law, and the officials are now
making an investigation the result of which
after all. must act upon the applica ton.
The difficulty in the way lies in section
1878, Revised Statutes. amended by the
act Of February 81. 1905. which in terms
strictly prohibits any executive officer
under pain of a fine Of 500 and dismissal
from the government service, from incur
ring any deficiency. That amendment was
adopted after Chairman Shonts had expend-
ed large sum of money without special
congressional authorization. 1t is held.
however, that as the statute and amend
ment in terms apply only to the executive
departments and government establish
mentS the isthmian canal work may be re-
garded as excepted from their operation and
that Is the question that the solicitors must
determine in the affirmative unless the canal
work Is to be Set back almost full year.
just at time when Col. Goethals, the en-
gineer in charge of the great work. is
preparation for the construction of locks
and dams. and is understood to be privately
predicting that the canal itself will be fin-
ished year in advance Of the time orig
inally estimated when he took charge of the
construction work.