Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-02-09
CHANCE FOR A 100000 JOB.
President Roosevelt Looking for Man
Who Can Build the Canal.

SIIAlNNE Ton ~ YioO'0OS W.
President Roosevelt Looking for Man
Who Can Build the Canal.
Washington, Feb. lis there a man
in the United States whose services TO
the government would be worth Il sal
AIRY of 100000 a year? IL there is he
may get the job of building the Panama
canal.
President Roosevelt is looking for
such Il man. There is little doubt that
congress will pass the bill abolishing
the present Panama commission ana
turning absolute authority over to the
president. 1t is no secret that matters
are not going we'll on the isthmus at
present and that President Roosevelt
it dissatisfied with the management.
Nor is it any secret that as soon as
the national legislature places full
power in his hands he intends to have
Il shaking up of the dry bones ana Il
reorganization of the whole business.
If the matters are not going right it is
the presidents purpose to make them
go right or know the reason why. He
wants action: he wants progress: he
wants to make the dirt fly" Above
all, he wants no scandal. The presi-
dent has already had trouble enough
with canal boards nd canal engineers
and canal schemers to enable him 10
gain q most adequate idea of the pro-
portions of the JOB congress apparent y
intends to put upon him.
Mr.. Roosevelt believes that where
there is great work to be done there
must be great man to do 1t. Five
thousand dollar man and $4,000 men
may be picked up at every street cor
ner. But this is a gaint task, which
demands a gaint to do It, This Is
job running into hundreds of millions
of dollars, and the right man at $780,
900 salary would be cheap. Into the
hands Of such man President Roose-
Welt would like to place the powers
of dictator.
Several suggestions OF individuals
have been made by friends of the presi-
dent who are aware of the possibilities
of the near future. One is that Secre-
tary Taft give up his work in the war
department and devote all his line
and energy to the canal. Anothe is
that Henry G. Prick of PittsburY me
of the great managers and business
men the country has produced, might
be induced to take up this work as
matter OF patriotism. A third is that
John B. Macdonald. who built the sub
way in New York City. is big enough
for the task.
Perhaps the suggestion which has
elected most cordial comment is that
Elihu Root is the man to build the
canal, man of commanding powers
Of mind and character with experience
invaluable in the handling of men and
Improvements, thoroughly familiar
with the United States as whole and
thus at home in all questions of policy
as well as of administration. The
question has been asked, perhaps
somewhat premature. and not by the
president himself, v. Mr.. Root con-
sent to take charge ur-rlhe canal! Ii
an affirmative answer could be had, it
is believed the country would regard
itself lucky to get such a man, ire
spective of what might be necessary
in the way of salary to compensate
him for giving UP his law practice and
changing the whole course of his life.
One of the greatest questions TO be
decided in Panama is what sort of a
canal are we going to have. Shall 1t
be a sea lever canal? Shall it be a
lock canal? And if the latter, on which
of the alternative plans shall it be
b. lit? With 80 foot level it will en-
brace impounding the waters of the
Chagres and making it a lock canal
thru all time. Will it be on J foot
level with or without the possibility
Of f,,}, 1aVa12 or
a 80 foot level with the Cha. res drain
ed into the ocean and sea level chan
mel attainable at any time in the flu
ture that traffic may justify it without
interruption of the passage of ships
from ocean to ocean?
Up to this time the cannal commits
sion has not decided this problem. They
do not as yet know what sort of 9
canal they are going to build, but soor
this decision must be made by some
one 1t must be made by congress OF
by the president or by the Napoleon
that Mr.. Roosevelt would like to put
over the whole job. 1t is not altogether
a question of engineering, for the en-
gineers will doubtless be able to con-
struct any sort of a canal they may de-
eide upon. 1t is largely a question
of policy.
The country wants good canal and
it does not want any scandals such as
hung thick and; nasty about the De
Lesseps regime. The best insurance
against mistakes, failure andd scanda
is the presence of a dictator who does
the work precisely as if he were spend
ing his own money. There can be nc
doubt that if, in the end, the presi-
dent decides to avail himself of the
services of such a man, the country
will indorse his action, no matter what
the man may cost.
Iowa at Washington.
Washington, Feb. 9-The postoffice