The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-01-27
IS SERVING
 TWO MASTERS Shonts Gets $12,OOO a Year from Railroad. CHAIRMAN ON THE RACK Tells of Importation of Women to
 Isthmus. He at First Declares Chief Engineer Stevens Responsible, Hut Later Admits that He Approved
 the Action.

Washington, Jan. 26.--That he draws Route is an admission made today by Theodore P, Shonts, Chairman of the Isthmian Canal Commission, which may have an important bearing on the canal investigation.
 Mir. Shonts was called by the Senate Inter~Oceanic Canal Committee today to make a general statement of all mat ters over which he exercises control. He said that he had been President of the Glover Leaf Route and 1t was brought out that he still receives $l2,000 a year and continues to hold the title of President. He says that he does not give any time to- the management Of the road but that reports are sent to him and frequently officials of the road come to Washington to consult him.
 After getting into the record the fact that Mr. Shonts receives $3o,000 year from the United States. the chairman of the Commission was allowed to pro- ceed.
 MT. Shonts admitted that the Com mission had paid for the importation of women into the canal zone, the wo- men being the families of laborers rom Martinique and that there Is no way for the Government to recover its money.
 Al the afternoon session MT. Shonts testified that of the 2,100 houses left by the French, about 1000 are in good condition.
 Goyernment and Sanitation.
 No matter how the canal Is butt, he said, there are two things over which the United States should always exercise control, the government or the zone and the sanitation.
 MT. Shonts said buildings have been set aside for churches and sunday schools and that the houses for lapof CTS and the food supplies are much better than are usually provided Tor such purposes in connection with fall- road construction work in this country
 Tn reply to questions by senasor 1oI, ssa., man. Mir Shonts safd the comImissioii bad nians for six hotels. two of which ags approaelftag completion The ap s,yenriations had been sufficient 10 car rv in the work until July ana that aso rnaka the dirt fiy'' about S,5O0 white man and from 20.000 to 24'09o coiored men were all that could be accommo- dated under the present conaltlohs,
 Concerning the division isrond oI MS sbonts said that all that part needed TOT s ordinat-v railway business exclusive oi canal work should be borne py the Iati t road and other work relative 10 tle t building of wharves shouio pe p"iu AV by canal funds. Senator German said that the general inapression was gained at the tune MT; Shonts went to the isthmus that ne nau criticized chief engineer Wallace TOT d,iatoriness and that he proposed to make a showing at once.
 Denied by ShOnts.
 MT. Shonts denied that ne had maue such a statement at any tune
 Senator German conducted an eAee,.n- Ss...,.s, ed examination of the witness cohCsln- cyslI i ing conditions at the time MT Waliace surrendered charge of the work ana MT Stevens took control He showed that Mir. Stevens had increased the pay roll from 5000 to 13,0OO men Tn three months without doing anything the expenditure of $500,OO0 by MT. Wallace to estimate the cost of remoV- ing the dirt from Culepra whlcn nau ~. been declared by the present onclaIs far from what will be the real cost
 Tf MT. Wallace had received no eouipment from the French company and had to wait for suitable equlp- ment, he would have spent the time m improving the sanitation and for the care of laborers. Then he would have seen that fair weather estimates for the moving of dirt would vary from the cost of moving 1t under other con ditions.
 Later Mir. shonts said he did not be- lieve MT. wallace's experiments had delayed sanitary work.
 No trouble was experienced in get ting plenty of Martinique and Jamai- can laborers, but there had been difficulty in getting the best class Of labor, according to Mir. Shonts.
 Senator German asked concerning the demand for the importation of women. and the witness replied that this had been brought about by the assurance that better laborers could be obtained if their families were taken to the isthmus.
 MT. ShOnts Responsible.
 Mir Stevens was said by MT. Shonts to have been responsible for the im- portatIon of families, out Mir. Shonts said he had later approved his action. It appeared that the canal commission paid S7 a head for the importation of these women and Mfr German asked in what way this money was recover
 ''We don't get it back; it Is a grat- uity," answered Mir. Shonts.
 His attention being called to a previ- ous statement that the steamship fare for these women cost the Government nothing, he said he had inferred that from vouchers which showed that only laborers had been brought in by the authorities on the isthmus.
 It was remaked by Senator German that the accounting system seemed to be lax when a voucher could be made to cover a transaction of that kind MT. Shonts replied that most of these women found employment in the hotels and boarding houses and that in fact they were laborers.
 It was explained by MT. Shonts that authority had been issued to Mir. Ste vens to enter into contracts of various descriptions without submitting the terms to the Canal Commission, but that his acts under this broad instruc- tion were subject to review Later MT. Shonts qualified his statement by say ing that on all matters of consequence outside of routine. bids for material needed by MT. Stevens were obtained by the purchasing department. For routine purchases it appeared from MT. Shonts's statement that there was no limit concerning the amount of con tract entered into.
 Plays a Lone Hnnd.
 Nr Shonts said that after the bids were scheduled and brought to him, he approved tho transaction without sub hitting them to the other members of the Commission He said he was given authority to do this by President Roose-