Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-13
MONEY FOR THE CANAL
BILL ADOPTED BY SENATE AP-
POPULATIONS COMMITTEE.
No General Legislation Carried-secre-
tary Bishop Explains His Duties
Bond Provision Left Out.

The, emergency appropriation bill to pro-
vide the isthmian canal commission with
the funds to carry on the construction of
the Panama canal will contain no general
legislation. This was decided by the Sen
ate committees on appropriations at meet
ing lasting all of yesterday and at which
IL was agreed to report the mea sure APP
propriating SI1.0O0000 the amount named
by the House bill. The first section of the
BILL in relation to the issuance of bonds,
was stricken out A bill containing this
feature WAS introduced in the Senate by
Mr. Teller and it will be dealt with by the
finance committee. The bill was amended
further to provide that in the future no
expenditures shall be made for the canal
except by authority of Congress and when
appropriations have been made by Con-
gress.
Secretary Taft and Mr.. Shonts urged
that the appropriation be increased to
$16500,0O0, the amount named In the bill
before it was amended in the House. They
admitted, however, that 100000 would
be sufficient to carry on the work until
April. In view of the fact that Congress
will have plenty of opportunity to legis-
late by that time 1t was determined not to
restore the s5,5o00O0 cut out by the House.
Secretary Bishop Explains
The examination of Mr.. Bishop. who had
press agent for the commission, was of
a personal nature in that he was asked to
define his duties 1t was shown that in
addition to acting secretary he is sort
of diplomatic agent charged with meet
ing any possible contingency that may
arise. In the absence of Mr.. Shonts and
w. Leon Pepperman, the assistant chief of
administration, Mr.. Bishop says he as
sumes their duties in Washington even to
the extent of signing checks, and that he
deals directly with the Secretary of War
in relation to canal matters. He said he
was the historian for the commission and
assembled data of all kinds that might be
of use for any purpose He admitted that
to some extent this information was used
for the public press In his capacity OF
literary secretary Mr.. Bishop declared that
he was not expected to create public senti-
ment but to keep 1T normal. In explana-
ton he said that there had been deter
mined effort on the part of the opposition
interests to direct public feeling against
the canal and that before he entered the
employ of the government his services
had been sought by those interests at more
liberal compensation than he Is now re-
ceiving.
When asked to name the opposition inter-
ests Mr.. Bishop specified the Nicaragua,
the Tehuantepec and the Dar'en canals,
and ventured the surmise that the trans
continental railroads also were concerned
in the opposition to the canal. In reply to
questions as to the activity Of the railroads,
he said that he had no positive information
that they were opposing the canal enter
prise
Reports of Officials.
The appropriations committee took up
the question of the making Of reports by Of
ficials of the canal commission and in that
regard the provisions of the bill adopted
by the Senate committee on interoceanic ca
nails in the last Congress were agreed
upon.
These provisions were placed in the House
bill as amendments and enter into detail
in the manner Of requiring reports to be
made to Congress
If the finance committee reports prompt
ly the Teller bill in relation to the bonds it
is possible that in the interests of saving
time this may be returned to the bill as
new section and the other amendments
decided upon by the appropriations COM
mittee dropped temporarily, to be dealt
with later by the isthmian canal commits
sion. The effect of this would be to place
the appropriations committee on record
against general legislation and give the
bond feature Of the House bill the indorse-
ment Of the finance committee and at the
same time avoid a new bond bill in the
House.
The bill, being general deficiency meas
ure was referred to Senator Hale, who has
charge of all deficiency bills on the floor of
the Senate, but as he is chairman of the
committee to select committees which has
not yet completed its work, he asked to be
excused. Senator Allison, chairman of the
committee, therefore Will have charge of
the bill on the floor.