Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-01-31
THE CANAL HEARING.
Mr.. Shonts Tells About Victualing
Contracts and Other Matters.

Washington, Jan. 30.-The Senate COM
mittee Oh inter-oceanic canals today re-
sumed examination of Theodore =.
Shonts, chairman Of the isthmian canal
commission. Senator Morgan questioned
Mr.. Shonts concerning the cancellation of
the contract that had been made with j.
+. Markell of Omaha, Neb., for the in
stallatiOn of a commissary on the 18TH
mus. Mr.. Shonts explained all of the
propositions fer the awarding of the con-
tracts.
The examination Of Mr.. ShOnts develop
ed very little that had not heretofore
been given to the public. At Lii o'clock
u recess was taken for luncheon.
The executive session of the committee
was held for the purpose of determining
whether a hearing should be given to
Robert Schwerin. manager Of the Pacific
Mail Steamship co. He had requested an
opportunity to reply to charges made by
Sec. Taft and Chief Engineer Stevens
that his company had been responsible
for great part of the congestion Of
freight on the wharves on the isthmus.
After a long discussion it was agreed
that he should come before the commit =
tee at some time to be agreed upon by
Chairman Millard. The date OF hcarn:,
Poultney Bigelow has been indefinitely
postponed. and it is doubtful If he will
again be given an opportunity To appear
before the committee.
At the afternoon session Senator Sim
mons sought to show that the bid of Hud-
gins & Dumas of New York for the feed
ing of the canal employees was lower than
the bid of J. j.. Markell ~ Son. Mr..
Shonts replied that it would be impossi-
BILE to tell which bid had been the lowest,
but that the experience of the Markell
firm in feeding large bodies of men had
been taken into consideration. Senate"
Simmons asked Mr.. ShontS if he thought
the law had not been violated without
regard to the time of delivery of goods,
of the quality furnished. then the law
had been violated by the commission in Il
number of instances. After the Markell
contract had been cancelled, said Mr..
Shonts, it was suggested by Mr.. Stevens
that Markell ought to have some compen-
sation for the trouble and expense which
he had incurred.
AS a matter of fact" asked Mr.. Sim
mons was not this contract cancelled
because you received a message from Mr..
Stevens saying the contractors would
make 100000 year out Of the arrange
ment and asking that it he held in abey-
ance7"
We'll. l remember receiving such n
message" said Mr.. Shonts. II immed;-
ately called in Mr.. Markell and told him
he would have to make some other ar
rangements. Mr.. Stevens said The men
could be fed or the isthmus for % cents
n day. Mr.. Markell said that he could
feed them for 20 cents if permitted to
reduce the food TO the quality given the
laborers under Mr. Stevens plan"
Mr.. Shonts said he had been informed
that plenty of Spanish laborers could be
found and from a health point of view
they would help TO solve the labor prob
lem. He said that a movement was on
foot to try 500 Spaniards there Men OF
that type are paid 81 a day and upwards.
He quoted MIR. Stevens as deslrous Of
getting Chinese coolie labor admitted to
the canal zone.
Mr. SnontS SAID ne did not belleNo IN"
canal zone was wide enough and that the
zone should be made SO wide that any
other nation could not get close enough
to blow the United States out of the
canal. The senator in his question said
he was thinking of the practical side of
the matter and Mr.. Shonts said the zone
should he large enough SO that the lakes
to Il" formed would not ext nj into coun-
try not under contrcl of this government.
The committee held IN executive ses-