The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1905-08-24
OUR WASHINGTON
NEWS NOTES
LATE NEWS ITEMS FROM OUR
NATIONS CAPITOL.
EXPENDITURES ON CANAL
Money in Hand Sufficient to Run into
January. No Bonds Have Yet Been
Issued. There is Lacking of Ter
minals.

One Of the first important tasks
awaiting Mr.. Shonts when he assumes
the presidency Of the Isthmian Canal
Commission was the conservation Of
the balance remaining Of the appro-
priation of $10,000,00O so as to guard
against the stoppage Of the work OF
canal building.
Calling to his aid several expert ac-
countants, the exact state of finances
of the commission was ascertained and
it was found that the work could be
steadily prosecuted until Congress at
the next regular session should have
ample opportunity to provide more
funds. Therefore the balance on
hand was divided into monthly allor-
ments, which have so far been closely
adhered to save In one case, where an
unexpected demand arose for ad-
ditional transportation facilities. Thus
the commission has, it is believed,
avoided the necessity of availing it
self of the privilege granted by Con-
eress of issuing bonds to meet expen-
llitures.
The commission has issued the fol-
lowing statement on this point.
1t was officially stated at the 18TH
milan Canal Commission that Of the
appropriation by Congress of $4,000
GOO for the construction Of the canal
there was on April 1, 1905, the date
on which the present commission took
hold, an available balance to the cred
it of this appropriation Of 7,426,569.
During the month Of April the ex-
penditures from this appropriation
aggregated $475,000; during May
$503,000; during June, $659,000; dur
ing July $4,000, for wages, salaries,
materials, and equipments.
During July there was an unusual
expenditure for the purchase of two
ships ait $65O,OOO each, not included
in the July expenditures above.
During the month of August, up to
and including the 18th, $250,00O had
been expended. This left to the bal
ance Of the appropriation on August
10th, $2,916,713, in addition to which
each of the two disbursing officers
had in hand 100000 on this date.
1t will be seen from the foregoing
that the average expenditure pei
month, leaving out of consideration
the purchase Of the two ships was n
the neighborhood Of 100000, and at
that rate Of expenditure the $685.
713 will last until early in January
which according to the schedule fix.
ed by Mr. Shonts on April LIST, when
he became chairman Of the commits
sion.
Replying to the report that the sus
pension Of digging operations on the
Panama Canal has been caused by
the exhaustion of the congressional
appropriation for constructing the
canal. Theodore Shonts, chairman Of
the commission said: "It is not true
that there has Been any shortage Of
funds. Our plans for forwarding tht
work Of the canal were curtaile6
from lack of terminals, of houses fol-
the employees and of a better com
missary, which should precede any
further work in the actual excavation
OF she canal. The question Of funds
has not interfered with our plans al
Panama in any way.
The order issued by the commission
: during its recent visit 10 Panama tc
cease excavation on the canal was due
to the fact that before the men could
dig with steam shovels they mus
have railroads to carry away the dirt
It was further issued that because the
employees had to have the place to live
in before they could be expected tc
work, and because a good commissary
was imperative. Finally there was 3
lack of sufficient terminals, both fol
the railroad and for the ocean ship
ping 5000 tons Of which lay piled NJ
with no means of handling it. This
is all preliminary work which ought
to have been done at the outset OF
operations on the Panama Canal, but
which was not done then. I can not
predict the exact length of time in
which the preliminaries will be fin
ished but it will probably be in the
neighborhood of three or four months
The Treasury Department is IN
vestigating a scandal in the customs
service. The Government, it is alleg-
ed, has been defrauded out Of thous-
ands Of dollars by the illegal CLASH
fication of tobacco imported from
Cuba.
As result Of his recent speeches
at Manila favoring free trade with the
Philippine Islands, Congressman Sc
reno Payne, Of New York, may be de-
ID n e