The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-21

81 100000. At tho present time we
"rc expecting TO save from sl5,ooc. 900
10 S2o,o0o,oe0 on the estimated cost"
How can you make such calcula :
tons as TO job of these mighty
Dimensions"
III is very simple" said Colonel
Goethals. We make our measure
ments and estimate tho quantity. Then
from the records of similar work else.
where we can fix the cost per unit OF
cubic yard of excavation or construc-
ton or pound of steel work, aud ny
the ordinary courses OF arithmetic nnd
Jus, wha, II should be. In tho pres.
ent cdsc the unit prices were those
adopted By the board of contracting
engineers for 1906"
"Have you kept within those
rrices?r
Yes, We have cut most OF then,
very considerably. Take the unit price
of the concrete. The engineers pu,
that AT IS per cubic yard We arc
making the locks in the spillway At
Gatun for s. n cubic yard and on
the Pacific division we have got tho
concrete work down to So cubic
yard. You may know what that
means men you remember that we
shall use over 100000 cubic yards at
a''Ii anu over -,oUV-UpO on the Ia :
cific division. This means saving
of at leas, s2,ooo,ooo at Gatun and OF
sI,5oo,0o0 on the Pacific Altogether,
1t Is saving OF sa,50o.o0O. But that
Is saving on hut one unit price We
have done equally we'll in others.
Watching the Leaks and Scientific
management.
But how can you make such a
reduction"
we do it by keeping coat sheets OF
everything and by watching the. leaks
and stopping them. 1t is tho duty OF
the engineer not only to design and
construct, but 10 design and construc,
economically. That is what We arc
trying to do here at Panama
But are not the wages on the canal
excessively high. ami can they be 50
maintained in the future"
The wages here We're fixed d, the
beginning of the work, and /, would
have been difficult 30 change them
while in process Of construction. The
chief thing about this work was that
it had TO be done we'll, ana done quick
Is, aud everything else mad to be sui
ordinate TO that. AS II is now, there
will probably be change in the wage
scale, and this should bt arranged FOR
by Congress at ita present session. II
Congress Will ACT. we snail he BILE to
select the operating force from our
present employees. and this will h. "a
great saving as to time, money and
in other respects. Congress should FIX
a wage scale for al tic positions OF
the permanent operating force. doinS
away with the inequalities which now
exist AS II Is. some Of our present
wages have been made in connection
with organized labor. and the unions
have succeeded In increasing the wages
of certain classes far above what is
paid 10 others of like character. For
instance. some kinds III labor are re.
criving S5 per cent. mare than similar
labor in the United States, while other
classes, equally capab have had an
Increase Of only q or 20 per cent. My
idea would be TO make 4 fixed percent :
age Of increase, say IS per cent over
the wages uf similar labor in the cast :
crn part of the United states. where
tho labor scale is the highest. This
matter should he fixed al once, in order
that VIC may be able to hold the best
men of our construction force. Good
labor docs not 80 begging. aud il not
so held these men viii soon have SEE
cured permanent jobs elsewhere"
Some Lessons of the Canal.
HAS tho world learned any new
things through the construction of this
canal?"
Yes, think 1t has said Coloncl
Goethals. ut has learned great deal
about how to take care OF ones health
in the tropics. and in general SANTA
ton. I do not mean that the canal has
taught the world anything as 10 MA
laria and yellow fever. as far as the
mosquitoes are concerned, or Of the
methods Of destroying those insects.
These discoveries were made by others,
and in other parts Of the world. IT, was
an English army surgeon who brought
~ light the fact that the malarial mos
quito transmitted malaria. lie found