Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-12-13
No General Legislation on
the Panama Bill.
Senate Committee Agrees to
Appropriation Of $|I,0OO,00O
And Bill Will Soon Be Passed.. MANY Of
fiCials Called Before Committee.

Washington, Dec 1.-THE emergency
appropriation bill to provide the 18TH
mian 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 appropriation at
a meeting lasting all of today, at which
it was agreed to report the measure
appropriating 100000, the amount
named by the House bill. The first sec
ton OF the bill, in relation to the issu-
ance of bonds. was stricken out A bill
containing this feature was introduced
in the Senate by Mr.. Teller, and it will
be dealt with by the finance commit
tee. The bill was amended further to
provide that in the future no eXpendi-
lures shall be made for the canal ex-
cept by authority Of Congress and when
appropriations have been made by
Congress.
Sec. Taft of the war department;
Theodore j. Shonts, chairman Of the
canal commissions; Joseph p. Bishop,
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.
The examination of Mr.. Bishop. who
had been referred to in House debates
as Il "press agent for the commission
was of a personal nature in that he was
asked to define his duties. 1t was shown
that in addition to acting as secretary
he is sort OF a diplomatic agent charged
with meeting any possible contingency
that may arise. He said he was the his
torian for the commission and assem-
bled data of all kinds that might be of
use for any purpose. He admitted that
to some extent this information was
used for the public press. In his capac
ity Of literary secretary Mr.. Bishop
declared that he was not expected to
create public sentiment, but to keep it
normal In explanation he said that
there had been a determined effort on
the part of opposition interests to di-
rect public feeling against the canal.
When asked to name the opposition in
tcrest Mr.. Bishop specified the Mica
ragua, the Tehauntepec and the Garien
canals and ventured the surmise that
the trans-continental railroads also
were concerned in the opposition to the
canal.
Mr.. Shonts defended the action of
the commission in employing a literary
secretary. saying that practically every
railroad or corporation of any charac-
ter found the services of such an agent
"Of inestimable value"
The appropriation committee took up
the question of the making of reports
by officials of the canal commission and
in that regard the provisions of a bill
adopted by the Senate committee on in
ter-oceanic canals in the last Con-
SresS were agreed upon. These prOvi-
siOns were placed in the House bill as
amendments and enter into detail in the
manner of requiring reports to be
made to Congress. If the finance COM
mittec reports promptly the Teller bill
in relation to the bonds it is possible
that in the interest Of saving time this
may be returned to the bill as a new
section and the other amendments de-
cidcd upon by the appropriation COM
mittce dropped temporarily. to be
dealt with later by the Isthmian canal
commission. The effect of this would be
to place the appropriation committee on
record against general legislation and
to give the bond feature of the House
bill the endorsement of the finance
committee and at the same time avoid
new bond bill in the House.