The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1913-11-13


1al zone ever since has enjoyed the
'reest Of free trade All other issues
we're cleared up without the United
Suites yielding any freedom Of action
as to importing materials. executing
Justice, operating ship terminals and
canal employees with the
Of life through commits
saries and hotels.
While Secretary Taft and Chief En-
gineer Wallace were working in their
spheres. Governor Davis was institut-
Ing the various departments of civil
government which today are noted
with admiration by the tourist. Chief
Of Police Shant0n was engaged In rid
ling the canal zone Of It's had men
and bringing a population long without
restraint under the control Of regula-
tons that the Americans considered
tn 0rlerly existence.
From the first Mr.. Wallace had kept
close tab on the cost OF excavating dirt
IN the Culebra cut The type to be
chosen being still an unknown factor,
he was In some measure working in
the dark. except that the material re-
moved would he useful for any type.
provided the dumps were selected SO
as later not to get in the way Of any
route chosen. In 1912 the Americans
had to remove French dump near
Culebra to prevent Its slipping down
into the cut He finally announced q
unit cost of 80 cents cnbic yard for
either sea level or lock type canal
Messrs Parsons and Burr. the ensi-
neering committee Of the commission.
after personal inspection of the c,inal
zone and taking Mr. Wailates esti
mate. recommended sea level type Of
canal. 1t was to cost. exclusive 1T I'M
proyements in Colon aud Panama and
civil government I'm the canal znne.
$23O.50O. 900. Mr. Wallace Ind trlnstsi
surveys to be made for II lock type pf
canal. and he estimated the cost Ut
such q canal. with summit level Of
sixty feet elevation, to be $i78.Oia. .4Ns.
All estimates missed the real cest ut
the respective types widely. Mr. Wal.
lace's estimate Of 50 cents yard for
excavation was far too low As 4 mat
ter of record. the cost reached So cents
under Chief Engineer Stevens. rose
to 81 cents nnder Chief Engineer
Goethals md only once fell below
the fifty cent estimate. in March. 1911.
when it fell to II cents yard The
average for the period from 1904 to
1911 was So cents The mistake wns
made because solid rock underlay the
surface. necessitating continuous blast
ing before It conld be handled by the
steam shovels. while tho working day,
which had heen ten hours under Mr..
Wallace. was cut to eight hours under
Messrs. Stevens and f,nethals. ald
wages rose sharply as we'll
Persistent and vigorous complaints
/ from MIR Wallace about the hintlranccs
Of governmental methods 0f doing
business found receptive car In Pres
ident Roosevelt The executive was
| Just as eager tc make the dirt tiy as
Mr. Wallace and readily agreed tba,
| q commission OF seven members wnf
an awkward and in working manage
ment for the peculiar conditions Of tbt
| job at Panama Accordingly drastic
action was decreed
Secretary Taft on March % 1905
asked the entire commission to resign
Mr. Wallace was IN Washington. ant
the president and Secretary Taft fol
lowed his suggestions almost to the let
ter. Including the ono that the chic
engineer be made member OF tn
| commission.
On April I. 1906. the second tsthmial
canal commission to be appointed b.
President Roosevelt was announced
Heading Il was a new figure in cana
affairs, Theodore r. Shonts. who play
ed decisive part in the enterprise f0
the ensuing two years. The pcrsonne
of the new commission was:
Theodore r SIionts. chairman
Charles D. Magoon. governor Of th
canal zone: John r. Wallace. chief en-
/ gineer: Mordecai r Endicott, Peter
Hains, Oswald 81. Ernst and Benjamil
NJ. Harrod,
There was the sumo number OF CON
nissi0ners. but the first three wer
naned an executive committee whic
virtually should exercise the powers Q
the entire lNdy. Thus power was tai
en- from seven and concentrated /
three members. Mr.. ShDnts was to |,
"A 49, I.