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'A f U f * f s,& «•'*' - v 2K \ °#v*^ Ijs V \ Special Message to Congress Giving Re­ sults of His Observations in Canal Zone-- Replies lo Critics and Makes Recommendations. , 4 » -'«tTs: ' . Y"\; •' • 4r V, ! The following <3 the text of President Roosevelt's special message to congress tm the subject of the Panama canal: *TO the Senate and House of Representa- tivov* In the month of November I visited the Isthmus of Panama, going over the Canal Zone With considerable fcare, ami #Um> irtsited the cities of Panama ana Colon, which are not in the sone or under the United States flag, but as to twhlch the United States feovernment, jthrough its agents, exercises control for •certain sanitary purposes. I chose tne month of November for my visit partly (because it Is the rainest month of tne gv the month In which the work goes ra.r'd at the greatest disadvantage, one of the two months which the Seal department of the French Canal •company found most unhealthy. IMlowirtg the Introduction to the tnee- «ure the president gives a resume of nis programme during the days he was on the isthmus, and then says: At the outset 1 wish to to the amount of work done by tne French Canal company under very aim- cult circumstances. Many of the buiia- tfngs they put up were excellent and {pre still in use, though, naturally, the houses are now getting out of repair ana are being used as dwellings only unui other houses can be built, and rauchoi (tbe work they did/in the t ulebra cut, iand some of the work they did in alg- jglng has been of direct and real benexu. Pthls country has never made a better investment than the $40,00<),(l00 which paid to the French company forwork •ad betterments, including especially tne ^Panama railroad. , . .. An inspection on the ground at tne (height of the rainy season served to con- Rnce me of the wisdom of congress m fusing to adopt either a high-level or a sea-ievel canal. There seemsi to^be a Universal agreement among all people {competent to judge that the Toute, the one actually chosen, is much mxperior to both the Nicaragua and fitrfen routes. ^Preliminary Work Being Dona. L^Ube wisdom ot the canal management |im been shown in nothing more ciearly «Ki»n in tbe fay in Which the founda­ tions of tbe Work have been laid I To have yielded to the natural impatience «C ill-informed outsiders and begun all fcteds of experiments in work prior to a thorough sanitation of the isthmus, and to a fairly satisfactory working out of tbe problem of getting and keeping a sufficient labor supply, would have been disastrous. The various preliminary measures had to be taken first; and these could not be taken so as to allow us to begin the real work of construc­ tion prior to January 1 of the present Tear. It then became necessary to have the type of the canal decided, and the only aeiay has been the necessary delay Until the 23th day of June, the date when the congress definitely and wisely settled that we should have an 85-foot level canal. Immediately after that the [work began in hard earnest and has been continued with increasing vigor ever since', and it will continue so to progress in the future. When the con­ tracts are let the conditions will be such "ai* to Insure a constantly increasing aunount of performance. | Successful Sanitation. • The first great problem to he flWfred, poo the solution of which the success of Ee rest of the work depended, was the rkm of sanitation. This was from outset tinder the direction of Dr. C. Gorgas, who ia to be made a full member of the commission. It must be -remembered that his work was not mere SUttttion as the term is understood in -our jOrtteary municipal work. Through­ out. the sone and in the two cities of ia and Colon, in addition to the ion work proper, he has had to 4o all the work that the Marine hospital OU vice does as regards the nation, that the health department officers do in the various states and cities, and that Col. WartBg" did in New York when he cleaned its streets. The results have astounding. The isthmus had been _ byword for deadly unheaithfulness. jfew, after two years of our occupation the osaditiona as aegards sickness and the death rate compare favorably with reasonably healthy localities in the United States. Especial care has been devoted to minimizing the risk due to the tones of those species of mosquitoes eh have been found to propagate and yellow fevers. In ail the settlements, tbe little temporary towns or otttes composed of the white and black •employes, which grow up here and there in the tropic jungle as the needs of the work dictate, the utmost care is •exercised to keep the conditions healthy. Everywhere are to be seen tbe drainage ^ditches which in removing the water have removed the breeding places of the mosquitoes, while the whole jungle is cut away for a considerable space around the habitations, thus destroying the places in which the mosquitoes take shel­ ter. These drainage ditches and clearings -are in evidence in every settlement, and, together with the invariable presence of -mooqulto screens around the piazzas, and •of sBQSffuito doors to the houses, not to 1 of the careful fumigation that has _ on in ail infected houses, doubtless •explain the extraordinary absence of tttosQUltoes. As a matter of fact, but m single mosquito, and this not of the -dangerous species, was seen by any member of our party during my three 4tfcys en the isthmus. Equal care is taken by the inspectors of the health de­ partment to secure cleanliness in the Bouses and proper hygienic conditions of every kind. I inspected between 