Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-03-23
TAFT SPEAKS ON
panama Canal
DISCUSSES CONSTRUCTION OF
ISTHMIAN WATERWAY BE-
FORE HOUSE COMMITTEE.
GIVES HIS VIEWS ON
EXTENDING OF MONEY
President Primarily Responsible
Pending Bill for Government of
Zone Favored Explanation by
Admiral Walker.

Pending Bill for Government of
Zone Favored Explanation by
Admiral Walker.
Washington, March 19.-Secretarv
Taft was heard by the house committee
on interstate and foreign commerce
Friday on the subject of constructing
the Panama canal. The secretary ia
foyer the pending Lowering bill for the
government of the canal zone. This
bill, he said, was drawn by Admiral
Walker and contained as many legisla-
tive provisions as were necessary at the
present time.
Secretary Taft was questioned by
members of the committee regarding
his views as to the proposed methods OF
expanding the money for the construc-
ton of the canal. He said the president
primarily was responsible for this large
sum of money, but that the gigantic pro-
portions Of the work and the duties of
the president otherwise made it. of
course, impossible for him to give his
personal attention to such matters. On
the commission the president had un-
doubtedly made the proper delegation
OF his authority on this subject II there
was any question as to this, the secre-
tary said, that contracts in excess of
$4,000, for instance, might be re-
ferred to the secretary of war or some
other member of the presidents cabinet
or other person whom the president
might designate, for review. The en-
cheering features of the work would
make the secretary of war the most
available and best equipped official for
this work.
In answer to question by Chairman
Hepburn as to whether a requirement
should be made that each member of the
commission should reside on the canal
strip, Secretary Taft smilingly replied
that from his own experience Of life
in the tropics he knew that such life
could be made very pleasant. with the
amount of money which the canal COM
mission will have on hand, should i'm
aginc they will be able to make life quite
attractive on the canal zone," he con-
cluded.
Walker Explains Expenditures.
Admiral Walker made q detailed ex-
PLANTATION OF the manner of expanding
money by the last canal commission, OF
which he was president. He said that
President Mckinley had delegated HIM
as the executive head of the commits
sion, and when the commission organ
lied the entire supervision of the ex-
penditure of money was left in his
hands. No resolution ever was passed
by the commission regarding the policy
of expanding money or the details of
any single expenditure Admiral Walk
er said that engineers were hired, the
important ones after being discussed
by the commission and the young men
by himself after personal examina-
ton. He fixed the salaries, and from
time to time, authorized by communlca-
ton with the treasury department, GER
tainsums to be placed to the credit of the
disbursing officers Of the commission.
A warrant in triplicate was kept for
every payment. One copy Of this was
retained by the commission, one went to
IAO oA0SC OCPoA tuCAI oAN oAOtAC1 W Luc
treasury. The accounts were audited
by these two departments in exactly
the same manner as other accounts OF
the government. He said that no books
were kept by the commission, but in
answer to a question he said the COM
mission was kept posted as to the bal
ance it had in the treasury department.
Following a line of questions asked by
Chairman Hepburn regarding the Sc
lection of canal routes recommended by
the commission, Admiral Walker ex-
planned that the law required the COM
mission to select the route most FEAST
bic and economical which the United
States could own and operate. Nicara-
qua was selected, first, because $1O9 ,OOO,-
600 was asked for the Panama conces-
sion by the French company, which put
that route entirely out of the question
as compared with Nicaragua. When the
price was reduced to 100000 and IT,
tie assured, the conditions were changed,
and the Commission reported in favor of
the Panama route. The hearings will be
continued Monday.