Omaha daily bee., 1912-04-21

records OF similar work elsewhere we
can fix the cost per unit OF cubic yard
OF excavation or construction or pound
OF steel work. and by the ordinary
courses Of arithmetic find Just what I,
should In the present case the unit
prices were those adopted by the board
Of contracting engineers for 1906"
/ Have you kept within those prices ,?
Yes. We have cut most Of them very
considerably. Take the unit price OF
the concrete. The engineers put that
at IS per cubic yard. We are making
the locks in the splllway at Gatun
for 81 cubic yard and on the Pacific
division we have got the concrete work
down to S a cubic yard. You may know
what that means when you remember
that we shah use over 100000 cubic
yards at Gatun and over 2,sOO,OOO on
the Pacific division. This means a saw
ing OF at least 100000 at Gatun and
Of S,5oo0o0 on the Pacific. Altogether
It is saving OF $4,000. But that is
saving of but one unit price. We
have done equally well In others.
Watching the Leaks.
But how can you make such a re-
duction?"
We do 1t by keeping cost sheets of
everything and by watching the leaks
and stopping them. 1t is the duty of
the engineer not only TO design and con-
struct, but to design and construct econo.
mlcally. That Is what We are trying 10
do here at Panama"
But are not the wages on the canal
excessively high. and can they be so
maintained in the future?"
The wages here were fixed at the be-
gining of the work, and It would have
been difficult to change them while in
process Of construction. The chief thing
about this work was that IL had TO be
done well, and done quickly. and every
thing else had to be subordinate to that
As it is now, there will probably be a
change in the wage scale, and this should
be arranged for by congress at the pres
ent session. II congress will act. we
shall be able to select the operating force
from our present employees. and this will
be great saving as to time, money. and
In other respects. Congress should fix a
wage scale for all the positions of the
permanent operating force, doing away
with the inequalities which now exist
As It 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 a IL
character. For instance. some kinds of
labor are receiving S. per cent more than
similar labor in the United States. whIls
other classes Of only Is or 30 Der cent
My idea would be to make a fixed per-
centage OF increase. say 25 per cent over
the wages Of similar labor I'm the eastern
part Of the United States, where the labor
scale is the highest. This matter should
be fixed at once. In order that we NAV be
able to hold the best men Of our construc-
ton force Good labor does not 20 beg
ging. and II not so held these men will
soon have secured permanent Jobs else
where"
some Lessons of the Canal.
Has the world learned any new things
through the construction Of this canaI?''
Yes. think it has" said Colonel Goe-
thsls- 1t has learned a great deal about
how to take care Of ones health in the
tropics. and in general sanitation. / do
not mean that the canal has taught the
world anything as to malaria and yellow
fever. as far as the mosquitoes are con-
eerned, or Of the methods Of DESTROYING
those insects. These discoveries were
made BY others. and in other parts Of the
world. 1t was an English army surgeon
who brought 10 light the fact that the
malarial mosquito transmitted malaria.
He found it in India. and proved tts
agency some years before We began our
work here.
The yellow fever mosquito was discov.
cred by our own army doctors in Cuba,