New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-21
/ Ais NOMINATIONS BtCK.
Possibility That Canal Nag Be
Built by Contract.
tFron The Tribune Bureau

Washington, Dec 2O-The President sent to
the Senate to-day the nomination of Joseph
B. Bishop, now secretary, to be a member of the
IsthInian Canal Commission. The Senate
ferred the nomiation of Mr.. Bishop to the Com
mittee Interoceanic Canals and also, by
unanimous consent. voted TO reconsider the con-
irmation of Messrs. Shonts and Magoon, whose
nominations confirmed several days ago.
None Of these nominations can. under the rules,
be confirmed until after the holidays.
There is no significance in the action of the
Senate on these nominations the motion to re-
consider having been rendered necessary by too
great laxity in the observance OF the rules It
appears that Senator Plat then ranking mem
Der of the Committee Interoceanic Canals
requested before he left Washington that Sen
ator Willard take the usual steps when the
nominations Of the canal commissioners reached
the Senate. Senator Willard, however. made
favorable report on the nominations in the name
of the committee without holding a meeting or
consulting any member of the committee Sen
ator Morgan. ranking Democratic member or the
committee. brought this irregularity to the al
tention of the Senate in executive session to-
day. and the Senate determined to rectify the
oversight.
There is question in the minds OF some SEN
ators regarding the ultimate fate of Mr.. Bishops
nomination. but the leaders are pretty well
agreed that it will be confirmed and their pre-
dictions are usually extremely Trustworthy VI
course the Democrats are likely to object oGt
1t requires only a majority vote to erect con-
frmation so their objections are not likely to go
far It is true however that the nomination
IS not altogether agreeable to some of the infu-
entail Republicans, and while they may be re-
luctant to act on it otherwise than favorably
there is no doubt that it has given increased i'm
petus to the disposition to enact specific legisla-
ton affecting the construction of the canal, in
Guiding the creation OF a civil list which shall
stipuate precisely what salaries shall be re-
ceived by every one employed in connection with
the canal with the exception Of laborers
The conviction is entertained in some quarters
that the ultimate construction of the canal
should be accomplished by private contract; that
having perfected the engineering plans and &C
complished the sanitation of the canal zone, the
government should then let contracts for the ex-
cavation to the highest bidder, rather than
undertake to employ the laborers and supervise
the details of the work itself, and 1t is not i'm
possible that legislation providing for this
method of conducting the work may be the
outcome Of the deliberations of Congress on the
subject. This method. it is asserted by its ad-
vocates would dispose OF the vexatious and dill
dcult labor problems invariably presented when
the government assumes the role Of employer.
and would materially promote economy OF con-
str1ction.
This plan would also. it is maintained. ma
terialiy reduce the administrative work The
Panama Railroad Company would. Of course.
continue to operate the line between Colon and
Panama, and would make contracts with the
private firms to remove the waste material at
low rates OF transportation, but with such a
system the engineering plans for the construc-
ton of the canal having been perfected, the
services Of the engineering experts now mem
bers OF the commission. could be dispensed
with A single responsible head in Washing
ton with the assistance Of a comparatively
small office force, single supervising engineer
with several assistants on the line OF the CANA
and a governor of the zone, could perform all
the work necessary to be done by the govern
ment It is of course, too early to predict that
this programme will be adopted by Congress,
but il is safe to say that 1t Will be seriously
considered.