The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-04-04
CANAL COMMISSION
is REORCAN|zED
New Men Named, Charles F
MagoOn Being Governor of
Canal Zone

WASHINGTON, April S.-The presi-
dent has carried out his plans for the
reorganization of the isthmian canal
commission as to personnel and bust
ness methods generally on the lines of
the legislation he suggested to con-
gress at the last session which failed.
Today Secretary Taft, directly in
charge of canal matters, made public
the personnel of the new commission
and the division of duties among them.
Only one member of the old commits
sion was reappointed - Benjamin M
Harrod. Otherwise the commission is
new from top to bottom. The COM
mission is:
Theo. P. Shonts, chairman; Charles
F. Magoon, governor of the canal zone;
John F. Wallace, chief engineer; Rear
Admiral NJ. T. Endicott, U. S. N;
Brig. Gen. Peter c. Hams, u. S. A, re-
tired; Col. Oswald NJ. Ernst, corps en-
gineers, U. S. A; Benjamin NJ. Har-
rod.
Finding he was obliged legally to ap-
point seven commissioners, the presi-
dent did SO, but he carried out his own
plan by making three of them prac-
tically the commission. The other four,
though bearing the title of commits
sioners, not only receive a much lower
compensation, but are assigned to
president also carried out his scheme
of dividing up the work of canal build
ing among the canal builders so that
nominally, acting as a body on stated
occasions, each individual member
would operate in a special field.
The head of the commission is a
trained railway man, chosen for his
administrative abilities in the financial
and purchasing field. The new govern
or of the zone is lawyer, who also
has had TO do with state affairs. The
engineer commissioner is also known
for his ability in the execution of the
practical work of the canal commits
sion.
The New Men
The other members of the commits
sion are placed to comply with the law
as to the number of the commission.
and are men of high ability as hy-
draulic engineers. Secretary Taft told
them today that they were expected to
show results and that is said to be the
keynote of the presidents action today.
Secretary Taft gave out a statement
showing the allotments of salaries to
the new commissioners, his own letter
to the president and one from the lat
ter explaining the plan of reorganiZa :
uon OF the commission, the reasons
therefor and the particular duties to be
assigned to each commissioner The
first reads:
The president has made an order al
lowing salary of $500, with travelling ex-
penses, to each member of the commits
sion, and to the chairman of the COM
mission the additional compensat ton of
So, 500, to the chief engineer the addition
al compensation of $17500 and to the
governor of the zone the additional COM
pensation of $4,000. The head of each de-
partment is allowed the use of a furnished
house upon the iSthmuS, and his travelling
EXPENSES when ia T1Cir acc
of the commission. The total is S1O2 500.
The salaries and allowances under the
former commission amounted to $120, 900.
me total compensation of the governor
of the zone and the chief engineer are In
effect unchanged. Prof. William H Burr
and Mr.. William Barclay Parsons. civil
of the consulting board of engineers.
Ordered by Roosevelt
The presidents letter. dated ApriI
says:
The commission will hold quarterly SEES
SONS the 1st of January, April, July and
October of each year at the office of the
governor on the isthmus of Panama The
commission may hold special sessions at
the call of the chairman. The commits
sion, under the supervision and direction
OF the secretary of war and subject to
the approval of the president, is charged
with the general duty of the adoption of
plans for the construction and mainte-
nance OF the canal and with the execution
OF the work OF the same; with the mr.
chase and delivery of supplies machinery
hnd necessary plant; the employment of
the necessary officers, employees and labor
ers, and with the fixing of their salaries
and wages; with the Commercial opera
ton of the Panama railroad company
and its steamship lines as common car
riers; with the utilization of the railroad
as means of constructing the canal:
with the making of contracts for con
Struction and excavation and with All
other matters incident and necessary to
the building of a waterway across the
1SthmuS of Panama.
For convenience, and to secure the I'M
interrupted course of the work, an execu
t, tive committee of not less than three