Evening star., 1908-01-14
PUTS COST AT 100000, 900
Regards Progress Being Made as
Satisfactory.
DISLIKEs ACCOUNTING SYSTEM
Makes an Excellent Impression
Upon His Hearers-Isthmian
Situation Described in Detail.

merce this morning and made the state
ment that the Panama canal would cost
about $500, 600, 900 to complete. He said at
first that it would cost s2o0,o0o.ooo. but
this did not include the amount paid to
the French Canal Company.
Col Goethals made an excellent impress
sion upon the members of the commit
tee He had none Of the trouble that
previous elucidators upon canal affairs
have had in getting in touch with the
committee, individually and collectively.
about two minutes after he took his seat
in the witness chair. One of the mem
bers of the committee who had not pre-
viously met Col. Goethals said after the
hearing that he was more certain now
that the Panama canal would be built, and
well built, than he ever was before.
Col Goethals looks capable" said this
member, land his work up to date has
demonstrated most conclusively that in
this instance appearances are not de-
ceptive."
Col. Goetnals' pictures do not do him
Justice He is a good-sized. athletic-look-
ing individual. with iron gray hair, a
strong face, fine eyes, a warm smile. ana
comfortable grumbly sort Of voice.
He spoke frankly of the work on the
49,
system of accounts that was kept ;,
.T couldn't make head or tail of them,
said the colonel land Stevens who pre-
ceded me as chief engineer, considered
them a Chinese puzzle" But as TINS par
ticular system of account keeping was
provided for by law, the colonel couldn t
drop 1t, and so just had to go ahead ana
have a different system kept on the side.
BY this, he will soon be able to tell on the
Goth of any month just exactly what each
little item of canal construction cost oul.
ing the preceding month. He told the
committee that things were going along
finely. and that the work was progressing
rapidly.
Satisfactory Progress.
Col. Goethals was questioned at length
concerning the Gatun dam. but said that
a definite method of construction had
not been adopted After a recent visit
20 the Wachusett dam he said the COM
mission would not attempt to duplicate
II.
The work Of building the canal Col.
Goethals said, was progressing more sat
isfactorily than he had expected. The
rainy season had interfered with trans
portation and with other works. The
tracks sink and get out of level, causing
deraiments of trains. but these difficult
ties, he anticipated, would be reduced
During all heavy showers work is sus-
pended.
In answer to questions Col. Goethals
said he thought the excavation OF Culebra
cut would be completed in the next four
or five years. Steam shovels and trains
are diminished as the cut gets deeper. and
he believed the maximum of installation
in this regard had been reached.
Answering rapid fire of questions by
members Of the committee, all Of whom
were present, Col. Goethals said that the
number of men on the canal and rail-
road pay rolls fuctuates between 80 600
and 10000 The force is made up mainly
of Spaniards. Italians and West Indian
negroes.
I'VE have been getting more labor in
the last few months than we can use ="
he said. There are no Americans on the
labor rolls, with the exception of a few
machinists' helpers
Commissary Arrangements.
Asked by Representative Mann for a
full statement OF the commissary ar
rangements on the isthmus. Col. Goethals
replied: The governments employees are
divided into two classes, those on the
gold roll and those on the Silver roll
The former are those who are aliens to
climate such as that of the isthmus,
the latter are Spaniards. Italians and
the men twice month, and thereby los
ing four days work month. for the men
Will Jay off on pay day and the day after.
we now pay once month and lose only
two days. Negroes get 131z cents an hour
and subsistence, or 26 cents an hour If
they subsist themselves. some of them we
pay as high as 81 cents.
Foreign laborers receive 20 cents, and
they subslst themselves. A days work
is nine and one-half hours Bachelor
or bed in room. the bachelor house
containing from sixteen to forty-eieht
rooms, and from two to four occupy
each room. Married men are given
houses. sized in accordance with their
pay, from one to four families occupy
ing house These houses are Furnished
and fuel for cooking is supplied, also
electric lights where we have them
There are hotels and large settle
ments for the feeding Of gold-roll en-
ployes, the meals costing the men 30
cents each in gold. There is no inspec-
ton of the food provided by those who
subsist themselves, but much Of 1t is
bought from the government stores
THE negro labor is housed in bar
racks, and there are eighteen mess
houses. which at night are used by the
men as clubs. The price Of meals sup
piled in hotels to the Spanish and Ital-
ians is 80 cents. This includes cheap
wine of Sundays"
White and Negro Labor.
Col Goethals said that one Spanish
laborer was equal to two negroes, but
he doubted whether that ratio would be
kept UP. Asked why. he answered: Be
cause our feeding Of the negroes is in
creasing their efficiency. and as the
whites come in contact with the blacks
the efficiency of the former decreases
They see the negroes doing less work
than they are performing. and then they
know they're on government job.
The houses are equipped with water
sewers. sidewalks and roads. They are
seldom inspected. but the hotels barracks,
messes, kitchens and bachelor quarters
are regularly inspected. OF the 10000
%, 900 are common laborers. and about
6,OOO of these are Spaniards and Italians.
We have stopped our agents from sending
us any more foreign tabor. Negro labor is
constantly coming from the Islands,
Col Goethals referred to the criticisms
of Spanish laborers on the isthmus, but
he declared that the government took no
advantage whatever of these men. The
criticisms were pronounced unwarranted.
Prefers the Lock System.
Replying to a question by Mr.. Wanger.
Col. Goethals said he had no doubt that
the lock system as against the sea level
plan was the best. The engineer COM
that. I'VE have the best type Of canal
we can get down there.
Vaccination of laborers on the canal
work, he said, was compulsory. but the
commission found it hard to get the men
to battle and change their clothes in wet
weather. and their failure IN that respect
caused more or less sickness. The COM
missary had increased the vitality Of the
men. and that had helped to reduce sick
ness.