20 and Jt> water-closets, both 'those used by the White employes and those used by the colored laborers. In almost every case I found the conditions perfect. In but one case did I find them really bad. In this case, affecting a settlement of unmar- rted white employes, 1 found them veri­ fied indeed, but the buildings were all Inherited from the French company and Were being used temporarily while other " ~>fngs were in the course of construc- and right near the defective water closet a new and excellent closet with a good sewer pipe was in process of con­ struction and nearly finished. Neverthe­ less this did not excuse the fact that the bfd condition had been allowed to pre- Temporary accommodations, even such as soldiers use when camped Held, should have been A ovided. to this effect were issuea. I ap- the report of Dr. Gorgas on the ln- I was struck, however, by the it that in this instance, as in almost •very other where a complaint was made which proved to have any justification Whatever, it appeared that steps had al­ ready been taken to remedy the evil ^complained of, and that the trouble was mainly due to the extreme difficulty, and 4>ften impossibility, of providing in every place for the constant Increase in the numbers of employes. Generally the pro- Vision is made in advance, but It is not possible that this should always be the Caso; When it is not there ensues a (period of time during which the condi­ tion! for the good and steady men of course continue at the work. Yet astonish­ ing progress has been made in both cities. In Panama 90 per cent of the streets that are to be paved at all are already paved with an excellent brick pavement laid in heavy concrete, a few of the streets being still in process of paving. The sewer and water services in the city are of the most modern hy­ gienic type, somte of the service hav­ ing just been completed. In Colon the conditions are peculiar, and it is as regards Colon that most of the very bitter complaint has been made. Colon Is built on a low coral island, covered at more or less shallow depths with vegetable accumulations or mold, which affords sustenance and strength to many varieties of low- lying tropical plants. One-half of the Surface of the island is covered with water at high tide, the average height t <•'- >' V 5 * I * & r 5 1 s * tlMm hnne«t, MmnlAint VH* of what occurred when I investigated most of the other honest complaints made to me. That is, where the •complaints were not made wantonly or malicious­ ly, they almost always proved due to failure appreciate lecessar; and completion Of i the fact that time wa» necessary in the creation this titanic ;%rork in tropic wilderness. Xt la impossible to avoid some mistakes in bullying a : giant canal through Jungle-covered "mountains and swamps, while at the 'same time sanitating tropic cities, and providing for the feeding and general care of from 20,000 to 30.000 workers. The complaints .brought to me, either of insufficient provision in caring for some of the laborers, or of failure to finish the pavements of Colon, or of failure to supply water, or of failure to build wooden sidewalks for the use of the laborers ia the rainy season, on investigation proved, almost with­ out Axcenttnn, to he due tnerelv to the utter inability of the commission to do everything at once. Unjust Criticism. Care and forethought have been exer­ cised by the commission, and nothing has reflected more credit upon them than their refusal either to go ahead too fast or to be deterred by the fear of criticism from not going ahead fast enough. It is curious to note the fact that many of the mo3t severe critics of the commission criticise them for precisely opposite rea­ sons, some complaining bitterly that the •«.* PRESIDENT ON A STEAM SHOVEL i Stif: Asm itewogniph, copyright, by Underwood A thMftanrood, K. T. At Pedro Miguel, .Culebra Cut, President Roosevelt waa photographed aaated pn one of the immense steam shovala used In the work of excavating* and wens doing their work -*el MMlble the policemen are use3 to con- ux>l people of their own color, but In ahy emergency no hesitation is felt in Inasmuetuas so many both ot the white and colored employes nave brought their families .with them, schools have been established, the school service being un­ der Mr. O'Connor. For* the white pupilb white American teachers are employed; for the colored pupils there lure aim some white American teacher* otie Spanish teacher, and one colored American teach­ er. most of them being colored teacherB from Jamaica, Barbados and tit, Lucia. The schoolrooms were good, and it was a pleasant thing to see- tne pride that the teachers were taking in their work pad their pupils Care of Employee. Next In importance to the problem of sanitation, and indeed now of equal Im­ portance, is the problem of securing and caring for the mechanics, laborers and other employes who actually do the work on tbe canal and the railroad. This great task has been under the control of Mr. Jackson Smith, and on the whole has been well done. At present there are some 8.000 white employes and some 19,000 colored employes on the Isthmus. I went over the different places where the different kinds of employes were working! I think I saw representatives of , every type both at their work and in their homes; and I conversed with prob- ably a couple of hundred of them all told, choosing them, at random from every class and including those who came especially to present certain grievances almost Invariably expressed far greater content and satisfaction with the con­ ditions than did those who called to make complaint. Nearly 