Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-03-16
Til Commission.

Rear Admiral John G.. Walker. re.
tired, who has been so prominently
connected with the canal question
since il was first considered by this
country. vii be chairman of the board.
The army's representative will be
Maj. Gen. Geo. w. Davis. retired. The
Spooner bill requires that both the
army and navy shall be represented
upon the commission. The remaining
members of the board are William
Barclay Parsons, who has become ia
nous through his work upon the New
York subway system; Benjamin NJ.
Harroad, celebrated for his work UP
ON the Mississippi river improve
ments; Carl Ewald Grunsky, the
prominent California hydraulic ensi-
neer; Col. Frank Hecker. the Michi-
gan nan who so successfully handled
the governments transportation in
terests during the Spanish war, and
William II. Burr. prominent in New
York City's commercial circles.
IL is interesting to note that there
is no politician on the commission,
all the members being practical men
and of the highest character ana
qualifications. II Is a body in which
the public can repose absolute conn.
dence and which can safely be eX.
pected To perform its important du.
ties intelligently and industriously.
by the terms of the Spooner act
the commissioners each shall receive
such compensation as the president
shall prescribe until the same shall
have been otherwise fixed by con
gress. This question of compensation
Is said to have given President Roose
welt some concern. He desires thai
they shall be amply paid. but as con
gress is bound 10 place a limit on the
pay of the board. and this limit /:
not likely TO be large. the presiden'
has naturally found the matter some
what %perplexing. 1t Is thought prob
able that the remuneration, powers
and management of the canal com
mission will follow closely the lines
of the Philippine commission. Thu
president of that commission receives
an annual salary Of $4,000 and hi'
four associates S15.500 each.
In view of the fact that the cana
commissioners will be expected to Wis
IL and live for long periods in a mos
unhealthy zone, where they will virtu
ally take their lives in their hands
this compensation could not be re
garded as e~xtrayagant. Asked If tn
commissioners will go to the isthmus
the president is said to have replied
Every one OF them. | would not ap
point a single nan on that commits
sion who would not 20 to the isthmus
| do not intend to have any long dis
lance guess work done on that canal
Every one of the commissioners vii
be conyersant with the actual condi
tions as they exist in that strip o
land" The president has had les
difficulty in securing proper men TO
the commission than had been antiC
ipated and the country will hearth
commend him for having ignored tn
politicians.
What We Have Bought.
In its purchase from the Frenc
canal company. the United States ha
acquired a property that has hereto
fore involved nothing but tremendou
losses. Confidence is expressed. how
ever, that with the splendid perso'
mel of the commission. and u In
proved engineering and constructiN
skill. America will be able to cor
plete the canal and connect the tN
oceans within ten years. After thi
the management of the canal VIII d
come a purely business proposition.
The old French canal company WI
organized in 1888. 1t was apparent
backed by unlimited capital but
six years of toll on the isthmus we
Intellectual and resulted not only
annnninI n.in 70 many hut In u