The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-04
REORGANIZATION OF PANAMA
 CANAL COMMISSION COMPLETED

dh duNlSOTy DOdtu OI CHS o' So y seven or nine in number to be selected from the engineers having special Knowledge of hydraulic engineering and Icanal construction, to whom shall be lsubmitted all possible information with Prospect to the projected Panama Ca nal, both that obtained from the French lengineers before our purchase of the plant and the data obtained by the Chief Engineer of the present Canal Commission, together with all pro- fleets suggested for the solution of the problem which the Canal Commission CTS deem reasonable. possible or prac- ticable; that the advisory board be in- Ivited to Washington for the purpose ,of agreeing upon its recommendation in the premises, and that if possible such recommendations be made before the regular meeting of Congress in De- lcember; that the recommendations be lsubmitted to the Canal Commission or then constituted, for its approval or modification and with the recommends tions of the Canal Commission be sub mitted to the President for his action land transmission to Congress. As al- ready suggested this work of securing the best plan and its approval by Con- gress need not delay in any way the lpreliminary work of sanitation, the extreme importance of which has al- ready been emphasized in your previ- tous instructions to the Canal Commis- sion.
 Tt is conceded even by its own mem- bers that the present Commission has | not so developed itself into an exec utiye body as to give hope that 1t may be used successfully as an instrument ality for carrying on the immense leg | islative burden involved in the con- struction of the canal, and 1t remains for the President in the failure of Congress to act, to reorganize the Com l mission, both by changes in personnel and by certain instructions as to its internal procedure and distribution of powers and authority to secure great CT rapidity and efficiency in the doing of the work.
 shakeup Recommended. I Tt is not to be supposed that Con- gress intends that the Commission was personally to do the work or come nearer to the direct agencies in doing | the work than the directory of a rail road company to the construction of | railroad work and may assume, there fore that 1t was within the congress sional intention that the Commission might for convenience and rapidity of action after formulating the general plan of work delegate to a committee CT COfnTnlJIeeS lHt uOiDS O1 tue WOIh in detail the result to be reported sub sequently, of course, to the full Com mission. The Commission should, therefore, appoint an executive com mittee to be extended power as here after stated"
 The Secretary then states in detail his plan for the division of the work in the departments and the reasons therefor. all of which details are ac- |cepted and set forth in the Presidents order The letter concludes as fof- lows; The change of headquarters and power from Washington to the Isth- mus will doubtless require radical change in the office of the Commission in Washington. I am quite sure that greater economy and more satisfactory methods of accounting can be secured than now exist. Machinery for pur- chase of supplies and a force sufficient to maintain duplicate sets of acts and the necessary correspondents must of course be maintained in Washington, but very little else is needed. But these changes may be safely left to the Commission and executive committee as newly constituted.
 T beg to submit herewith the resig- nations of all the present Canal Com missioners to take effect at your pleas ure.
 T respectfully recommend the ap- pointment of a new commission and a designation of the chairman of the Commission, the Governor of the zone and the Chief Engineer and the Issuing of an executive order embodying the recommendations herein.
 Respectfully yours,
 William H. Taft.
 Secretary of War"
 ROOsevelt's Letter.
 The Presidents sanction Is indicated in the following reply:
 'The White House,
 Washington, D. C.. April 1, 1905.
 'The practical result of the operations of the Isthmian Canal Commission ap- pointed and acting under previous ex- ecutive ordors has not been satisfac- tory and requires a change in the per sonnel of the Commission and in the instructions for it's guidance.
 '"The Commission will hold quarterly sessions the first of January, April, July and October of each year at the office of the Governor on the Isthmus of Panama and will continue each ses- sion as long as public business may require. Further notice of such meet ings shall not be necessary to their regularity. The Commission may hold special sessions at the call of the Chairman. Four members shall con- stitute a quorum and the action of such majority shall be the act of the Commission"
 The Commission under the super vision and direction of the Secretary of War and subject to the approval of the President is charged with the gem eral duty of the adoption of plans for the construction and maintenance of the canal and with the execution of the work of the same: with the pur- chase and delivery of supplies, machin- cry and necessary plant; the employ ment of the necessary officers. em- ployes and laborers and with the fix ing of their salaries and wages: with the commercial operation of the Pan- anna Railroad Company and its steam ship line as common carriers: with the utilization of the railroad as a means of constructing the canal: with the making of contracts for construction and excavation and with all other matters incident and necessary to the building of a waterway across the Isthmus of Panama as provided for by the act of Congress June 2S, 1902.
 Executive Committee.
 For convenience and to secure the uninterrupted course of the work an executive committee of not less than three members. of the Commission shall be appointed by the Commission to act in place of the commission during the intervals between the meetings of the commission and to report its doing in full to the commission at the next regular meeting. A minute of every transaction of the executive commit
 T