Evening star., 1911-06-04
comparison to detect extravagances il

comparison to detect extravagances In
order that money may be saved.
No man is more willing to give full
credit to others for the work they have
done than is Col Goethals. In speaking
Of the problems that confronted him
when he took charge of the canal. he
said frankly that the biggest construc-
ton problem of the entire work already
had been solved by his predecessor In the
office OF chief engineer. John F. Stevens.
people talked about putting the army
engineers in charge Of this work long
before it was DONE" said
Gives Credit he. but the army never
could have solved the
TO stevens. transportation problem in
connection with the disposal of the spoil
from Culebra cut. 1t required a big railroad
man to do that. a man Of the caliber OF
Stevens. We have extended and improved
the Transportation system in the past
four years. but the layout that has made
it successful was planned by Stevens. and
he deserves all the credit for that i'm
portant feature of the work"
Col. Goethals insists always that every
canal employe shall get square deal at
all times Some time since, a canal Official
-
ance should not be permitted to carry 1t
directly to the chief engineer. but in
variably must refer it to his immediate
superior. Adversely criticising the spirit
of this order. Col. Goethals said: Now
suppose it is against that immediate su-
perior that the grievance lies. what
chance do you think the fellow who thinks
he is aggrieved will have to get proper
hearing? And. perhaps. he Will find the
door Of that superior closed to him when
he does go to see about It, The only
right way is to give him a chance to be
heard Even though you have to decide
against him. the very fact that you are
interested sufficiently to hear him. and
want to do right by him. is to him a sort
of reparation."
Col. Goethals practices what he
breaches. and every Sunday morning he
has a sort of Eat home" for his men.
when every employe on the force, high
and low. rich and poor. white and black.
may come and tell his troubles to the
highest authority. the only condiuon Deine
that he shall do SO as quickly as pos
sible so that the next man may be heard
IF you think that all the problems we
have to face already have been settled,
said Col. Goethals in speaking OF this
phase of the work, you ought to drop
around to my Office on Sunday morning.
Some one suggested not long ago
that when the canal Is finished in 1915,
1t would be a good thing TO groom
Col. Goethals. fresh from his achieve
ments in Panama. for the presidency.
The colonel has no such notion. No
politics for me. now or hereafter" he
said when / get through with this
job. II 1t is my god fortune to COM
plete the work. 1 shall then devote my
self for a little while to writing all
Official report covering the construction
of the big waterway. Then l shall take
nv grip sack in hand and do little
long deferred travelling. after which l
own country. Any man who suggests
my name in connection with politics
at any future time will not be a friend
of mine"
One Of the most characteristic traits
of the chief engineer is his extreme eau
tion. II every thing does
Extremelv not work smoothly when
the canal Is completed it
CauClous. will be despite every pos
sible precaution that human foresight
could devise. He never accepts a theory
until he has exhausted every possible
plan of proving 1t in practice. The
Gatun dam controversy affords an In
teresting illustration OF his determine
ton to go to the very bottom of
things and to make everything as GER
it. When President Roosevelt sent a
commission OF the best engineers In
America to- the Canal Zone to settle
that controversy. one Of them. after
going over the details OF the work