The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-15

place and not at any other. but for my
 self don't feel co:nfoi table," | Mir. Morgan said that he had been misuuoted as having said that there
 had been graft in connection with the management of the canal and quoted
 he said '1f,'' he added, ''and graft has occurred it will be found in connection with the management of the railroadlA should Redace Salaries. Speaking of the Spooner law. | Morgan expressed the opinion, that | properly administered it is wise and patriotic measure. but added that it's | operation had been 'thwarted by the command and determined opposition of the President" He criticised the pres ent bill as being a pretense because 1t does not reduce salaries given as tho result of the unprecedented liberality. generosity or extravagance." Mir. Mcr- gan expressed the opinion that by the time tn Panama Canal is completed, the business will be SO great that another isthmian canal will be necessary, and he contcnded that no canal should be permitted in that vicinity unless under complete control of the United States. Even," he said, the Government con trolling the territory at either or both ends of the canal, such as Nicaragua. for instance. should undertake to build canal, this country would be derelict if 1t did not take 1t in charge and con- trol is as demanded by the great mili- | tary and commercial interests of the United States This. he said, was the reason for exerting himself for preserv- ing the Mckinley compact for a canal l across Nicaragua. Tn that compact" 1" he said, the memory of that great man will be preserved and his greatness will grow until will be revealed the full splendor of his great character" He spoke of the Isthmian Canal as the best regulator of railroad rates and he said that the Panama Road would prove the most valuable in that respect. Tt will prove the best bargain ever secured. I wipe out from my memory all the circumstances attending its ac- quisiton and say the United States nev- CT made such a bargain.''
 He concluded with the announcement of his intention to vote for the bill. Mir. Bacon called attention to the fail- ure of the Committee on Appropriations to report an amendment for the reduc- tion of salaries paid by the Commission and asked if that fact indicated that the committee approves them Without waiting for q reply he expressed the opinion that the salaries were exorbf- tant and out of all proportion to the salaries paid to other Government em- pioyes. There is no parallel for it in any other salaries paid by the United States" he declared.
 President Given Authority.
 MT. Allison said that the original law had given the President authority to fix salaries. Congressional committees, he urged, have little time for consider ing such matters, and 1t is quite impos- sible for them to determine accurately the amount that should be paid for ser- vices.
 MT. Morgan suggested an increase of say 20 per cent. over Washington saI- aries and MT. Clay declared that many of those engaged on the isthmus are paid more than 100 per cent. more than for service in the Philippines. He in- stanced one case in which a salary had been increased from $2. 400 to $S,000, and said there should be some explanation.
 Mir. Allison admitted the reasonable ness of this conclusion. He admitted that on it's face 1t looked as if the sal- aries were too high. but said it was difficult to say from the facts before the Senate just what should be done. .. However. this was an emergency appropriation and he had not expected that the Committee should go into de- tails of this sort
 MT Hale suggested an amendment might be moved requiring that here after estimates for all canal salaries be submitted by the Secretary as is re- quired in other branches of the public service.
 Resuming. MT. Allison suggested that the Interoceanic Canal Committee should take up the subject of salaries on the canal in connection with other canal zone legislation.
 Mir. Allison said the Government own ed all the stock of the Panama Railroad and suggested the wisdom of 1egisla- tion controlling the road.
 MT. Morgan asked how it happened that MT Cromwell is a director if this IS true. Mir. Kittredge said that there are thirteen shares that are not owned by the United States but the Govern ment has an iron clad contract for the transfer of the stock.
 Gets the Money Back.
 Mir. Clay asked what became of the money paid by the United States to the Panama service, and MT. Hale replied that the money comes back to the na- tional treasury. He said the road is an independent organization and added that this seemed to be useless. He ar gued with MT. Allison that there should be legislation to simplify the question.
 MT. Tillman called for a report on the Panama Railroad, intimating that there is too much secrecy about 1t, and say ing that there was danger of loss in such a condition. He deplored the in- troduction of oriental methods into the management of canal affairs"
 Discussing tho control of the rail- road, MT. Allison quoted Secretary Taft's St. Louis speech concerning the ex- penditure of the $1O,000.000 appropri- ated on the canal, but in referring to that statement, spoke of 1t as having been made at Cincinnati. ohio."
 At St. Louis, Mo-" corrected MT. Foraker.
 He did make an Ohio address. be- lieve," responded MT. Allison aside to Mir. Foraker, and yet so loud as to be heard all over the chamber. The re- mark provoked an outburst of laughter, and Mir. Tillman added to the hilarity by saying. That was a case of before and after taking"
 MT. Morgan called attention to the fact that Mir. Cromwell is a director of the new Panama Canal Company as well as a director of the Panama Rail- road Company. and asked if Mir. Ali son knew what he gets for his services lin this double-barreled capacity"
 MT. Allison replied that he did not know, but said he thought the matter should be inquired into.
 The Senate then at 4:57 adjourned without concluding its consideration of the bill
 THE HOUSE.
 Washington, Dec 14.--Dcbate on the