The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-10
CANAL WORK
 CAUSES STIR Inquiry as to FavoritiSm
 by Board. COL. G0ETHALS ON STAND Contractor Charges That Perjury is
 Committed. Sensational Episode in Hearing Before Inspector-General Garlington-- Major sieBert of Alabama
 Will Testify.

tTOeInalS. deneIaI lfItCNOA OA laS anna canal work, was placed on the witness stand today in an inquiry that is being conducted before Inspector General Darlington as the result or charges of discrimination and favorit- ism in awarding cableway contracts for the canal by Government ofhcials.
 Colonel Goethals took the stand to- ,sard the end of a session replete with sensational incidents. William A. Brothers, who brought the charges. had publicly accused Spencer Miller, representative of the Lidgerwood Manufacturing Company. of perjury. and had followed this accusation by the charge that the inquiry was not being conducted on fair lines, saying the witnesses for the defense were the only ones given a hearing.
 T have been charged with false statements by MT. Brothers" said col oneI Goethals. T am also practically charged with corrupt practices by Senator Slater, MT. Wood and MT. Brothers. I intend to answer these charges fully. but the matter will not be taken up in the manner 1t should be taken up untI tomorrow. when Col onel Siebert. who is perfectly familiar with the entire situation, arrives.
 q knew nothing about this inquiry until I came up from the tsthmus to take a rest. When I arrived in New orleans I was hit in the face with the charges. I have had to get my in- formation from washington as to the details. but I will be able to prove the absolute lack of foundation for any claim that there has been favoritism shown in the bidding for the cable" way system on the isthmus."
 Colonel Goethals said that 1t had been intifnated that there might be a controversy over the awarding of the contract if 1t was not given to the Lidgerwood Company.
 Saw Trouble In the Air.
 T saw that trouble was in the air, he said, "so I turned the matter of inc bids over to Major Sieberts H H. Rousseau and such other persons as they might call In :"
 Colonel Goethals read letters from MT. Rousseau reporting the hearing given to bidders and recommending another advertising for bids The bid ders were notified that no award had been made, the letters showed, but that the bids would not be formally refus- ed until Spencer hliller had been giv- en an opportunity to explain matter in connection with the Lddgerwood Company bids. After an interview with Mir. Miller. Colonel Goethals says MT Rousseau recommended that 1t would be to the advantage of the government III granted the contract This was not satisfactory, Colonel Goethals testified so all the bids were rejected.
 "If an attempt has been made to prove collusion between the Lidger- wood company and myself, l deny any foundation for 1t. said Colonel Goeth- aIs. We are not expert cable way men and were not expert In many other lines When we want to get materials we consult as far as possible with business men who are experts.
 The charges that the specifications advertised in the second bid had linn itcd the bidding to two companies wal then taken up by Colonel Goethals' and he named nine other companies which he said were competent to be bidders
 If any one can show me that ha1e di.criminated in favor of LidgerWood Company l want to be shown. continued Colonel Goethals. A mat ter want placed in record is the visit to my office of Mir Wood of the New York Cable Way ana EnslheeIins l I1 li, Company. Mir. Wood asked if 1t would be of any use for his firm to bid or other works He said he had been told on the Isthmus that his nrm could never do any work down there. I told him that his informant was a damned liar and in case his inform ant came into my of1ce would teI
 
 After stating in behalf of the New York Cable Way and Engineering Company that there never had been any question raised against the integ- rity of either Colonel Goethals oT Major Siberh Senator Slater asked Colonel Goethals. if. after the first bids had been opened, he had expressed a preference for the Lidgerwood Com. pany. Colonel Goethals replied that the letter was in evidence and showed that he had not. An adjournment was taken until tomorrow.
 Charges by Brothers. Mir. Brothers. who Is president ol the Balance Cable Crane Company oi New York alleged that the Isthmiar Canal Commission in issuing specihca' tions for cable ways had discriminate ed against hls company and that i'm proper methods had been employed IT l preventing him from receiving tho award.
 Mir. Miller. who is chief engineer oi the Lidgerwood Company, was on the witness stand yesterday and was re- called when the inquiry was resumed to-day. He had told of being inform ed when on a visit to Panama thai bids were to be asked for thirteen cable ways for use on the Gatum locks.
 'Did you ever offer me any money as royalty for the use or our patent ed towers?" asked Mir. Brothers. MT. Miller said: There Is a law suit pending between the Ledgerwoo5 | Company and party who bought a l patent from the Balance Cable Com | pany and I have been cross-examinec | by attorneys for Brothers for fv, | days and I cannot go further. I re. fuse unless ordered by the court tC answer any further questions put bS
 Mir. Brothers"
 Then only one side of this case II | to be heard" said MT. Brothers. %. | withdraw from the meeting until sum | qnoned. Only one side of 1t Is being heard anyway. I prefer charges anC | I am not given a chance to prov, l them. What I want is to submi proofs that this witness has perjuret | himself"
 keep quiet" shouted Genera
 Darlington. "you cannot make indls | criminate charges here"
 q am here to sustain them," an
 swered Brothers.
 T accuse this man of perjury and can prove It." As he walked ava