5,000 of the white employes had come from the United States. No man can see these young, vigorous meh energetically doing their duty without a thrill of pride in them as Americans. They represent on the average a high class. Doubtless to congress the wages paid them will seem high, but as a mat­ ter of fact the o»iy general cflnwrtaint which I found had any real basis among the complaints made to me upon the isthmus was that, owing to the peculiar surroundings, the cost of living, and the distance from home, the wages were really not as high as they should be. In fact, almost every man I spoke to felt that he ought to be receiving more money--a view, however, which the aver­ age man who stays at home In the United States probably likewise holds as regards himself. I append figures of the wages paid, so that the congress can Judge the matter for itself, •liater I shall confer on the subject with certain repre­ sentative labor men here In the United States, as well as going over with Mr. Stevens, the comparative wages paid on the sone and at home; and I may then communicate my findings to the canal committees of the two houses. Chinese and Other tabor. Of the 19,000 or 20,000 day laborers employed on the canal a few hundred are Spaniards. These do excellent work. Their foreman told me that thev did twice as well as the West Indian laborers. They keep healthy and no difficulty Is experienced with them in any way. Some Italian labor­ ers are also employed in connection With the drilling. As might be ex­ pected. with labor as high priced as at present in the United States, it has not so far proved practicable to get any ordinary laborers from the United States. The American wage-workers on the isthmus are the highly paid skilled mechanics of the types men­ tioned previously. A steady effort is being made to secure Italians, and es­ pecially to procure more Spaniards, because of the very satisfactory re­ sults that "have come from their em­ ployment and their numbers will be increased as far as possible. It has not proved possible, however, to get them in anything like the numbers needed for the work, and from present appearances we shall in the main have to rely, for the ordinary unskilled- Work, partly upon colored laborers from the West Indies, partly upon Chinese labor. It certainly ought to be unnecessary to point out that the s are unsatisfactory, until a remedy «an be provided; but I never found a case where the remedy was not being ^provided as speedily as possible. Improvements In Cities. The sanitation work in the cities of .nama and Colon has been just as portant as in tbe zone Itself, and in pM.ny respects much more difficult, be- ,USe it was necessary to deal with e already existing population, which "ly had scant sympathy with Olutionary changes, the value of they were for a long time not „e to perceive. In Colon the popu'.a- ioa consists largely of colored labor- Wbo, having come over from the Indies to work on the canal, „^n the work and either take to >rush or 1'® idle in Colon itself; jpiing Colon with the least de- ;• among the Imported laborers. of the land being 1M feet above low tide. The slight undulations furnish shallow, natural reservoirs or fresh­ water breeding places for every varie­ ty of mosquito, and the ground tends to be lowest in the middle. When the town was originally built no attempt was made to fill the low ground, either in the Streets or on the building sites, so that the entire surface was prac- tlcnllv a annsmtrp; when th« auasr- mire became impassable certain of the streets were crudelv improved bv fill­ ing especially bad mud holes with soft rock or other material. In September, 1905, a systematic effort was begun to formulate a general plan for the prop­ er sanitation of the city; in February last temporary relief measures were taken, while in July the prosecution of the work was begun in good earnest. The results are already visible in the sewering, draining, guttering and pav­ ing of the streets. Some four months will be required before the work of sewerage and street improvement will be completed, but the progress already made is very marked. Ditches have been dug ..through the town, connecting the salt Water on both sides, and into these the ponds, which have served as breeding places for the mosquitoes, are drained. These ditches have answered their purpose, for they are probably the chief cause of the astonishing diminution of mosquitoes. More ditches of the kind are being constructed. Colon Water Supply. It was not practicable, with the force at the commission's disposal, and in view of the need that the force Should be used in the larger town of Panama, to begin this work before early last winter. Water mains were then laid in the town and water was furnished to the people early in March from a temporary reservoir. This reservoir proved to be of insufficient capacity before the end of the dry season and the shortage was made up by hauling water over the Panama railroad, so that there was at all times an nrrjnlp sunnly nf very best water. "Since that time the new reser­ voir back of Mount Hope has been practically completed. I visited this reservoir. It is a lake over a -mile long and half a mile broad. It noW\ carries some 600,000,000 gallons of first-class water. I forward herewith a photograph of this lake, together with certain other photographs of what I saw while I was on the isth­ mus. Nothing but a cataclysm will hereafter render it necessary In the" dry season to haul water for the use of Colon and Cristobal. Colon Pavementa. X rode through the streets Of Colon. seeing them at the