Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-04-03
ALLOTMENT OF SALARIES.
Each Member 81 500, With Travelling
Expenses--Chlef Engineer $1,000
Additional
CHAIRMAN $22,5OO IN ADDITION.
Old Body Was Unwieldy and Inferior
As an Executive Much Expected
OF the New One.

Washington, April 3.-The personnel
OF the new isthmlan canal commission
is as follows:
Theodore p Shonts chairman;
Charles T.. Magoon, governor OF canal
zone; John r. Wallace chief engineer,
Rear Admiral NJ. T. Endicott, u. s. N,
Brig..Gen. Peter c. Hams, U. $. A.
(retiied); Col oswald NJ. Ernst. corps
of engineers U. $. A.. Benz M. Harrod.
These names were announced at the
war department today, and IN connec-
ton with the announcement, Seoy. Taft
gave out for publication a statement
showing the allotments OF salaries 10
the new commissioners, and his own
letter 10 the president. and one from
the latter explaining the plan OF re-
organization of the commission; the
reasons therefor, and the particular dn-
ties 10 be assigned 10 each commits
sioner. The first reads as follows:
The president has made an order
allowing salary Of $500, with ira
yelling expenses, to each member of the
commission, and to the chairman OF
the commission the additional COM
pensatlon OF S22,500 10 the chief en-
gineer the additional compensation OF
NIbOO, and to the governor of the zone
the additional compensation OF $40 900.
The head Of each department Is al
lowed the use OF a furnished house on
the isthmus, and his travelling expenses
when travelling In the business Of the
commission.
"The total Is s1O2, 500. The salaries
and allowances under the former CONF
mission amounted to $l20,000. The to-
tai compensation OF the governor OF the
zone and chief engineer are In effect
unchanged
Prof William II. Burr and Mr.. Will
liam Barclay Parsons, civil engineers,
VIII be appointed as members Of tho
consulting board OF engineers"
TAFTs LETTER TO PRESIDENT
secy. Tafts letter 10 the president is
as follows
War Department, Washington.
March 30, 1905
Mr. President; In the matter OF the
reorganization Of the machine by
which the Panama canal is to be built,
l beg frst to call your attention TO the
extreme Importance OF giving definite
plan with respect TO which you may
feel reasonably certain, first, that IL
can be practically executed and will
result I'm a navigable canal. and, sec
the one best adapted TO the demands
which may be made on II by the COM
lnerce of the world.
A CANAL WITH LOCKS.
The act OF Congress evidently con-
templates canal with locks, the cost
OF which shall be In the neighborhood
Of S200,0OO,000, including the money al
ready expended II Is quite within the
~ haN kN 49,
form Of canal will be a sea level canal
with tidal lock only al one end OF II
and that the cost Of n may exceed the
5000 200, 900 In the mind OF Congress by
at least 500, 100000 more.
WORK OF ENGINEERS.
"'rhe work Of the engineering depart
ment OF the present commission has
been largely devoted TO obtaining the
data upon which the plan Of the canal
must be determined These data in
clude typographical measurements,
borlngs the character OF the soil the
flow of water In the rivers-all stated
with sufficient eXactness 10 secure the
closest calculations by experienced en-
gineors, though not on the ground. IL
Is probable that within the next few
months these data viii have been so
fully ascertlned by the chief engineer,
Mr., Wallace and his assistants. that
they may be submitted 20 a board OF
engineers OF the highest standing for
recommendation rs 10 tho best plan
upon which TO proceed with the work.
1T also has been made apparent.
by the reports OF ME-. Wallace and by
the commission that whatever plan Is
likely 10 be adopted, work OF excavation
and construction which would have to
10
without waste OF energy for a period
quite long enough 70 enable you To
decide which Is the best PLAN
ADVISORY BOARD.
81 suggest, therefore. that the first
work 20 be done Is the appointment
OF an advisory board OF engineers, say
seven or nine IN number, 20 be select
ed from the engineers having especial
knowledge OF hydraulic engineering and
canal construction 20 whom shall be
submitted all possible information with
respect to the projected Panama canal.
both that obtained by the French en-
gineers before our purchase OF the plant
and che data obtained by the chief
engineer Of the present canal commits
sion. together with all projects sug-
Rested for the solution OF the problem
which the canal commissioners deem
r0ukOONDly poSAlpie OF iliAttlNdpltt lnhN
the advisory board be invited to Wash
iugtou for the purpose OF agreeing on
It's recommendation In the premises,
and that Ii possible such recommends
tions be made before the regular meet
Ing OF Congress I'm December, that the
recommendation be sumbltted to the
canal commission as then constituted
for its approval or modification and
with the recommendations OF the canal
comm ssion be submitted TO the presi-
dent for his action and transmission to
Congress. As already suggested. this
work OF securing tho best plan and It's
approval by Congress need not delay
IN any way the preliminary work
adapted to any possible plan, or the
highly critical work Of sanitation, the
extreme importance Of which has al.
ready been emphasized IN your previous
Instructions 60 tho canal commission
THE OLD COMMISSION
1T ls conceded even hy rs own mem"
beers. that the prosrsnt commission has
not so developed itseli into an executive
a., oil hpnat TINT nfa