STATEMENT OF MR. JOHN F. WALLACE, OCTOBER 27, 1905.


 The CHAIRMAN. I have the pleasure of introducing Mr. Wallace, whom you know personally or by reputation. Since Mr. Wallace's time in Washington on this occasion is limited, and as it will be more convenient for him to come before the Board some day next week than to submit to a long examination now, it has been suggested that there be placed in Mr. Wallace's hands the report of the remarks that have been previously made before this Board by Mr. stevens, Mr. Maltby, Mr. Dose, and Mr. Dauchy, and that Mr. Wallace understand that it is the wish of the Board to question him concerning the canal project on the general lines of the questioning of the gentlemen named; that he take this data with him and at some day to be fixed that he be prepared to answer such general questions as were asked of the other gentlemen.
 Is it the desire of the Board to-day to ask Mr. Wallace any particular questions in regard to the canal project? What is the desire of the Board?
 Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Chairman, you might explain to Mr. Wallace what is so important a matter in the mind of every member of this Board. We would be glad to have the benefit of his experience and his advice as to what he considers to be the maximum quantity that could be removed from that central cut from Obispo to Paraiso in the course of twelve months after the proper appliances are installed; and, secondly, what length of time he contemplates would be required for the installation of a plant. Those are points of great importance.
 The CHAIRMAN. In reading over the remarks that have been made and the questions that have been asked the gentlemen named, he will very quickly see that those are the points upon which much stress has been laid.
 Mr. HUNTER. This is the point: What does he think the cost of removal would be of the material excavated from the divide?
 The CHAIRMAN. Would it be convenient to you, Mr. Wallace, to take these data and study them and come back next week, say on Friday, prepared to answer as far as it is possible?
 Mr. WALLACE. Yes, sir. Any knowledge or anything that I have is at your disposal, and if there is any assistance I can render it is at the disposal of this Board of Consulting Engineers. Of course, naturally I would like time for preparation, if possible, but I realize that your time is short. After I had answered your Chairman's letter I found I could cut a day out of my engagements this week. I did not know it until so late yesterday that I could not communicate with your Chairman. That is the reason I am here to-day. The study I made of the canal during a year's residence on the Isthmus went into a great many matters connected with the work of construction, and while I do not wish to even suggest presenting to this Board anything that I am not asked for, they might find it useful to have me present before the close of the ultimate conference a prepared paper giving my views of the various plans that I have considered and that may be suggested. This is entirely voluntary, but I would like to have that put into the record of the proceedings as part of my remarks. I can not give my views in a proper and logical way by simply answering questions that may be asked me by the members of this Board. In order that my remarks be of use and logical, they should be carefully prepared and presented. For that, of course, I would like more than a week following the information which you desire from me in answer to questions. I presume I could give you all of that, if the questions were in line with the questions that have been asked other gentlemen, by a week from to-day, provided those questions are not of a purely technical nature.
 Of course you gentlemen understand that the men under me, from Mr. Dauchy down, saw the one detail that was assigned to them; that the scheme of operations, as it was formulated in
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