height of the rainy season, after two days of almost un­ exampled downpour, when they were at their very worst. Taken as a whole they were undoubtedly very bad; as bad as Pennsylvania avenue in Washington before Grant's admin­ istration. Front street is already in thoroughly satisfactory shape, how­ ever. Some of the side streets are also In good condition. In others the change in the streets Is rapidly going on. Through three-fourths of the town it is now possible to walk, even during the period of tremendous rain in low shoes without wetting one's feet, owing to the rapidity with which the surface water is carried away in the ditches. In the remaining one- fourth of the streets the mud is very deep--atoout as deep as in the ordinary street of a low-lying prairie river town of the same size in the United States during early spring. All men to whom I spoke were a unit in saying that the conditions pf the Colon streets were 100 per cent better than a year ago. The most superficial examination of the town shows the progress that has been made and is being made in ma­ cadamizing the streets. Complaint was made to me by an entirely reputable man as to the character of some of the material used for repatring cer­ tain streets. On investigation the com­ plaint proved well founded, but it also appeared that the use of the material In question had been abandoned, the commission after having tried it in one or two streets finding it not appro­ priate. The result of the investigation of PRESIDENTIAL PARTY LEAVING HOTEL broujg^t^over under eon ^ ^. exphM»»e>; go off into the jungte to or loaf, arouhd Colon, or work |V tHmtf nr as to caws* a serious diminution the ammtat if labor performed on . day and Saturday of each week, questioned many of these Jamalda laborers s*a to the conditions Of their work and what, if any changes, they wished. I received many complaints from them, but as regards most of these complaints they themselves con­ tradicted one another. In all cases where' the complaint was as to .tjieir treatment by any individual it proved on examination that this individual ~ himself a West India man of color, er a policeman, a storekeeper, or assistant storekeeper. _ Doubtless was himself a West India man of color, either " "" ~ an a..... there mast be many complaints against Americans; put those to whom I spoke did not happen to make any such com­ plaint to me. The work is now going on with a vigor and efficiency pleasant to wit­ ness. The three big problems of the canal are the La Boca dams, the Gatun dam, and the Culebra cut. The Cule­ bra cut must be made, anyhow; but of course changes as to the dams, or at least as to the locks adjacent to the dams, may still ioccur. The La ofre Boca dams offer no particular prob­ lem, the bottom material being so good that there la a.practical certain­ ty, not merely as to what can be achieved, but as to the time of achieve­ ment, The Oatun dam offers the most serious problem which we have to solve; and yet the ablest men on the Isthmus believe that this problem is certain of solution along the lines proposed; although, of course, it ne­ cessitates great toil, energy, and in­ telligence, and although equally, of course, there will be some little risk in connection with the work. The risk arises from the fact that some of the material near the bottom Is not so good as could be desired. If the huge earth dam now contemplated la thrown across from one foothill to the other we will JiaVe Vnat is practically a iOXCi broad, mountain rfdge behind which will rise the inland lake. This artificial mountain will probably show less seepage, that is, will have greater restraining capacity than the average natural mountain range. The exact lo­ cality of the locks at this dam--as at the other dams--is now being de­ termined. In April next Secretary Taft, with three of the ablest engin­ eers of the country--Messrs. Noble, Stearns and Ripley--will visit the isthmus, and the three engineers will make the final and conclusive exami­ nations as to the exact site for each lock. Meanwhile the work is going ahead without a break. The Culebra cut does not offer such great risks; that is, the damage liable to occur from occasional land slips will not represent what may be called major dis­ asters. The work will merely call for in­ telligence, perseverance, and executive capacity. It is, however, the work upon which most labor will have to be spent. The dams will be composed of the earth taken out of the cut and very possibly the building of the locks and dams will take even longer than the cutting in Culebra itself. . . In Culebra Cut. The main work is now being done In the Culebra cut. It was striking" and Impressive to see the huge steam shovels in full play, the dumping trains carrying away the rock and earth they dislodged. The implements of French excavating machinery, which often stand a little way from the line of work, though of ex­ cellent construction, look like the veriest toys when compared with these new steam shovels, just as the French dump­ ing cars seem like toy cars when com­ pared with the Jong trains of huge cars, dumped by steflin plows, which are now in use. Tills represents the enormous advance that has been made in machin­ ery during the past quarter of a cen­ tury. No doubt a quarter of a century hence this new machinery, of which we are now so proud, will similarly seem out of date, but it is certainly serving its purpose well now. The old French cars had to be entirely discarded. We still < have in use a few of the more modern, but not most modern, cars, which hold but 12 yards of earth. They can be em­ ployed