The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-01-18
SETSLIMIT FOR CANAL
GOethals Says 1t Will BE
Ready July 1, 1914.
ITS TOTAL COST $25O,OOO,OOO
Consulting Board, He Declares, Was
Far Wrong in Original Estimates.
Answers Criticism as TO Water in
acknowledgements Work He be-
Iieves BETTER Than Contractors.

Col. George w. Gcethals, chairman Of
the Panama Canal Commission. assured
the Senate Committee on Interoceanic
Canals yesterday that there were no in
surmountable obstacles in the way of con-
stTucting the canal from the viewpoint
Of the engineer, and that il would GER
tainly be completed by July I. 1914. and at
a cost not TO exceed S25O.0OOO00
Asked by Senator Culberson, Of Texas,
why the present estimate so far exceeded
the amount nxed by the consulting board.
Col. Goethals replied:
The consulting board estimated that
| the cost of the canal. exclusive OF the
purchase price paid the French govern
ment. would be 100000. This did not
allow for the cost of sanitation Of Canal
! Zone government
<The sanitation alone is costing US
100000 a year and will continue TO cost
that amount until the canal is completed.
/ The figures Of the consulting board were
too low in many respects. They figured
/ that the locks would cost $50. 900 900,
whereas We now know they viii cost
100000.
The consulting engineers estimated
/ that it would be necessary to excavate
/ % O00, 900 cubic yards of earth. Last April
We discovered that we had lll.000. 900
cubic yards yet TO excavate. They were
also too low on the estimate OF the unit
! price for excavation. ! don't believe the
I consulting board took into consideration
| the cost Of housing employees"
Water in Locks Not Unusual.
I Col. Goethsls answered the criticism re-
garding the appearance Of water in the
Gatun locks
/ II notice that there is much comment
in the press Of the United States because
OF the appearance Of water in the locks.
he said. The engineers at work OF the
canal have built locks before. They are
not disturbed by the appearance Of water
/ I'm the locks I have superintendent the
building Of two locks now in successful
operation in the United States. I'm both
OF which water appeared while they were
being constructed. One of these was the
I Tennessee River lock. the dimensions Of
which are greater than the Gatun locks,
Il will say TO the committee now that
expect more difficulty ia building the
dam at Gatun than I do from the con-
struction Of the locks
Referring again 10 the cost OF construc-
ton Chairman Cocktails said
Mr.. Stevens once said that estimates
were pure guesswork, and so they are.
He thought the cost Of sanitation ought
10 be kept down 20 100000 a year. al
though the estimates Of Col. GCrgas.
49, .4fs
higher. 4 don't believe sanitation ought
20 be carried 10 a point Of trying to re-
duce the death rate whlLn is already
low"
Conditions Good on Isthmus.
"The conditions in Panama are now as
favorable. in my opinion. as they are IN
the United States If workmen would only
take care Of themselves OF course We
cannot say in advance what increase Of
cost for sanitation might be imposed by
some sudden contingency If yellow fever
were TO break out. there IS no telling
what would happen. 1t would not only
increase the cost Of sanitation, but We
would probably lose most Of our en-
ployes I became convinced Of that by
the scare that ensued among the work
men when d case Of yellow fever was in
trodUced I'm the Canal Zone from the
Pacific side
WHAT about the salaries?' the chair
man was asked.
SO far as the salaries Of higher Off
GERS are concerned" replied Col Goethals.
with a smile, Il don't consider them too
high So far as the skilled labor is con-
10 Sc hEevh In q lsr,f
We pay from 30 to 70 per cent more than
is paid for the same class Of labor in the
United States. and IN addition allow six
weeks annual leave. with pay; two
weeks sick leave, with pay; light. fuel
quarters. and medicines and medical at
tendance We also allow free trip over
the Panama railroad once a month, for
which the government has to pay, The
common labor costs % TO - cents an
hour in silver: the colored labor - cents.
with subsistence. or % cents without !
think the only class OF labor that is too
high is the skilled labor The common
labor is now being secured as cheap as
possible.
Prefers Government Work.
Comparing the prices Of contract work
with government work. Chairman Co
ethals said 4 think it is much more
economical and practical from every
viewpoint TO prosecute the work as now
By the government 1 have never known
piece of contract work to be done
cheaper than If done By the government
don't believe any contractor or firm
Of contractors can do the work as cheaply
or as quickly as the government can
The poorest Notifications on our coasts
to-day are those done by private con-
tract, and they cost more than il they
had been done by the government. l
never knew a private contractor yet to
perform his contract with the government
within the time agreed to. They always
get extensions. Again, I believe that
the treatment accorded canal labor by
the French contractors would make it
impossible for any private contractor to
get the necessary labor with which to
do the work
Col. GOethals said he believed all the
equipment necessary for the work would
be purchased by next July. I'VE have
now all the dredges we need, and practi-
Cally all the steam shovels," said he
Have you considered making your own
cement said Senator Taliaferro, of
Florida.
Yes. and We are waiting now to hear
from the bidders If they are unreasOn-
able, we will build plant and make our
own cement The United States cement
manufacturers want to supply this article,
and we want them to do so if they will
be reasonable in their charges. We don't
want to add concentrating to our trou-
bles, unless it is necessary, for we have
troubles enough already"
CuIberson After Bishop.
The afternoon session of the committee
was enlivened by Senator Culberson, who
objected strongly 10 the issue Of the
Canal Record, the official newspaper, pub
lished by James Bucklin Rishon. Mr.