The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-12-13

THE CANAL
ALLOWANCE

Washington, Dec. lS.-The Emergency
Appropriation bill to provide the Isthmian
Canal commission with the 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
yesterday. at which It was a greed TO re-
port the measure appropriating sn,ooo,O 900,
the amount named by the house bill
The first section OF the bill, in relation
to the issuance of bonds, was stricken out.
A bill containing this feature was intro
duoed in the senate by Mr.. Teller, and
It will be dealt with by the finance com
mittee
The bill was amended further to provide
that in tho future no expenditures shall
be made for the canal except by au
thority of congress and when approprta-
tions have been made by congress.
Secretary Taft OF the War department:
Theodore r. Shonts, chairman OF the
Canal commission, Joseph B. Bishop, sec
retary, and other officials of the commits
sion, including the purchasing agent and
the assistant purchasing agent, were be-
fore the committee and were subjected TO
pointed inquiries as to the manner OF
making expenditures.
WANTED SIG, 10000
Mr. Taft and Mr.. Shonts urged that the
appropriation be increased to sl650o, 900,
the amount named I'm the bill before it
was amended i'm the house. They admit
ted, however, that sll. 600 900 would be suf-
hcient TO carry on the work until April.
In view OF the fact that congress Will
have plenty OF opportunity 20 legislate by
that time II was determined not TO re-
store the $5,50O,0o0 cut out by the house.
The examination Of Mr.. Bishop. who
had been referred to in house debates
as a ''prcss agent" for the commission.
was Of a personal nature, in that he was
asked to define his duties. 1t was shown
that I'm addition 10 acting as secretary he
Is sort OF a diplomatic agent. charged
with meeting any possible contingency
that may arise.
In the absence OF Mr. Shonts and w.
Leon Peppermhn, the assistant chief OF
administration, Mr.. Bishop said he as
suned their duties In Washington even to
the extent of signing checks. He said he
was the historian for the commission and
assembled data of all kinds. He admitted
that to some extent the information was
used for the public press. In his capac-
lty OF literary secretary Mr.. Bishop de-
clared that he was not expected to cre-
ate public sentiment but to keep II nor
NAL. In explanation, he said that there
had been "A determined effort on the part
OF opposition interests 60 direct public
feeling against the canal
When asked TO name the opposition in
terests Mr.. Bishop specified the Nicara-
qua, the Tchuantepec and the Darien
canals and ventureed the surmise that
the trans-Continental railroads also were
concerned I'm the opposition to tho canal
In reply to questions as 10 the activity
az the railroads he said that no had no
positive information that they were op-
posing the canal enterprise.
Mr. Shonts defended the action Of the
commission in employing a literary sec
retary, saying that practically every rail-
road or corporation Of any character
found the services OF such an agent "of
inestimalle value