New-York tribune., 1905-01-14
SMALLER CANAL BOARD.
THE PRESIDENTS ADVICE.
Present System Inelastic and clumsy
The Work IN Panama.


a brief message transmitting to Congress To-Day
the first annual report of the Panama Canal
Commission. together with letter from Secre-
tary Taft relating to Panama affairs recon-
mends that greater discretion be given 10 hirl
as he is charged with the responsibility OF con-
structing the canal. The Board of Canal Soih-
mssoners, he says, should be reduced 10 Ii'e'
or preferably three, members. whose duties
powers and salaries should be assigned Dy 'he
President. The message is as follows:
To the Senate and House OF Representatives..
1 transmit herewith the report or the !sthnll'tn
Canal Commission, accompanied by letter or
the Secretary of War, under whose supervision
/ have by executive order placed the work OF
the commission 1 concur with the Secretary OF
War In the view that the present provision OF
law, by which the work OF building the canaI
has to be done only through BODY or seven
members, is inelastfc and clumsy, and l earnest
ly recommend, a change, so that the President,
who is charged with the responsibility of build
ing the canal may exercise greater discretion
in the organization OF the personnel through
whom he is to discharge this duty, Actual ex-
perence has convinced me that 1t will be lmpos-
sible to obtain the best and most effective service
under the limitations prescribed by law. Ine
general plans for the work must be agreed upon
with the aid of the best engineers of the country
who should act advisory or consulting
body. The consulting engineers should not De
put the commission, which should be uSed
only as an executive instrument for the execu-
tive and administrative work. The actual work
of executing the general plans agreed upon by
the commission. after receiving the conclusions
of the advising engineers must be done by an
engineer in charge, and we now have an exceiient
engineer 1t Is. in my judgment, inadvlsanie
therefore, to restrict the Executives cholce OF
commissioners to representatives OF the Engineer
corps OF the army or the navy ne - +ie
sion should consist of five or preferably or three
members, whose respective duties. powers ana
salaries should be ASSIGNED to them by the Pres
ident, and who should be placed under the mem
Der of the Cabinet whom the President DESIRES
OF these men the one appointed as administrator
of the canal strip should also serve as Minister
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
SECRETARY TAFT's LETTER
In his letter Secretary Taft says the commits
sion has done a great deal OF the work Of or
ganization, sanitation and preparation to build
the canal. The chaotic condition OF affairs in
the isthmus, however, due TO the time which
has elapsed since the New French Canal Com
pany ceased to work, the lack Of care OF the
plant and equipment and the rapid growth or
vegetation in that soil and climate brought
about such a state of confusion that it will re-
quire several months yet to restore proper con-
ditions of the work of canal building. Decided
progress has been made in the verifcation Of
the data obtained by the French engineers and
in procuring new data necessary to enable the
engineers of the commission to determine the
proper plan for the canal.
The Secretary devotes much space to a state
ment of the details of the arrangement made by
him personally with the government of Panama
concerning the relations between the canal zone
government and Panama He expresses the
opinion that it may be necessary to increase
from 10 to 10 per cent the rate of duty that
may be collected by Panama goods destined
for the canal zone, and points out that the mo-
nopoly existing on tobacco will expire in
1906 and will not be renewed, so that market
will be open to the United States. He says the
question of labor is not free from difficulty and
it will not be easy TO secure all the Jamaican
laborers required, the Governor of Jamaica
is unwilling to consent to the commissions TAX
ing ten thousand laborers, except upon a bond
of f5 for each man, to protect the Jamaican
government against maintenance under the poor
laws of the families left behind. However, a
considerable voluntary emigration of labor is
expected and the Secretary says he hopes sat
isfactory labor also may be obtained in Porto
Rico. Offers have been made to supply trial
one thousand Cinnamon and similar
ber Of Japanese coolies.
The Secretary strongly recommends the
QUESTION by the government Of the 1.59 per cent
of the stock of the Panama Railroad Company
now in private hands, which may be secured by
condemnation through lease of the road to
the canal commission. He refers TO General
Davs's criticism of the management Of the
road and says that radical changes must be
made April 1. when the board of direc-
contract between the Panama Railroad Com
pany and the Pacific Mail Steamship Company,
giving the latter the exclusive right 20 issue
through bills of lading business between San
Francisco and New-York. the Secretary says he
thinks this contract is invalid under the laws
of Colombia and the laws of Panama but az
any rate he is clear that the United States gov
ernment cannot consistently and with due
gard TO its public policy make itself party
to such a contract. He has directed the COM
mission to serve notice the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company of the intention of the rail-
road company to withdraw from the contract
at the end of six months.
CANAL COMMISSIONS REPORT.
The report of the Canal Commission rectes
that it's first visit to the canal zone was in April
last, when the only work in progress the
excavation of the Culebra Cut Neither the
equipment nor the organization of the force was
considered adequate or in any way fitted for the
prompt removal of the great mass of material
in the cut. The French surveys, although sci
entificay conducted were found to be of little
value on account of the changes which have
taken place, not only in the size Of vessels but
in the existing conditions and methods of con-
struction. Under these conditions it was decided
that the most effectual step toward progress was
the immediate organization of surveying parties
TO determine, among other things, the practica-
bility OF a sea level canal.
The report says that the development of the
final plans for both the deep water channel and
the inner harbor at either end of the canal, in
cluding about mile Of the canal line, will be
concluded within the next two three months,
in connection with which large amount of fill
ing of low ground will be performed within the
limits of Christobal and the city of Colon which
has most important bearing on the sanitation
of that city.
Among the general purposes Of the organi-
zation the report says is to ascertain by actual
trial certain important information regarding
practicable rates of progress and cost of work
under conditions existing along the canal line
The commission says 1t has been found feasible