on certain lines with sharp curves. But the recent cars hold from 26 to SO yards apiece, and instead of the old clumsy methods of unloading them, a steam plow is drawn from end to end of the whole vestibuled train, thus Im­ mensely economizing labor. In the rainy reason the steam shovels can do but little in dirt, but they work steadily in rock and in the harder ground. There were some 25 at work during the time I was on the isthraus, and their tremendous power and efficiency were most impres­ sive. New Records for Excavation, As soon as the type of canal was de­ cided this work began in good earnest. The rainy season will shortly be over and then there will be an immense increase in the amount taken out; but even during the last three months, in the rainy sea­ son, steady progress is shown by the figures; In August, 242,000 cubic yards; in September, 291,000 cubic yards, and in October, 325,000 cubic yards. In October new records were established for the output of Individual shovels as well as for the tonnage haul of Individual loco­ motives. I hope to see the growth of a healthy spirit of emulation between the different shovel and locomotive crews, just such a spirit as has grown on our battle ships between the different gun crews in matters of marksmanship. Passing through the cut the amount of new work can be seen at a glance. In one place the entire side of a hill had been taken out recently by 27 tons of dynamite, which were exploded at one blast. At another place I was given a presidential salute of 21 charges of dyna­ mite. On the top notch of the Culebra cut the prism is now as wide as it will be; all told, the canal bed at this point has now been sunk about 200 feet below what it originally was. It will have to be sunk about 130 feet farther. Through­ out the cut' the drilling, blasting, shovel­ ing and hauling are going on with con­ stantly increasing energy, the huge shovels being pressed up, as if they were mountain howitzers, into the most un­ likely looking places, wheif» they eat their way into the hUlsides. Railway Improvementa. The most advanced methods, not oraty In construction, but In railroad manage-, ment, have been applied in the aone. with corresponding economies in time and cost. This has been shown in the handling of the tonnage from ship® into tears, and from cars into ships on the Panama railroad, where, thanks largely to the efficiency of General Manager Bierd, the saving in time and cost, has. been noteworthy. My examination tend­ ed to shoW thirt some of_the departments had (doubtless necessarily) become over MMMNf Photoor, kph, copyright, by Underwood a TTndtrwood, I.T, tograpn ot the President and Mrs. RoOeevelt and party leaving the Tivoll hotel at Colon taken during tin rooont Inspection of the oanal fejr the chlefexecutlvo. work is not in a more advanced condi­ tion, while the others complain that It has been rushed with such haste that there has been insufficient preparation for the hygiene and comfort of the employes. As a matter of fact neither criticism is just. It would have been impossible to go quicker than the commfsslon has gone, for such quickness would have meant insufficient preparation. On the other hand, to refuse to do anything un­ til every possible future contingescy had been met would have caused wholly un­ warranted delay. The right course to follow was exactly the course which has been followed Every reasonable prepara­ tion was made in advance, the hygienic conditions in especial being made as nearly perfect as possible; while on the other hand there has been no timid re­ fusal to push forward the work because of inability to anticipate every possible emergency, for, of course, many defects can only be shown by the working of the system in actual practice. In addition to attending to the health of the employes, it is of course neces­ sary to provide for policing the sone. This la done by a police force which at present numbers over 200 men, under Capt. Shanton. About one-fifth of the men are white and the others black. In different places I questioned some 20 or 30 of these men, taking them at ran­ dom. They were a fine set, physically and in discipline. With one exception all the white men I questioned had served In the American army, usually in the American worklngman in the United States has no concern whatever in the question as to whether the ruugh work on the Isthmus, which is performed by aliens in any event, is done by aliens from one country with a black skin or by aliens from another country with a yellow skin. Our business is to dig the canal as efficiently and as quickly as possible; provided alwavs that nothing is done that is inhumane to any laborers, and 'nothing that In­ terferes with the wages of or lowers the standard of living of our own workmen. Having in vl<w this prin­ ciple, I have arranged to try several thousand Chinese laborers. This is de­ sirable both because we must try to find out what laborers are most effi­ cient. and, furthermore, because we should ndt leave ourselves at the mercy of any one type of foreign labor. At present the great bulk of the unskilled labor on the Isthmus is done by West India negroes, chiefly from Jamaica, Barbados, and the other English possessions. One of the gov­ ernors of the lands In question has shown an unfriedly disposition to our work and has thrown obstacles In \the way of our getting the labor needed; unH hl»hlv tn Jf've any outsiders the Impression, however ill founded, that they are indispensa- ble,and can dictate terms to us. The West India laborers are fairly, but only fairly, satisfactory. Some of the men do very well indeed; the bet- developed, and could new be.reduced or BubonUnated w t̂hout impairment eC<-ap* elency and a saving *.