New-York tribune., 1908-08-24
SUCCESS AT PANAMA
TO PRESIDENT.
Greatly Pleased 5cith What Special
Commission Found.

Oyster Bay. Aug. 23--PreSldent Roosevelt To-
day made public report made to him on Au-
gust s by a special commission, consisting on
James Bronson Reynolds. Samuel B. Donnelly
and Henry Beach Needham. regarding condI-
tions in Panama The commission was ap-
pointed on April % last "to investigate condl-
tons especially as regards labor and accom-
modatio-5, on the Isthmus Of Panama
That the President is pleased with the report
is shown in a letter which he sent to each mem
her of the commission on Friday. He expresses
particular pleasure over the fact that the conf
r1ission upholds the administration OF Coionei
George W. Goethals. chairman of the Isthnian
Canal Commission. and the President has mad
copy of the report mailed to Colonel Goethals.
requesting that the recommendations made by
the commission be put into effect Immediately
so far as possible The President will submit
the report to Congress with appropriate recon-
mendations
To a great extent the report is devoted to a
statistical outline of the work that has been ac-
complished. the work that remains to be done
the physical possibilities with the equipment
now in use, the number OF men at present en-
ployed, and the railroad facilities for removing
rock and dirt The commission reports that it
.inspected the entire line OF the canal excavs-
ton from La Boca, the southern or Pacific ter
minus. to Cristobal, the northern OF Caribbean
terminus and travelled through the excavation
several times interviewing the men at work
In indicating the scope OF the inspection. the
commission reports that it visited the govern
ment workshops, construction plants. ware
houses shipyards. dTedges. commissary stores.
living quarters (hotels, messes, kitchens and
ca1nps), schools, clubhouses. courts. police sta
tions and the ConvaIescent Home at Taboga.'
PRESIDENTS APPRECIATION.
President Poosevelt's letter OF appreciation.
follows:
Gentlemen: have received your admirable
report on conditions at Panama / am greatly
impressed with it, and shall submit it to Con- .
gress with appropriate recomnnendatlons as soon
that body conyenes. Meanwhile. snail SEND
YOUR recommendatio tions to Colonel Goethals and .
ask him to put them into effect so far as pos .
sibIe and where he deems this impossible or :
inpracticable to report the fact to with his :
reasons I naturally extremely pleased at !
the very satisfactory showing that your report
makes of conditions under Colonel CTOethdlS and .
his associates I doubt II there ts any piece or
work undertaken on behalf OF the American peo-
pIe of recent years OF which the American people .
have more reason TO be proud tnan OF the Work
hitherto done the Panama Canal The sue ;
cess has literally been astoundtns- rive years /.
ago when We undertook the task, no sane man
would have dared TO hope for the results which |
have already been achieved The work itself
has been advanced more expeditfOuSly than We
had ventured to think possible and the rapidity
of the rate OF progress has steadily increased
NieanvhiIe the treatment OF hygienic conditions
on the isthmus has been such as to make II iit-
orally the model for all work OF the Kind IN
tropical countries Five years ago the !sfnTnus
the most deadly kind. At present the canal
zone is of the healthiest places on the globe.
and the work which Is being prosecuted with
such tremendous energy IS being prosecuted un-
der conditions so favorable 10 the health ana
welIbeing of the workers that the mortality
among them is sbnormally small
Finally in addition the extreme efficiency
of the work under Colonel Goethals and his as
sociates and the extraordinary hygienic sue
ocr,fa YTrdar (r0rCaS
further and exceedingly gratifying fact that on
been able TO show itself a model employer
There are matters to correct. OF course, as your
renort shows but on the whole 1t Is true that
the United States government Is looking after
the welfare. health and comfort OF those work
ing for It as no other government has ever
done in work of like character.
Again thanking you for your report. am.
'---' '-''' ~ THEODORE ROOSEVELT
On the same day the President forwarded this
letter TO Colonel GOethals:
MY Dear Colonel Goethals: I send you here
with copy Of the report on the Panama Canal.
II is most gratifying, and congratulate you upon
the showing made. ask that you give effect
to the recommendations OF the commission 50
far as possible. and that where you deem this
Impossible or inpracticable you report the same
to me. with your reasons.
Again congratulating you and the whole COM
mission your really phenomenal success,
an THEODORE ROOSEVELT
WORK IN THE CONSTRUCTIVE STAGE.
In prefacing its report the commission says:
Work on the construction OF the Isthmian
Canal has passed through two stages. those or
planning and of preparation II Is now IN the
third and final stage. the stage OF construction
Both the earlier stages required the presence OF
a large working force necessarily quartered in
temporary and makeshift accommodations Be-
cause Of these conditions inevitable at the out
set early critics OF the canal enterprise mis-
took the initial and temporary outfit for the per-
aOIVfpr
The terrible scourge OF yellow fever. against
which the French struggled in vain, the filthy
and pest breeding state OF the principal Pana-
towns, the rough labor camps and other
pioneer hariShips OF the two first have
been eliminated through the brilliant and per
sistent activities OF the department or santa
ton, the department OF municipal engineering
and the building department To-day find
yellow fever driven from the isthrnus. the dead
" ste9omvta mosquitoes thus rendered innocJI-
Gus. malaria and pneumonia greatly reduced, and
q high average OF health established
Although the governments immediate object
the isthnus is to dig the canal and TO provids
living quarters for q temporary enterprise. ft
organized social communities for it's working
force In addition to supplying the strictly
material needs of this International colony 10
has erected schools. churches and clubhOuses In
the larger communities.
OF the progress of the work the report says:
This year more than two and third million
cubic yards were excavated in each OF the win
ter months-the dry season in Panama. million
yards being approximately equal TO a square
mile one foot deep. To prepare this immense
mass for removal 405 tons OF Dynamite
used q month. an average of seventeen tons for
each work day To make the dirt fly TO this
extent 80 95-ton steam shOvels 81 70-tOn. 10
Aston and "a others. in all 1O3 steam shovels.
were In constant use. Five hundred 5O-tOn
| 115s American and $50 French dump and
81 miscellaneous cars. total OF 4.146 cars and
| 1e4 American and 1SS French locomotives moved
/ this mass to the dumps Expedition and econ
| orny of labor were promoted BY A 25-tOn pull