Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-12-29
TROUBLE is BREWING
OVER MANAGEMENT OF THE
PANAMA CANAL.

Congress Rather Dubious Over Measures SuS-
Sested for Government Control Of Insurance
-tiazins Must Stop. and viii Stop II secre-
tary Bonaparte Has His wsy-Consress May
Assume Management Of the Panama Canal
In Some Details Itself.
(From our regular correspondent.)
WASHINGTON, d. c., Dec. 81.
There is going to be q fight on the
Panama Canal as soon as Congress
gets to work after the holidays. The
trouble has come from the Presidents
determination TO retain Mr.. J. B.
Bishop, the much discussed "press
agent" not in the service of the com.
mission, but as member Of that body.
Worse even than his appointment on
the commission in place OF the late
and unlamented engineer Wallace, is
the fact that his salary is to be 81 500
as q Com missioner and that he will
have an extra 500 for some special
secretarial work, thus making his sal.
AIRY $4,000, just what he was getting
as press agent" There is going to
be q warm fight on this nomination
and several of the Senators prophecy
that it will be defeated.
The scheme for Federal control Of
insurance which was going forward
with such vim in Congress has been
brought to . sudden halt by some of
the older members who became suspi.
cious of the alacrity with which the
insurance companies themselves have
been agreeing to the plan. 1t is said
that they would not be 90 willing to
be controlled it they did not see some
distinct advantages in it for them.
selves. lis pointed out that Federal
control would put the companies much
in the same relation to the govern.
msnt as the National Banks and while
the banks are supposed to be under
the strictest governmental supervision,
it does not prevent their falling for
large sums with alarming frequency.
Federal control would certainly be an
advantage to the companies in their
interstate business and it would give
them national standing very bene.
fetal abroad, which they do not now
have, though they really almost con.
troll the life insurance business both
in Great Britain and in Germany.
Federal control is likely to come in
the end. Some sort of control is very
necessary in the light Of the recent
disclosures in New York. But it is q
safe guess that any bill to this end will
be carefully scanned before it passes
Congress to see that there is not q
Joker concealed in it somewhere that
will play into the hands Of the insur.
ance managers.
The Secretary OF the Navy says that
he can control the hazing and fighting
tendencies OF the Naval Academy if he
is given the power of summary dis.
missal over the cadets which accord.
ing to strict Interpretation of the law
he does not now have. Cadets are
rated as line officers OF the Navy and
a. such they cannot be dismissed ex-
cept by court martial. But Secretary
Bonaparte is q rude person, with little
respect for "brass Clothes" and none
whatever for the so called "code of
honor" that has been unearthed in the
academy. His fingers are itching to
get hold of . cadet who dares defy the
power OF the authorities, and if he does.
with the authority to carry out his
wishes, Secretary Bonaparte will in all
probability mako such an example Of
him As will materially discourage the
ambitious young men who are now
living up to the sacred traditions Of
black eyes and missing teeth incul.
Gated at the naval school. The Foss
bill, If it is passed, will give the Secre-
tary such power, and it looks now IS
though the bill would be passed, the
disciplining OF cadets left to the Score.
tary, instead of turning the purging of
the Academy over to congressional
investigating committee.
The American residents Of the Isle
of Pines have been severely criticised
by one Of their number now in WASH
lington for their attempt to organize a
Territorial government and to send q
Delegate to Congress. The critic is
Col. T. ]. Keenen, President OF the
American Society OF the Isle of Pines,