«*«!.. Tke chairman of the commission. Mr. Qheats, has all matters ot this ldnd constantly in view, ana is now- reorganising the gov­ ernment of tbe Mine, so as to mAk* the form of administratloa both more flcgtlble and less expensive, subordinating every- thing to direct efficiency with a view to the work of the canal commission. From time to time changes of this kind wfil un­ doubtedly have to be made, for it must be remembered that in this giant work of construction, it is continually neces­ sary to develop departments or bureaus, which are vital for the time being, but which soon become useless; just as it will be continually necessary to put up build­ ings* and even to erect towns, which in ten years will once more give place to jungle, Or will then be at the bottom of the great lakes at the ends of the canal. Critics and Doubting Thomases. Tt Is not only natural, but inevitable, that a work as gigantic as thif which has been undertaken on the isthmus should arouse every species of hostility and criticism. The conditions are so new and so frying, and the work so vast, that it would be absolutely out of the ques­ tion that mistakes should not be made. Checks will occur. Unforeseen difficulties will arise. From time to time seemingly well-settled plans will have to be changed* At present 25,000 men are en- Kagea on the task. After awhile the number will be doubled. In such a mul­ titude It is Inevitable that there should be here and there a scoundrel. Very many of the poorer class of laborers lack the mental development to protect them­ selves ugainst either the rascality of others or their own folly, and it is not possible for human wisdom to devise a plan by whiph they can invariably be In a a byword Of disease.. be shortcomings in will be ualooked' the excavation c_ _ r of the dams send 4$icti jdeiaent will be entirely nat- M»d, even though serious, no ̂one tm will mean more than a Uttle ..... ,, delay or trouble. Yet each, when Jwweted tar sensation mongers and re- gftj* to timid folk of little faith, will Srl.Si*8 for the belief that being badly managed. eontlnuallV be tried in housing, in hygiene, in strefet repairing, «y^ni earth and *** Mlexperiment will nf w>' and among those who hear S.1 jk-.-yOft1 proportion of doubting x nonmses wlll at once believe that the DoMS here unco££S; ih£L:f££ the ^ns^ki^gein0quhT I been unable to $ slnSle Mnut* *b!« who had S £VanF serious accusations affectlne the houesty of the commission or of any responsible officer ufcder it. I append a the most serious charge, that of the ownership of lots in Colon; the charge was not advanced by a reputable man, and is utterly base- I8 not tco much to say that the atF1°8r>here of the commission breathes honesty as it breathes efficiency e"er5yv Above all, the work has been kept absolutely clear of politics. I have never heard even a suggestion o£ spoils politics in connection with It. ^ have investigated every complaint brought to me for which there seemed to be any shadow of foundation. In two or three cases, all of which I nave indicated in the course of thi# message, I came to the conclusion that there was foundation for the com­ plaint, and that the methods of the commission In the respect complained of could be bettered. In the other in­ stances tl\,e complaints proved abso­ lutely baseless, save In two or three instances where they referred to mis­ takes which the commission had al­ ready found out and corrected. 8landers and Libelera. So much for honest criticism. There remains an Immense amount of as reckless slander as has ever been pub­ lished. Where the slanderers are of foreign origin I have no concern with them. Where they are Americans, I , feel for them the heartiest contempt I a"nd indignation; because, in a spirit of wanton dishonesty and malice, they are trying to interfere with and hamper the execution of, the greatest work of the kind ever attempted, and are seeking to bring to naught the ef­ forts of their countrymen to- put to the credit of America one of the giant feats of the ages. The outrageous accusations of these slanderers con­ stitute a gross libel upon a body of public servants who. for trained intel­ ligence, expert ability, high charac= tetr and devotion to duty, have never been excelled anywhere. There la not a man among those directing the work or. the isthmus who has obtained his position on any other basis than merit alone; and not one who haa used his position in any way for his own per* sonal or pecuniary advantage. Plan to Build by Contract. Aifter most careful consideration we have decided to let out most of the Work by contract, if we can come to satisfactory terms with the contract­ ors. The whole work is of a kind suited to the peculiar genius of our people; and our people have devel­ oped the type of contractor best fitted to grapple with it. It is of course much better to do the work in large part by contract than to do it all by the government, provided it Is pos­ sible on the one hand to secure to the contractor a sufficient remnueratlon to make It worth while for respon­ sible contractors of the best kind to undertake the work; and provided on the other hand it can be done on terms Which will pot give an excessive profit to the contractor at the expense of the government. After much con­ sideration the plan already promul­ gated by the secretary of war was adopted. This plan in its essential features was drafted after careful and thorough study and consideration, by the chief engineer, Mr. Stevens, who, while