Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-10
At THE WHITE HOUSE
Considering Canal Commis-
sion Appointments.
SNOW AND ICE BILL
1T WAS SIGNED TODAY AND IS
NOW A LAW.
President Invited to Attend Celebra'
ton Of Landing of English
Settlers at Jamestown.

The probability that the Senate will short
ly ratify the Panama canal treaty, thereby
taking the action necessary to place this
country in charge of the canal when the
$40,O00,OOO purchase money has been paid,
brings the President to a point when he
must begin to give consideration to the
seven men who will compose the commits
sion that will build the great canal. The
Spooner act of the last Congress, providing
for the issue of bonds to furn Sh the money
to construct the canal and the creation OF
a commission, is now before Attorney Cen
eral- Knox to determine whether 1t VIII be
sufficient authority for action under the
present circumstances. If it is declared
that the Spooner act does not cover the ex-
listing situation Congress will quickly pass
a new bill that VIII confer authority for
the appointment of a commiss on by the
President and provide the funds for the
construction of the canal. Nothing Will be
lacking soon after the ratification of the
treaty to delay the selection of this COM
mission. which will be most important
one.
The President will give a great deal OF
thought to the compos. ton of such an I'M
portant commission. Suggestions have been
made that the commission should not con-
siSt of any except engineers OF note ana
experience. A large number of men, for-
merly prominent in Congress, have been
pushed for places on the commission, now
ever, and it is declared that many OF them
men of executive ability and force,
whose services would be of great value to
the government. The Pres dent has not
fully determined what he will do as to all
suggestions, but it is known that a majority
of the members of the comm :sson will be
engineers. The Pres dent has had num-
Der of conferences in the last few months
with Rear Admiral Walker, who went to
l. 10 1i,,t;
and the establishment of new republic on
a special mission, and who is stiH at the
head of the canal commission appointed
many years ago.
knows more about isthmian canals and the
Panama route than any other one man in
the country, and it is confidently felt that
he will be at the head of the great commits
sion that will dig a waterway for this
country between the two oceans. Another
man who is a practical certainty on the
commission is Isham Randolph, the engi-
neer who built the Chicago canal. He has
had more experience as canal engineer
than any other man in this country, and
from a practical point of view knows more
than Admiral Walker Two other men who
are thought to have excellent chances are
General George W. Davis, u. s. A., retired,
and General Peter C. Haines of the active
list of the army. OF the other three men
at least one will come from the south and
the chances are believed to favor ex-Gov.
House and a personal friend of the Presi-
dent. Ex-senator James X. Jones is also
talked about for a place, and the selection
of southern man probably lies between
these two. Ex-senator Harris of Kansas
who was an engineer in the building in the
Union Pacific railroad and who was mem
ber of the canal committee of the Senate
when he was in that body, has been pushed
by friends for place, but the President has
not indicated his purpose as to the former
Kansas senator.
Snow and Ice Bill Signed.
President Roosevelt asked Representative
Babcock and Commissioner Macfarland to
be present today at a hearing to be given
the representatives of those who are op-
posed to the new snow and ice bill passed
by Congress few days ago. H. Rozier Du-
lany and w. P. Kellogg representing real
estate and other interests, spoke to the
President about the new mea sure declar-
ing 1t to be too drastic, and especially OBJ
jecting to the imprisonment part of the
punishment prescribed. The President list
ened to the statements and then asked
Commissioner Macfarland for statement.
Mr.. Macfarland mentioned that the bill that
has just been passed was drawn up by the
late Commissioner Ross and Mr. Duyall of
counsel for the District. He said that the
bill had been most carefully drawn and
after 1t was fully evident that all former
laws were ineffective. During the winter
there had been 800 cases of violation of the
snow and Ice law, and fines of 81 had been
imposed, but these amounted to practically
nothing, Offenders having no objection to
paying that amount. The bill had been
unanimously passed by Congress, he stated,
and appeared to meet general approval.
After the hearing objections to the bill were
Withdrawn and the President said he would
sign the measure. He did affix his sigma
ture later and it became law
Invited to jamestown.
large delegation Of virginians waited
upon President Roosevelt today to ask him
TO attend the Z91th anniversary of the land
Ing of the first English settlers at James,
town. The celebration this yea~ will be at
Sewall's Point and is preliminary to tha
celebration of the tercentennary Of tha
founding. The President said that he would
take the invitation under consideration and
gave the committee assurances that he
felt deep interest in the exposition to be
held to commemorate the settlement Sem
ators Martin and Daniel and all the mem
bers of the House from Virginia accom-
panied the delegation Of officials of the
proposed pro exposition and citizens. among
whom We're Gen. Fitzhugh Lee president
OF the jamestown Exposition Company; G.
7. Shepperd. secretary; 8. Gordon Cum
ming, vice president; Park Agnew chair
man of the republican state COMMITTEES Of
Virginia; J. Taylor Elyson. chairman of
the democratic committee; George e. Bow
den, republican national committeeman:
Fred Reed, postmaster at Newport; eX-
Representative r. T. Thorpe. Hugh Gordon
Miller. Robert wainwright Of Norfolk and
Representative Small of North Carolina.
The Virginia members of Congress will
present in that body tomorrow a bill ap-
propriating $3.O00.O00 for the jamestown
exposition. and will push this bill as ener-
getically as possible. They are confident
they will secure the appropriation at the
next session of Congress If not at this one
Will Travel on Dog sleds.
Judge James Wickersham, judge of the
third division of Alaska. called on the Pres
ident today with Senator Foster of Wash
fngtOn. and they talked about affairs in |
the big territory at the northwest corner
of the United States. Judge Wickersham |
will leave Washington in few days for the |
west, and will go direct to Skagway. He |
must open a term of the United States |
court at Eagle City. Alaska, March Ia. |
Eagle City is 900 miles from Skagway, and |
the greater part of the distance must be |
travelled on dog sleighs. From Skagway to |
White Horse the trip is made by railroad ,,
From White Horse to Dawson City the trip |
is by horse sleds. From Dawson City to |
Eagle City-4o0 miles -dogs and sleds must J