The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-03-12
PANAMA JOB LUXURY
ARD LIKELY TO COME TO A SPEEDY
 END.
frssadent Roosevelt to Make Radical Changes h the Canal Commisston at 0nce-wants work, No
 Dignity.


 Richard weightman, Washington Spec
 ial to Chicago Tribune.
 Now that the Tifty-eighth Congress has adjourned without an agreement touching the Panama Canal Commis- sion, the President is free to take such action as may commend itself to his 5udgment. That he will inaugurate measurss, and very radical measures. in the premises. everybody close to him confidently expects.
 He has declared his purpose to that effect time and time again. Moreover, he has said that he would act immedl- ateiy in whatever direction he may elect to pursue. It is quite possible that we shall hear from him within the next two or three days-perhaps within the next twenty-four hours
 Az I have already explained he re- Gards the commission as an obstacle to harmonious expedition. He believes firmly in the virtue of individual effort and sets no value on community effort as represented by a deliberative coun- oil. If he must have commissioner and the Senate clearly prefers that ar rangement--he can at least have them in isolated and subordinate positions, with clearly defined duties and respon- abilities, and he can divest them of their functions as a compact body in- termediate between the secretary of war and the enterprise itself.
 In other words while he cannot oblit- crate the commission he can readjust the commissioners so that they will no longer act collectively as a tribunal or a distinct authority, and he may also reduce their numbers by the simple act of removing them in bulk and then fill- ing only such vacancies as he may think proper.
 His present purpose, as I understand 1t, is to assign one commissioner to the active and immediate control of the ca- nal enterprise-under the secretary's orders, of course. Another will be put in charge of the sanitation scheme, oc- cupying similar relations to the head of the war department. There may also be . third to discharge the duties now im- posed on General Davis and Minister Barrett-in brief, the political, diplo- matic. and police powers will be con solidated under one oficer, and he also will report directly to Washington.
 Thus there will be a commission, in the sense that there are commissioners, but the old machinery of obstruction will disappear and the President will rid the enterprise of what he notorious ly regards as fatal handicap.
 Certain agencies are indispensable, certain services must be rendered The President doesn't care what titles the different incumbents bear-commission CTS. sanitary officers governors, ambas- sadors, 1t is all the same to him. What he wants and is determined to have Is such reorganization of the official force as will permit harmonious and effective work.
 Most important of all. he intends that ha fD1p fA rfe C( ri~ shall occupy themselves on the Isthmus, where their duties lie, and where only they can render intelligent and fruitful service. MT. Roosevelt has all the tal- ent he needs here in Washington. The day of the luxurious and leisureIy de- batting society Is over. ,Henceforth 1t is to be business on the spot-a set of gentlemen to do as they are told and equipped with the knowledge that will enable them to do 1t we'll. The Presi- dent and the secretary of war will at tend to the brain work and the states manship.
 This. then, is Mir. Roosevelts pro- gram He wants action and is bent on having 1t. The Senate has refused, to abolish the commission. so the Presi- dent will make the most of the material thrust upon him. I am not so sure in- deed. that he resents the Senates posi- tion. now that it has been fully ex- plained to him. The idea at the north end of the capitol is that the enterprise will be the beneficiary of some contin- uing body like the commission.
 Attitude of the Senate.
 The Senators fully understand that the President can do much as he likes with the individual members and arc quite willing to have him exercise the prerogative which Is clearly his But, they argue. the canal will not be com pleted in Mir. Rooseevlt's time. It will not be completed by the end of another term-by 1909, indeed-should the peo- pie insist on his serving them again. and they think there should be certain