In the employment of Mr, Hill, the president of the Great North­ ern railroad, had personal experience of this very type of contract. Mr. Stevens then submitted the plan to the chairman of the commission. Mr. Shonts, who went carefully over it with Mr. Rogers, the legal adviser of the commission, to see that all legal difficulties were met. He then submit­ ted copies of the plan to both Secre­ tary Taft and myself. . Secretary Taft submitted it to some of the best coun­ sel at the New York bar. and after­ wards I went over It very carefully with Mr. Taft and Mr. Shonts, and we laid the plan In Its general features before Mr. Root. My conclusion Is that It. nnmblnpn the maximum of ad­ vantage with the minimum of disad-' vantage. Under it a premium will be put upon the speedy and economical construction of the canal, and a pen­ alty Imposed on delay andt waste. The plan as promulgated lr tentative; doubtless it will bave to be changed in some respects before we can come to a satisfactory agreement with re­ sponsible contractors--perhaps even after the bids have been received; and of course it is possible that we can not come to a agreement, in which ease the government will do the work itself. Meanwhile the work on the Isthmns Is progressing steadily and without any let up. Sfngte Commissioner Desired. A seven-headed commission is of course a clumsy executive instrument. We should have but one commission­ er. with such heads of departments and other officers under him as we may find necessary. We should be expressly permitted to employ the best engineers in the country as con­ sulting enurineers. I accompany this paper with a map showing substantially what the canal will he tike when it Is finished. When the Culebra cut has been made and the dams buflt (If they are built as at present proposed) there will then be at both the Pacific and Atlantic ends of the canal two great fresh-water lakes, connected by a broad channel running at the bottom of a ravine, across the backbone of the Western Hemisphere. Those best informed be­ lieve that the work will be completed !n about eiarht years; but it is never safe to prophesy about such a work as this, especially in the tropics. Confident of Ultimate Success. Of the success of the enterprise I am' as wen convinced ,a* one can be of tear "Oiipf*pr#»e • that- is human. It Is a stupeii3«Jt»e'W*rk upon which our fellow wwnlfy«ea -are engaged down there w the latthmus, and while we •fchoutd hold the** to a, strict accounts.- fKiltr for th. Jgy* PROM'SJ 1U l« 1 COMMERCE COMMISSION. V ^ - TWO TOWNS OBTAIN COAL - Replies Concerning Car Shortage An* Reoeived From Presidents f * •W Northwwt. _ ' % t forth it. we tfftould rdcognize. with doud immeasurably to the credit of whlob will benefit all the world, and whleh will last for a»res ,„ iTnder Mr. Shonts and Mr. Stevens and Dr. Gorgas this work has started with every omenof «o«d for­ tune They and their worthy associates, from the highest to the owest are entitled to the same credit that we ™ „i,t ir<v* t« the p»cJk«d men of a of Uhca will. In its great and far-reach-«« very «-eatest conquests, whether of peace or of war, which have ever been won by any of the peoples of mankind. A badge is to be given to every Ameri­ can citizen who for a specfled tlmo has taken part in this work; for par­ ticipation in it will hereafter be held to reflect honor upon the man par­ ticipating just as it reflects honor upon a soldier to have belonged to a mighty army in a g»-eat war tor righteous­ ness. Our fellow countrymen on the isthmus are working for our Interest and for the national renown in the same spirit and with the same effi­ ciency that the men of the army and navy work in time of war. It be­ hooves us in our turn to do all we can to hold up their hands and to aid them In every way to bnnf their sreat work to a trtumpnant ceneiu- The White RE FOOLED THE HOLDUP .MEN. ,i , ij -- [ tng with a considerable aiii&nnt^ W money in his possession, fortunately the greater part of which was ia cur­ rency. He gbt off a car quite a distance out in the West end and'turned off a side street toward his home, when lie no­ ticed that he was being followed by two suspicious looking men. Quick as a flash ho pulled an envelope out ot his pocket, addressed it to himself, stamped it, jput tbe t;urre»c* iMWUt Ji <1 .V,* led Victim Dumps His Money Into Mailbox and Thus Saves It, A West end man had an experience t]y fhat made his hair stand on %&d had it not l>een for his quick devising a means of getting out difficulty it might have cost him , says the Duluth News-Tribune, the treasurer of a local lodge vifc. netitraing Ink*® iisgpi,# W*®** • „• V,' - and dropped it in the mail box. Then he started on a brisk walk. Suddenly' there aa»e a. opaagiapd from behind him. "Hands up!" 4 Up went his hfcftds aft® the robbers went through his pockets. He smiled grimly as the holdfeps secured only a few dollars in silver, and he thought with pleasure of the money he had put in the mall bok in Uncle Sam's care. The robbers went away com­ plaining of the small amount they se» tljif troaajicer weflut * S/ > ' i •« Next day the letter containing the money was delivered «af«3y to his of­ fice. ,, . v. . ' , . - . , - -* • i -V & 1 * ' ' .. . " ' .POOP MotheiT ' " ^ ia%sttie doctor at' yottFllislge this morning," said Naybor. "Yes," replied Popley, "that hoy of mine climbed out on the back roof when we told him not to---" "And ftell off and broke his--'* "Nary a fall! but my wife tried to whip him for it, and now ahe'a a Shy*!