The sun., 1905-12-17
SENATE PASSES CANAL BILL.
40 RiCON WATTS TO REDUCE
",J.RJES or CANAL OFFICIALS.
g. thinks the salaries OF Government
od,cprs should Be Taken as Basis
The AnIltor, H' Points Ont. Receives
sa 900 More Than the Secretary OF War

,ka Emergency lunuWa Shihi hppiopiia-
~, hiIl shortly before o'clock this after
w." I.oo without "A rollcall The day was
Tron over almost entirely to debate on
tbe bill ,
nam. Ga) called for the reading Of the
.mendmcut he offered yesterday. The
.mendment provides that ninety days after
,ho nas,age Of the aot and every three
~,,ths thereafter the Secretary OF the
r,sas,lry l. directed TO transmit to Congress-
'Hst of estimates of salaries and expenses
;, he maid to officers and employees, except
,.horers. connected with the Panama Canal
Commission
Vr Bacon addressed the Senate in behalf
Lbis amendment. He said that the neces-
'iv for action by Congress- looking to a
.orracti,n of salaries was shown by the
M of salaries submitted to Congress re
,.ntly He thought the salaries of Gov
,,nment officers should be taken as basis
tor fixing Panama salaries. The president
J,Ae Panama commission, he said, receives
,saery more than double that Of any other
onoer in the Government except the Presi-
6.nt and Ambassadors
The man doesn't live whose services
ara worth sl5O,OOO a year" Mr.. Bacon
declared
Mr.. Bacon called attention to the salary
d the auditor for Panama, and sid:
he receives $40 900 year while the man
hre in Washington, the auditor for the
War Depart ment, who supervises all the
york of the auditor for Panama, receives
oDy 1900. while the Secretary of War at
tbe head Of all the work gets only $1,000
There is no evidence" said Mr.. Tillman
Dem, S. c. that the auditor for Panama
b,s ever been in Panama
Mr.. Spooner (Rep.. Wis., asked Mr..
hoon If he would limit the salary of the
cbef engineer of the Panama commission.
What does he receiver" inquired Mr..
Bacon.
Thirty thousand dollars"
Then I would most certainly reduce 1t"
rolled Mr.. Bacon. Il wouldn't pay any
Panama officer more than is paid to the
Chef Justice of the United States Supreme
/ Court, $l2 500
Mr.. Spooner asserted that it would be
4 impossible to secure men who could COM
uand salaries Of $50 900 from great private
orporatons to agree to go to the tropics
4 and work for the United States for $12 500
tyear.
Mr. Bacon said that the influences which
would cause men to accept place with the
Government at smaller salary were the
b anne that caused the Senator from Wisoon-
dn Spoonor) to accept 5000 year in the
Senate rather than remain in private life
md make ten times as much at the bar.
| BE said that there was a compensat ion
h being connected with project like the
\ hmma Canal not be measured by dollars
: nd cents. All Government salaries were
4 s,sd on the theory that there was an aim-
washable renown" &C lnected with certain
( Government offices worth more than any
Gm Of money.
4 .Xr. Bacon asked if there was a Senator
present who would stand up and say that
be believed the Panama salaries were not
TOO high.
Mr.. .Gallinger rep, n. H. said he thought
,,some Of the salaries were too high, but he
d vas not prepared to so speak Of the salaries
/ nnerally. He called attention to Secre-
ary Taft's testimony about the peculiar
conditions surrounding the office OF chief
engineer and auditor that REQUIRED high
d.
4 10 the fact that John F. Wallace received
4 Us 900 before he became chief engineer Of
lie commission, and Mr.. Stevens, his sue
Il essor, refused to 60 to Panama for less
4 han $50 600 year.
Mr.. Bacon said the Generalization and
s debauchng Of the public conscience grew
Ult Of the fact that men who toiled day and
u night for a living read of the -princely
nlaries being paid these men, one year OF
which would yield small fortune to them.
Mr.. Allison Rep., Ia.), chairman OF the
Committee on Appropriations. asserted that
Ar. Bacon's amendment was unnecessary
and be hoped he would withdraw 1t.
AS respects these higher salaries" said
NJ. Allison, Il do not believe we can Sc
II cure the ol,cerE for smaller salaries than
le now paid. | know that the position OF
chief engineer was offered to two men who
rtused it before MIR. Stevens was appointed.
I! | was offered the chief engineer OF the
Pennsylvania Railway, who is now drawing
salary Of more th&n $50 900 year.
hr. Bacon's amendment slightly modified
II W Mr. Hale, was adopted.
Nr. Clberson dem, TeXas) called up his
amendment providing that none OF the
lppropria'ion should Ne paid to literary
bureau or in salaries TO anybody connected
herewith. lie agreed that Mr.. Bishop,
the secretary Of the commission, was an
hnest candid and able man, and said:
This Gttomr to control or direct put lie
Tnion comes from the Administration
direct
iron assurances from Mr.. Hale (Rep.,
At) that the literary work of MIR. Bishol s
pureau wol ID be abolished as an admins.
uatlon ma tier and that hereafter he wol Id
eevote his time 10 canal matters purely
Ny Cr erson withdrew his amendment.
IN SEeaking to the Eill MIR. CIlberson said
N would vote for it, but wanted to of1er
sene fundamental criticisms. The Sl6,0O0,-
w asked for had | cen 81 ent, and yet the
government had not even decided on the
character of the cani !; nor was it known
ya whether the Government wo, Ii do
he work or let it out to contract. Mr..
lulcerson denounced the Panama Rerul lilo
S y a misera L. misnomer" and de- Jared
mat the whole ncer ton of the canal Ian
vas conceived in intrigue.
Seaklng of the insurance disclosures
NNew York, Mr.. Cult ell son said:
:, look ny on the men who are managing
ueee affairs as the gree test aggregation
thieves and orjurers that this age OF
Ealt has PRODUCED" His only regret,
y said, was that the Investigation Of the
hpsurance methods had disc losed that
.usenocrat had sold himself for rs PER cent:
what leading Kepul Leans had received
W ,W like service. He hoI ed the America
seoTe wol II lie subjected to no more
appointments in connection with the
az ~ work, but he Tredicted that the canal
NJ ss"Vid cost nearer $500 OC 900 than Sls4 ,00o,-
w, the amount Of the original estimate.
- y seems that lready the hand OF ret
TTouuye justice is being laid uJon the
SS%ted States for the miseratl lie, disgrace
sisft she ! yed in the inception OF the