The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-04-06
new CANAL BOARD
President Names Men to Dig
the Big Panama Ditch.
SHONTS HEADS THE LIST
Only Three Of the Members Have Im-
portant Executive Functions to
Perform, Thus Carrying Out
RooseveIt's Primary Object.

President Roosevelt has carried out
his plans for the reorganization OF
the isthmian canal commission as to
personnel and business methods, gen.
orally on the lines Of the legislation
be suggested to congress at the last
session, which failed, in the crush OF
business, at the closing hours. Mon
day, within half an hour after the
presidents departure from Washing
ton on his vacation trip, Secretary
Taft, directly in charge Of canal mat
ters, made public the personnel Of
the new commission and the division
of duties among them Only one mem
Der Of the old commission was re-
appointed, BENJAMIN M. Harrod. 9th.
erwise, the commission is new from
top to bottom, for there is top and
bottom And considerable difference
between the functions and pay of the
commissioners. Finding he was obliged
to appoint seven commissioners, the
president did so, but he carried out
his plan by making three Of them prac.
tically the commission. The other
four, though bearing the title Of com
missioners, not only receive a much
lower compensation, but are assigned
much smaller fields of activity.
The president also has carried out
his scheme of dividing up the work
of canal building among the commits
sioners, so that, nominally, acting as
body on stated occasions, each indt
vidual member would operate in q
special field. The head Of the com.
mission is trained railroad man,
chosen for his administrative abilities
in the financial and purchasing field;
the new governor of the zone is =
lawyer, who also has had to do with
state affairs; the engineer commission
er already Is known for his abilities In
the execution of the practical work Of
canal cutting. The other members OF
the commission are paced to comply
with the law as to the number Of CON-
missioners, but are men of high abtl-
ity as hydraulic engineers. Secretary
Taft told them that they were expect
ed to show results, and that is said
to be the keynote for the presidents
action.
The personnel Of the commission Is
as follows: Theodore P. Shonts, chair-
man: Charles E. Magoon, governor o.
canal zone; John F. Wallace, chief en-
gineer; Rear Admiral M. T. Endicott,
United States navy; Brigadier Cen
eral Peter C. Hains, United States
army, retired; Colonel Oswald M.
Ernst, corps engineers, United States
army; Benjamin M. Harrod.
These names were announced at
the war department, and In connection
with the announcements Secretary
Taft gave out for publication a state
ment showing the allotments OF sal
aries to the new commissioners and
his own letter to the president and
a. lengthy one from the president con-
tanning the plan for reorganization OF
the commission, the reasons therefor
and the particular duties to be as
signed to each commissioner. The
first reads as follows:
"The president has made an order
allowing a salary Of $4,000 with traV-
cling expenses for each member OF
the commission, and 70 the chairman
of the commission the additional COM
pensation of s22.500; to the chief en-
gineer, the additional compensation OF
s17,5O0, and to the governor OF the
zone the additional compensation OF
$4,000. The head of each depart
ment is allowed the Use Of a furnished
house upon the isthmus and his travel
ing expenses when travelling on ousl'
ness of the commission"
The total is s1o2,5Oo. The salaries
and allowances under the former COM
mission amounted to $4,000.