The San Francisco call., 1910-11-18
WORK ON CANAL
| PIEASES TAFT
President Starts Home After
Four Days Spent in In
specting Ditch
One Hundred Boiler Makers De-
eide to Quit Unless Their
Salaries Are Raised

COLON, Panama, Nov. 17-Presider
Taft sailed for Charleston at 6 o.cloe
this evening aboard the armored cruise
Tennessee which was convoyed bv II
Montana after four interesting days G
the isthmus. Before leaving the pres
dent said:
This is the fifth time I have Wis
lted the lsthmus and I have gone
over the whole line and looked into
every part of the improvements It
is about % months since I was last
here and in that time the progress
made has been most satisfactory.
Indeed, 1t is remarkable.
The first thing that strikes one Is
the fact that work is being done ap-
parently on every foot of the so
miles of the canal and done under
an organization of men. plants and
materials that operates as econom-
lcally and effectively as if 1t were a
machine with Goethals in control of
lever Which sets and keeps the
whole machine in operation.
LOCKS APPROVED
When I was here % months ago
the main. question was the confirm
alton of tie Judgment of congress
in having adopted a lock type canal
instead of sea level. The extent
to which Gatun dam and the locks
have been completed has removed
from every impartial observer the
slightest doubt of the wisdom of
the decision made, and the feast
bility of the plan adopted. This
conclusion is further confirmed
and clinched by the difficulty oc-
casioned by slides in Culebra cut.
which for canal of 1876 feet level
necessitated only an additional ex-
cavation that could readily be
taken care Of
Anv ottemnt bo--o, - ;,
canal in Culebra to depth S5 feet
below the present proposed level
would lengthen the time of con.
the Americans. make the cost al
most prohibitory and leave 1t an ex-
ceedingly doubtful question wheth-
er, with the difficulty presented by
the Chagres river, such a canal
would be possible at all.
The Gatun dam lock with the
lake already IS feet and slowly
rising to a level of 50 feet. which
will constitute the. key to the
advanced that, taken with Culebra
cut and the locks on the Pacific
side. definite. picture is given of
what the canal is to be. which in
completion.
SLIDES EASILY REMOVED
The landslides in Culebra can be
easily removed, the further eXCa-
walton and the widening of the
slope where they occur merely ad-
ding something to the amount of
excavation previously, calculated
upon and to the cost, but the per-
centage of both time and cost will
be very small, not enough to in
crease the estimates for the COM
pleted canal.
The work is so far advanced that
the time has come for the discus
sion of plans for the management
and maintenance of the canal, for
the government of Panama Is
peacefully pursuing its course and
calm in the republic. The authori-
ties in charge manifest every dis
position to assist the United States
and to conform to every detail of
the obligation imposed by the
treaty.
On the eve of President Taft's de
parture 100 boi1ermakers, dissatisfie
that after hearing their complaint
last evening the president would Civ
no immediate answer to their demands
gave five days notice Of quitting worl
and sailing for home. Several of tn
unions of machinists and blacksmith
are threatening similar action. 1t /
not proposed to strike, but simply t.
resign and leave the isthmus.
President Taft promised TO conside
the matter fully and cable his answe
from Charleston, but this did not sat
isfy some of the hotheaded among tn
boiler1nakers.
STATEMENT ISSUED
The canal commission this Afternoon
issued a statement, which in part fol
lows:
The standard pay on the isthmus
is, 65 cents on hour, which is from
10 to 80 cents higher than in the
United States. In addition, the
workers receive free quarters, fuel.
light, medical attention and other
privileges not granted in the
United States
The reason given by the hun
dred men who have resigned is
that the presidents promise to
send his answer from Charleston
Is not satisfactory. This action of
the boilermakers will not interfere
with the canal construction work,
and will cause only temporary in
convenience until their places are
filled, which will be within a short
time.
The commission is not worried a
the outlook. The salaried men are no
affected.