Los Angeles herald., 1906-02-10
GOVERNOR MACON TEsTIFlEs
Appears Before Senate Committee on
lnteroceanlc Canals

lnteroceanle Canals
by Associated Press
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9.--Charles e.
Magoon, governor of the Panama canal
zone. was before the senate committee
on inter-oceanic canals today and gave
! his testimony in connection with the
| investigation on the canal work. In
response to a request from Chairman
Willard Governor Magoon outlined
conditions upon the isthmus when he
was assigned to duty there last spring.
He had, he said, found an excellent
organization for the government zone,
but men there were much overworked
and very anxious over the possible eff
I fects of the reorganization. No re-
h1ovals were made. The sanitary force
was also we'll organized and 1t had
done and is now doing excellent work.
| The government had been especially
fortunate in securing in that force a
number of army men who had been
engaged in the sanitation Of Cuba.
Governor Magoon commended that
fever conditions in Panama are better
than formerly.
Under examination by Senator Nor
aan, the question was raised whether
! the courts, as constituted by the 18TH
milan canal commission, could deny to
an American citizen his inherent right
to a trial by jury when charged with
capital offense.
Judge Magoon said that presented a
serious question. In a general discus
sion of the subject Senator Knox said
he should not like to decide what the
ruling of the United States supreme
court would be in this matter. jury
trials are not held in the canal zone
nor in the Philippines, and in the lat
ter the supreme court had upheld the
system as applied to the trial of a
native Filipino. Senator Knox said he
could not say what the decision would
be If an American, going to posses
sions of the United States We're tried
and convicted in like manner.
At the afternoon session Judge Ma
COON continued his explanation of the
government of the canal zone. He said
that the apparent 40 per cent profit
made by his government through the
purchase and use of Panamaian stamps
surcharged canal zone" would not pay
the cost of the postal service in thu
zone, and said legislation would be
necessary to adjust many charges.
About half the lands there are claimed
by private parties.
One explanation given by Gov.
Magoon of the interest the United
States had in establishing the Panama
currency was that the use of American
money doubled the price of everything,
as the people wanted as many silver
dollars worth 100 cents as they had re-
ceived pesos worth so cents, for articles
sold.
Discussing the necessity for the coin
age system and the agreement by which
the United States agreed to maintain
the parity and the associated banks
agreed TO supply silver to the commits
sion, Gov. Magoon said that the new
currency became so popular that 1t was
almost Immediately absorbed by conf
merce.
Senator Morgan asked If the United
States should not establish a sub-treas-
ury on the isthmus to alleviate the
necessity for silver. Gov. Magoon re-
piled that that could be done, but that
as rapidly as the silver was shipped to
the treasury and paid out it would dis
appear and never come back; that the
people liked the money because it was
stable, and it drove out all other cfrcu-
lating mediums. THAT is about the
most logical free silver plan exploited
since Mr.. Cleveland - began Senator
Morgan He had meant to say Mr..
Bryan, but after pause, he completed
his observation, as he began and re-
peated "since Mr.. Cleveland disap-
peared."
The examination of Gov. Magoon will
be continued Monday.