The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-01-17
REPORT OF CANAL COMMISSION.
Secretary Taft Recommends Changes in Methods
Of Administration president R00seveItS
Letter Of Transmission. HE Charges the
COMMISSION AS |NELAST|C AND CLUMSY


public the first annual report of the
Panama Canal commission and the re.
port of General Davis, Governor of
the canal zone, Secretary Taft accom-.
panies these reports with letter re.
viewing the subject in general, but
discussing particularly the results of
his recent trip to Panama. In this
letter the secretary recommends a
change in the present method of ad-
ministering the affairs of the canal,
suggesting that the president select
certain members of the commission to
act as a board in charge of the exec
utive work, the others to serve merely
in an advisory capacity.
The secretary devotes much space
to a statement of the details of the
arrangement made by him personally
with the government of Panama, con-
cerning the relations between the can
al zone government and Panama, the
rates of customs duties, the admin.
nancial relations. The secretary ex,
presses the opinion that It may be
necessary to increase from 10 per cent
to 15 per cent the rate of duty that
may be collected by Panama on goods
destined for the canal zone. He points
out that the monopoly now existing
on tobacco would expire in 1906 and
will not bl renewed, so that that mar
ket will be open to the United States
He says that the question of labor Is
not free from difficulty and 1t will
not be easy to secure all the Jamaica
laborers required as the governor oi
jamaica was unwilling to consent tC
the commissioners taking 10000 la
borers, except upon a bord OF fivi
pounds sterling for each laborer, tc
protect the Jamaican government
against their maintenance under the
poor laws.
Accompanying the Isthmian Cana
report, which was transmitted to the
congress late this afternoon, is a let
ter of transmittal from the president
present constituted, is "inelastic anC
clumsy" that it should be reduced IL
numbers to FIVE or three, and that the
engineers should work independently o
the commission which should be strict
ly an executive or administrative
body.
At the same time an executive orde
was made public, designating Fourtl
| Assistant Postmaster General Jos.
| l.. Bristow, of Kansas, a special com
missioner to make an investigation t
determine the best policy to be pur
sued in the management of the Pan
anna Railway Co., and this order not t,
take effect until January 20 so tina
Mr.. Bristow may have time to close VI
matters now awaiting his disposition
as fourth aE~,-iant postmaster general
| The presidents letter of transmitta
is as follows:
To the senate and house of repre-
sentatives:
81 transmit herewith the report o
| the Isthmian Canal commission &C
companied by a letter of the secretar.
of war under whose supervision have
| by executive order, placed the worl
of the commission. / concur with tn
| secretary of war in the view that tn
present provision of law, by whicl
the work OF building the canal ha
to be done only through body o
seven members, is inelastic and clum
sy, and / earnestly recommend
change, so that the president, who
charged with the responsibility O
building the canal, may exercise great
er discretion in the organization of tn
personnel through whom he is to dis
charge this duty. Actual expsrienc
has convinced me that 1t will be in
possible to obtain the best and mos
effective service under the limitation
prescribed by law. The general plan
for the work must be agreed upon wit
the aid of the best engineers of tn
country who should act as an advisor
or consulting body. The consultin
engineers should not he, put on tn
commission which should be used onl
as an executive instrument for tn
executive and administrative worl
The actual work of executing tn
general plans agreed upon by tn
commission after receiving the conclr
bedone by an engineer in charge an
we now have an excellent engineer.
Advised to Leave Russia.