The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1904-12-09

Washington, d. c., Dec. 5.-Repre.
sentative Shackelford, of Missouri,
member of the house committee on in
terstate and foreign commerce, will
throw a bomb into the house of the
ffty-eighth congress tomorrow in the
lorm OF a resolution. The explosives
in the bomb were gathered while the
committee was in Panama looking
over the great Isthmian canal property
at close range.
The resolution to be introduced to-
morrow Will ask congress to empower
the committee on interstate ana
foreign commerce to investigate the
affairs of the Panama Railway Com
pany, going into every detail OF man
agement, operation, condition OF prop
erty, franchises and to ascertain IL
dividends have been paid to any stock
holders not authorized by law. The
committee also desires to ascertain II
the Panama Railway Company has en-
tered into a contract with any steam
ship company or companies to monop-
olize traffic in restraint of trade. The
resolution will set forth that the
United States is the owner of 9S per
cent of the shares of capital stock OF
the Panama Railway Company, and
that congress should have knowledge
Of its affairs.
It is understood that the proposed
resolution of Representative Shackei-
ford is based upon sensational dis
closures made to the committee on IN
terstate and foreign commerce Whlie
insrecting conditions in Panama. Il
= uncerstood that the United States
suffered to the extent OF Sl5O,ooo III
the purchase of the Panama Railway
and that the loss thus sustained was
the result of 4 job perpetrated upon
this government by certain french
Stockholders. 1t is claimed that aIter
the United States had negotiated ior
the purchase of the railway IN ques-
ton, The old company declared olFF
dends in excess of the gross receipts
70 the extent of about s15O.000. This
is understood to be one OF the dls-
closures which the committee pro-
noses to show by its investigation.
That the whole Panama canal prof.
ect has been fearfully handled up to
this time is practically the opinion OF
Representative F. c. Stevens, Re
publican. of Minnesota. member OF
fhe committee on interstate and
fOreicn commerce. His statements
are sensational He claims that the
estimates furnished up TO date are not
worth the paper they are written Oh
that 10 man can determine at TINS
stage of procedure what it will cost
the United States to dig the canal
ANYTHING like an intelligent idea or
the vastness of the undertaking and
the necessary expenditures. in Repre-
sentative Stevens opinion, cannot be
arrived at until Chief Engineer Wal
lace and Gen. Davis make their report.
He thinks the canal is just as liable
to cost a million million as 1t is $780,
100000 He thinks that the lsthmian
Canal Commission as at present or
Engineer Wallace and Gen. Davis.
He thinks the commission should be
reorganiZed with view to better ser
vice.
IN the opinion of the Minnesota
representative there has been too
much sitting around in Washington
in dress suits, while the real eXigen-
cies Of the canal situation were al
lowed to suffer for lack of earnest OF
fetal attention. In contradistinctiOn
to this program he would have Pana-
ma divided into five districts, and
place one member of the commission
in charge OF a district. This arrange
ment, he thinks, will facilitate the
work of straig tightening out the tanglc
in the canal zone.