The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-04-06
Teddy's Canal

danced around and declared the thing |
was going to be done right away. All
this time has elapsed and nothing has
been done except to pay the salaries
of lot of plutocratic dead-beats. Not
shcvelfull of dirt has been thrown
out of the future water way. Now
The old commission has been dis
charged and a new one appointed.
While it is acknowledged that no one
knows what kind of canal is to be
built, it is said that SINE dirt can be
thrown out at one end where it will
have to start no matter what kind of
a canal is constructed. Some time in
the vast, unending future the question
will be settled whether the canal is to
be a sea level ditch or one with
system of locks.
The way the president has con-
structed his new commission is that it
is to consist of three men, the re-
mainder will be dummies and draw
salaries. That is necessary because
congress refused to abolish the COM
mission and Teddy was bound to fix
it to suit himself any way. The real
commission consists of Theodore P.
Shonts, Chas. E. Magoon and John F..
Wallace The dummies are Rear Ad-
miral M. T. Endicott, Rrigadier Gen
eral Peter c.. Haine, retired, Oswald
M. Ernst and Benjamin M. Harrod.
There are some queer things about
this new commission. The appoint
ment of Magoon, who is a lawyer, from
Lincoln, Neb, as governor of the Pan
| anna strip is along the line of sanity,
but, as the canal is hydraulic engi-
neering problem, why were such men
as Wallace and Shontz chosen. They
have been simply the engineers and
managers of prairie railroads in the
heart of the continent, far from the
sea, ships and hydraulic problems gen
orally The thing that procured the
appointment of Shonts was the en-.
dorsement of Paul Morton. Morton
and Shonts have long been cronies and
both of them having been connected
with transcontinental railroads, all
their sympathies and interest are
against building any isthmian canal at
ALL Why was not some hydraulic engi-
neer chosen and some man put in
charge that knew something about
ships canals and locks instead of men
who had given all their attention
to grades, curves, switches and
bridges? Wallace and ShontS are rail
road men and Paul Morton is a rail
road man. Railroads have charge Of
building the Panama canal. Under that
kind of control how soon will the Pan
anna canal be finished?
| Each member of the commission,
dummies and all, will draw salary.
of $500. In addition to that ShOntz
gets $22,5O, Wallace $17,50O and Ma
COON 100000 The salaries of the real
commissions, the three men chosen by
the railroads to see to it that no canal
is built, are very satisfactory-to them
-Shontz 100000, Wallace $4,000 and
Macon $17,500. The dummies were
| put on because congress would not re-
peal the law establishing the commits
sion Under the program published by
Secretary Taft they will have nothing
to do, and $500 year for doing
| nothing, may also be considered pref
| ty fair wages. All that they are COM
manded to do is to go to Panama once
q quarter and attend a meeting of the
commission. Travelling expenses Of
the whole gang are to be paid out Of
the public treasury and the three real
commissioners are to have houses and
attendants at public cost also. That is
the way Teddy is going to build a