The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-01-20
 MIR. BIGELOW WILL GO FREE No Punishment for Con- tumacious Witness. NOT IMPORTANT ENOUGH Committee Thinks His Evidence of
 Little Value. yshn F. wallace, Formerly Chief En- sineer of the Canal wm be One of Those Who VIII Give
 Evidence.
ENOUGH


 Washington. Jan. 19.-Poultncy Bigelow's defiance of the Senate com mittee on Interoceanic Canals in refus- ing to divuIge the sources of certain information he alleged to have that many eminent engineers had declined to go to the Isthmus of Panama to en- gage in the construction of the canal because of the physical conditions pro- bably will go unpunished-
 This was made apparent today py the postponement of the consideration of his recalcitrancy until alter ne mas gone on with his testimony which Will be Monday or Tuesday. The committee had set Monday as the date for his examination but MT. Bigelow has asked that It go over until Tuesday
 While no definite action was taken 1t is generally understood that proceed- ings against the witness will not be begun. Before the meeting several members said that they had slept over inc ease and are now disposed not to make a martyr of a witness whose testimony appeared to be of too little value to Ciignify his conduct with sum mary punishment.
 The committee held an. executive ses- sion of two hours today. Senator Hop kins offered a resolution certifying Mir. Bfgelows contumacy to the vice.  asked that 1t he adopted
 Conentlon of simmons.
 Several Democratic Senators oppos- cd this course and Senator Simmons addressed the committee at length. He deeIared that 1t was an extraordinary penalty that was proposed and contra ry to common law He suggested the courts might refuse to act on the cer- J6eation which he asserted would
 4f..,,. aaaY Yrk f.OmGHrn1HK v Mir BIgelow's article, the Senator said fhat there had been many ether arti- cIeS written agains the canal manage men by other writers equally pltter who have not been called into dlsrepuLe and thaa this one appeared 70 nave aefn signaIed out by the kresident TOT @ denUaeiatfry reply .s s. The course of the committee T Y sho,tld proceed against Mir. Bigelow' said the sena1or. would be to tntiml- aate 1yitnesscs and would be bad poll ~ so early in the canal inVestigatloi, ffa saia that much of the news printed hv newspaper men employed at WihS W canitaI is obtained from connoeht,d' so1rces and if the committee Is to de- s1rsa tbat these condolences are to be violated, it would at once array sn' nress of the country against the com, r,,ttee He closed with the statement that he would sign a resolnlion u art;fv inc case to the courts ana ne was joined in this by Senators ToIiiian i'ill and Talliaferro. Several other senatots .1 expressing q doubt as to whether .I. n. Bigelow's testimony was ~ '.t r,air. I.aI,,e tn justify the committee Tn max tne "nartyr" of him, Senator Hop tins withdrew his resolution.
 Major Gallagher. Testtfles
 At inc afternoon session of the Canal Committee, when Major Hugh Gaila- yber Assistant General Purchasiiss 2 srant of the Panama Canal Commis- , ,.ss heard it developed that the eonnmission had an agreement with the 1rnited Fruit Company for the shipment ss r,,Tchases to the Isthmus when the on,o,Ints of shipments was in excess oi n,bat could be carried by the ships oi tho Panama Railroad Company. Fhe rate paid was the regular charse 'o other shippers. , .,xh4oa,, o, 4,,anIv clerks were employed at an average of s1,250 a year and four as sistant purchasing agents receNlhg q +a+aI of $S.O00 a year. The general nurchasing agent receives $lV,oVV ana the assistant general purchasing agen' Ss.OsO including his pay as maJor' Fis Insd and Portland cement. he sald beva been secured from foreign coun- tries. although supplied by American firms at less cost than the same arti- cIes could have been obtained In the United States. ..
 On account of the great variety ol materials purhased the major said th' nractice of sending out proposals foi bids had been discontinued. Proposals were advertised in the principal news papers he said. and specifications wer' furnished only to the firms applying for them.
 Senator German asked if that wer' not a reversal of the methods prac ticed by nearly all firms purchasinl large suplies, to which the major re plied that he believed the system to b necessary.
 Tnouiries by Senator Morgan brough out the statements that coal was pur chased by the commission from tn Panama Railroad, and that iron wa nurchased in Southern markets becaus if was the cheapest and hest.
 No Opportunity to Bid.
 That Is where the coal would be pur chased also If the mines had an oppor tunity 10 bid" said the Senator.
 The Senator brought out that ther were many articles which could be ob 4ained abroad at much loss figur than the same articles may be obtain cd in the United States and wanted t I,row why more goods had not beel bought In the foreign markets. Majo Gallagher said it was because the could be handled better in the Unite states.
 Senator Morgan pointed out that was provided by law that no more thai six months supplies should be carried TJe asked Major Gallagher if he kney there were supplies of lumber on han suficient to last one or two years which Is rotting on the ground. Tn witness said that he knew the purchas ne had been extensive. but that he sup nosed the acquisitions were for mater ial for immediate use.
 The committee in executive sessio decided to meet Monday at 2:3o D. IT to hear Auditor E. s. Benson, of tn Canal Commission and to postpone tn hearing of Poultney BigeIow unti Wednesday at 2:30 D. m.
 John F. Wallace, formerly Chief En rineer of the Commission, will be hear next week, but no date has been fiXeC