#*! Progs March to Winter Quarters. For the first time in years the resi­ dents of northern Chester county to­ day saw a frog parade. Fully 100 frogs of all ages, ranging from frogs a score of years old to this spring"* youngsters, left the schoolhouse pond fn Warwick township this morning and marched along the road to the falls of French tfe^h, where they took up their winter .guirters. Migrations of frogs In large bodies are seldom seen, especially at this sea- aoft f* the; yew., * v / . . 1 - residents that the frogs deserted tfao pond, which has been theif breeding place for years, because the water Is too low.--Pottstown Correspondent Philadelphia Press. In Bad Shape. "I heard your new stenographer boasting that he can work the type­ writer like lightning." "That's about right When he gets through with the Job it looks very much as if lightning had got its work Minneapolis, Minn.--The fuel famine of the northwest will be broken with­ in 24 hours, as a result of the inter­ state commerce commission's inquiry in this city Monday. The commission was represented by James 8. Har­ lan of Chicago and Frankllj} K. IM* of San Francisco. Mr. Lane quizzed E. C. Blanchard, division superintendent of the North- era Pacific at Duluth, and D. M. Phil- bin, assistant general agent of tho Great Northern at Duluth, and gleaned from them much evidence of the pos­ sibility of their filling and delivertng such cars of coal as the suffering towns needed. Before Mr, Lane hod finished his examination of the wit­ nesses both had promised that relief would be forthcoming within tbe next 24 hours. Mangum, Okla.--The fuel famine wa3 partially relieved by the arrival of two cars containing coal over tbe Rock Island Monday morning. lit three hours the long procession of farmers and residents of Mangum had exhausted the supply. Farmers have been reduced to cotton seed and corn for fuel, and if the situation is not materially relieved within the week there will be actual suffering. Lakota, N. D.--The coal famine haa been greatly relieved by the arrival of a number of carloads of coal. Tha Great Nortehrn railroad is centering all its efforts on furnishing, coal, and sufficient fuel is now on hand for present needs. Washington-^tfree mor£ '"-fWponaes have come to the Interstate commerce commission from northwestern rail­ roads in response to Chairman Knapp's telegrani of last we^ calling attention to the reported sl'ortago In cars and the complaints of a, lacit of transportation for the necessities ,bf life and fuel. Telegrams A^ere sent by the chairman to the pr6rtdents of six 0{ the great western aftd north­ western roads and replies now; have been received from all of theiti. Replies were made public Monday from President Hill, of tho Goeat Northern; President A. J. Earilng, of the Chicago,*Milwaukee & St PaaJ^ and President Howard Elliott^trf th® Northern Pacific company. k I '.As? wf, t .n',: '*- , • M j TRAIN IS WRECKED AND BURWS. /^cldent pn New York Central Kii» gWeer Fatally Injured. Rochester, N. Y.---The New York Central train known aa the "Buffalo local," a fast train running between New York and Buffalo, was Wrecked about a n?ile east of Palmyra Monday afternoon. The engineer was 'atally injured and the entire train, with the exception of one Pullman, waa touraed to the tracks. A local freight was. taking water at the pumping station when suddenly another freight came in sight on tho same tracl^. it ran Into the re&r of the first freight, knodefng, the caboose and a coal car over on the passenger track. The crew started to flag th» "Buffalo local," which waa due, but al­ most .immediately the local came in sight, with two engfisen, making 'ip lost time. Tbe heavy coal car threw both engines off the trade and <dhjp%. an embankment. '--IF? A'%, M »vr«'T*! I« -I TOURIST STEAMER OK ROCKS. Passengers Landed Safety, Bwt QfHK tain Blows Out Kte Brains. ^ Kingston, Jamaica.--The Hamburg- American line tourist steamer Prina- cssln Victoria Luise; from New York December 12 for this port, went ashore Sunday night off Port Royal while on her way bad* to New York. "The passengers were landed here safely Monday. Capt. Bruinswig,. who was in charge of the Victoria Luise when she • track, committed suicide by blowing orakis in his cabin/ ^ • •- .... ^ . .r- ; r i|f ^ 4. Gen. John M. Hood la Dead. •- Baltimore., Md.--Gen. John M. Hood, 'president of the Unfitedi Railways awl Electric company, and for many yearn president, of the Western Maryland railroad prior to its sale to the Uuaidi intereatav died Monday. ' PayIsr LAN. Employed /LauhTflle, Ry.---The Louisville Ik Nashville railroad Monday gave notice. that ft has increased the wages of tta shopmen about four per cent, effective December l. The increase ' affaotn about 2,600 men. ' ' Bank Merger in Detroit. Detroit, Mich.--A merger of the l^pople's Savings bank and the State Savings bonk of this city, having a combined capital of $1,500,000, a Bur- pins of $1,300,000 and aggregatn posits of 130,000,000, is announced; •• --• • v .'|gj Bishop McCabe Is Dying. New York.--Bishop Charles Mc­ Cabe, of the Methodist Episcopal church, Is dying at the New York hospital. Late Monday night he waa unconscious and the end waa be a matter of hours only. » - Burnham Gets Two Years in Prison.' New York.--George Burnhim, Jr., vice president and general counsel for the Mutual Reserve Life 1 isuranoe company, was convicted p? grand larceny, was sentenced Mond&y to years in Sing Sing. ' - v f ". . \ K*'?, *fjU* Big Fire in Valdcz, ATatRa. Valdez, Alaska.--Fire In the Bank of Valdez, believed to have been started by a burglar, totally doatroyod the bank, the Stella hotel and the - w \ -** ^ Vf(* ' „ • C - V ; - I T : . ' v < » ; • ' v