Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-13
TO REPORT CANAL
BILL TO SENATE
ELEVEN MILLION DOLLARS
AGREED ON
Feature Of Measure Relating to Issue
Of Bonds Is Stricken Out and
viii Be Dealt With
Separately
BY Associated Press

BY Associated Press
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12.-The emer-
gency appropriation bill to provide the
isthmian canal commission with funds
to carry on the construction OF the
Panama canal Will contain no general
Legislation. This was decided by the
senate committee on appropriations at
a meeting lasting all of today and at
which 1t was agreed to report the
measure appropriating $11,0O0,O0O, the
amount named by the house bill The
first section of the bill, In relation to
the issue of bonds, was stricken out a
bill Containing this feature was intro
duced in the senate by Mr.. Teller and
it will be dealt with by the finance
committee.
The bill was amended further to pro-
vide that in the future no expenditures
shall be made for the canal except by
authority of congress and when APP
propriations have been made by con-
gress.
Secretary Taft of the war depart
ment, Theodore p. Shonts. chairman of
the canal commission, Joseph b. Bish-
op, secretary, and other officials Of the
commission, including the purchasing
agent and the assistant purchasing
agent, were before the committee and
We're subjected to pointed inquiries as
to the manner of making expenditures.
Mr.. Taft and Mr.. Shonts urged that the
appropriation be increased to $16,500,-
900, the amount named in the bill be-
fore it was amended in the house. They
admitted, however, that $11,O0O,OOO
would be sufficient to carry on the
work until April.
In view of the fact that congress will
have plenty of opportunity to legislate
l. ,l,,o1 A@N 30
restore the S5,500,000 cut out by the
house.
"Press Agent" Explains
The examination of Mr.. Bishop, who
had been referred to in the house de-
bates as press agent" for the COM
mission, was of a personal nature, in
that he was asked to define his duties.
1t was shown that in addition to act
ing as secretary he is sort of diplo-
matte agent charged with meeting any
possible contingency that may arise.
In the absence of Mr.. Shonts and w.
Leon Pepperman, the assistant chief
of administration, Mr.. Bishop says he
assumes their duties in Washington,
even to the extent of signing checks,
and that he deals directly with the sec
retary of war in relation to canal mat
ters. He said he was the historian for
the commission and assembled data
of all kinds that might be of any use.
He admitted that to some extent his in
formation was used for the public
press.
In his capacity of literary secretary
Mr.. Bishop explained that he was not
expected to create public sentiment,
but to keep 1t normal. In explanation
he said that there had been a deter
mined effort on the part of the opposi-
tion to direct public feeling against the
canal and that before he entered the
employ of the government his services
had been sought by those interests at
more liberal compensation than he is
now receiving.
When asked to name the opposition
interests, Mr.. Bishop specified the
Nicaragua, the Tehuantepec and the
Darien canals, and Ventured the sur
mise that the transcontinental rail-
roads also were concerned in the oppo-
sition to the canal. In reply to ques-
tions as to the activity of the rail-
roads he said that he had no positive
information that they were opposing
the canal enterprise.
Mr.. Shonts defended the action of the
commission in employing a literary
secretary, saying that practically every
railroad or corporation of any import
ance found the services of such agent
of "inestimable value"
Inc appropriation cOnlnlttee TOOK up
the making of reports by officials of
the canal commission and in that re-
gard the provisions of a bill adopted
by the senate committee on inter-
oceanic canals of the last congress
were agreed upon. These provisions
were placed in the house bill as amend
ments and enter into details as to the
manner of requiring reports to be made
TO congress.
IF the finance committee reports
promptly the Teller bill I'm relation to
the bonds it Is possible that in the in
terest of saving time this may be re-
turned to the bill as a new section and
other amendments decided upon by the
appropriation committee dropped tenn
porarily to he dealt with later by the
isthmian canal commission. The ef-
feet Of this would he to place the ap-
propriations committee on record
against general Legislation and give the
bond feature of the house bill the in
dorsement OF the finance committee
and at the same time avoid a new
bond bill In the house. The bill will
be reported to the senate early to-
morrow.
Nominations Confirmed
The senate in executive session to-
day confirmed the following nominal
tions: