The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1905-04-07
BOARD
REORGANIZED
President Announces through Taft
Personnel Of New Commission.
SHONTS MADE CHAIRMAN
Only Three Members Hold Important
Positions on Board. Thus Carrying
0ut Plans Of President.

President Roosevelt has earricd out
his plans for the reorganization OF
the isthmian canal commission as to
personnel and business methods, gem
orally on the lines OF the legislation
he 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.
tiers, made public the personnel Of
the new commission and the division
Of duties among them Only one men,
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 Ind 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
sloners, so that, nominally, acting az
body on stated occasions, each indl
Vidual member would operate In
special field. The head OF the com.
mission is a trained railroad man,
chosen for his administrative abilitie8
in the financial and purchasing field;
the new governor Of the zone IL
lawyer, who also has had TO do with
state AFFAIRS; the engineer commission
err already "a 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 COM.
missioners. but are men OF high abb
ity as hydraulic engineers Secretary
Taft told them that they were expect
ed to show results, and that IL 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 Of
canal zone; John F. Wallace, chief en-
gineer; Rear Admiral M. T. Endlcotts
United States navy; BrlGadier Cen.
eral Peter C. Hams, United States
army, retired Colonel Oswald Nj
Ernst. corps engineers, United stated
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
q 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 orderI
allowing q salary OF $500 with tTav-
cling expenses for each member OF
the commission. and to the chairman
OF the commission the additional com
pensatlon Of S22 sou; TO the chief en-
gineer. the additional compensation OF
$4,000, and to the governor OF the
zone the additional compensation Of
$4,000. The head OF each depart
ment ia allowed the rse Of a furnished
house upon the isthmus and his travel-
Ing expenses when travelling on bust
ness of the commission"
The total is S102,50G The salaries
and allowances under the former coms
mIskon amounted to 100000.