The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-02-27
Is Given Control Of Pan.
anna Canal Work.
STEVENS RfTIRfS.
The Plan for Having Work Done b,
Contract on . Percentage Sys-
TEN Is Abandoned. W

Washlnston, Feb. of.--By On order
addressed 10 the lsthnhan canal com.
mission on Tuesday President Roose,
welt. as far as lay 10 his power under
existing Law, transferred 10 the ensi
neer branch or the army the responsl.
bllity for the further construction OF
same order. which took the form OF n
letter addressed to the chairman Of
the commission. Mr. Shonts who Is
about to retire from all connection
with the enterprise, formally recorded
the abandonment. for the present at
least, Of the project OF having the
canal work done by contract on the
percentage system. Another featulc
Of the order was the announcement o.!
the resignation OF John +. stevens as
engineer In charge of the canal con.
struction.
Mr.. Shonts Is In New York where
he will to-day preside at meeting OF
the directors OF the Panama Railroad
Co., OF which he Is president. and will.
II is expected. formally, resign that o:
fee.
The Intention OF Tie president is
that there shall he an entire reorganI
zation OF the commission with three
army officers Of the engineer corps aa
its leading members, Who are TO have
charge Of the engineering features Gt
the canal work. The chairman ald
engincer.in. of the comnisso1
Will be Maj. G. W. Goethal5. and his
associates will be Mai. II. Gailiard and
Maj. William H. sibert. To rank In the
order named. These three officers
are all comparatively young. ambitious
and energetic members Of the corps.
The reorganization Is to become ef.
feeive Immediately npon the confir.
nation and retirement oil the old com.
mission, Senator G. $. Blackburn. oi
Kentucky, who retires from the senate
ON March 4. Is 70 be made a member
of the reorganized commission.
The nominations OF the present
commissioners now pending before the
cannte include Messrs. shonts. Ste
vens. lIcins, Endicott. Herrod, Gorgag
and Jackson Smith. Their confrma
ton Is desired In order TO remove all
doubt as to the legality OF certain acts
they have performed In connection
with the making OF contrasts The re.
tiyement OF Messrs Shonts and ste.
-ens will leave but two vacancies. 80
that there will be two more retire.
ments necessary TO make way for the
three army officers and Senator Black
burn.
The president Is unaware or The
specific reasons which have been lniiu.
entail I'm prompting Mr. Stevens res.
ignatlon. II surprised him very much
for as late as the middle OF December.
when he was here. Mr.. Stevens made
no mention OF his wish 10 retire In the
near future. II has been known, how.
over, that Mr.. Stevens has been etung
very much by criticism aimed III him
In connection with canal work ana he
has been disposed To complain about
them. Some OF this criticism came
out during hearings before committees
of congress-. The salary question a!so
5s understood t., have had an Impor.
tant bearing on his retirement.
II is understood that Mr.. Stevens is
leaving the governments service tn
accept position In connection wild, o
great engineering enterprise In this
country at an annual salary more
than double that Which he now re
ceives.