Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-01-31
CANAL ZONE
IS TOO NARROW.
Shonts Says il Should be Made
So Wide as to be
Safe.
ABOUT Markell CONTRACT.
Told Omaha Man that Other Arrange
ments Would Have TO be
Made.

Washington, Jan. 1O--The senate
committee on lnteroceanic canals today
resumed Its examination Of Theodore
=. Shonts. Mr.. Shonts explained In
detail the preparation for the award
ing OF the contract to Mr.. Markell for
complete commlssary on the 18TH
mus.
line Markell contract took effect Sept.
Z, 1865. and was cancelled in oct H. Mr..
Markell had gone to the isthmus first
at the invitation of formor CHIEF En-
gineer Wallace TO assist The commits
sion In d,visIng plan of feeding en-
poyes on canal work.
The examination OF Mr. Shonts de-
yeloped very little that had not been
given 10 the public AZ Ills o'clock a
recess was taken for luncheon
The executive session Of the commit
tee was held for the purpose OF deter
mining whether q hearing should be
given to Robert Schwerin manager OF
the Pacific Mall Steamship company.
lie rad requested an opportunity TO re-
ply to charges made by Secy, Taft and
Chief Engineer stevens, that his COM
rany had been responsible for great
wharyes on The isthmus.
After long discussion Il was agreed
that he 81 Ould appear before the COM
mittee at :. 80 o'clock tomorrow.
The date OF hearing Poultney Pige-
low. the magazine writer, has been in
definitely postponed, and It IS doubtful
n he viii again be given an opportu-
nifty to arrear before the committee.
At the afternoon session Senator Sim
mons sought TO show that the bid of
Hudglns &; Dumar Of New York for the
feeding OF the canal employees was
lower than he bid OF ]. r.. Markell &
Son. Mr.. slonts replied that It vpu,l
be impossible TO tell which bid had
been the Invest. but that the experi-
ence OF the Markell firm in feeding large
bodies of men had been taken into
consideration.
Senator simmons asked Mr.. Shonts II
he thought the law had not been vlo-
lated IN cttirs the contract to a firm
whose bid had not been the lowest. M
Thonts rerlied that II the law declared
That the lowest bid should be accepted
without regerG to the time of delivery
of goods ~ The quality furnished. ,lien
the law had been violated by the com
mission In Il number OF instances Il
ter the Markell contract had boon can.
celled. said Mr.. Shouts. II was sug-
eested by Mr., stevens that ts.vkai
ought TO have some compensate, for
the trouble and expense which he hal
incurred
AS a matter of fact" asked Mr.. Sim
mons. "was not this contract cancelled
because you received n message from
Mr. Stevens saying the contractors
would make million dollars year
out Of the arrangement, and asking
that Il be held in abeyance?"
We'll. | rem emher receiving such n
message" sail Mr.. Shonts. IL imniO-
diDtely called In Mr.. Markell and told
him We would have to make some other
arrangements. Mr.. stevens said the
men could be fed on the isthmus for 80
cents a day. Mr. Markell said he could
feed them FOR 80 cents IL permitted to
reduce the food TO the quality given
the laborers under Mr.. Stevens plan"
Mr.. Shcfts said he had been Inform-
ed that 'enty of Spanish labor could
be found and from a health point Of