The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-02-28
OLIVER EVIDENTLY SORE
 OVER REJECTION OF BID
WHEN OFFICIALLY NOTIFIED OF IT HE WILL GIVE OUT
 STATEMENT.

Only Last Tuesday Night He Says the
 President Had Given His Friends
 Favorable Assurances-AnOther Com
 ference on Canal Matters at the
 White House Last Night-SaIaries of
 ShOnts and Stevens to be Divided
 Among the Army Engineers Who Are
 to Take Over the Work.
 Washington, Feb. 27-The president had a conference at the White House this afternoon with Secretaries Taft and Root regarding the working out of the details of the reorganization scheme for the Panama canal work. It is un- derstood that, in addition to the changes in the commission already re- ported, 1t had been decided that Colonel Haines. U. s. A. (retired), and Benja- min Harrod, civil engineer, both mem- bers of the present commission, shall retire. Admiral Endicott who is the
  mission, will be retained on the new commission, as the law requires that one civil engineer of the navy shall be included in its membership.
 In view of the increased cost of liv ing involved in their transfer to the isthmus, and the fact that they are to be called upon to undertake profession al work of high grade for which their predecessors have been literally rec ompensed, the three engineer officers of the army, Majors Goethals, Gaillard and Sibert, who yesterday were named as members of the commission and en- gineers to control the canal construc- ton, will be recipients of salaries con siderably in excess of those they now receive, namely, $4,000 per annum. It is the intention to divide among them the salaries now paid to Messrs. Shonts and Stevens, aggregating $60000 per annum, so long as they are engaged in canal work. As the president has pow CT to fix salaries of persons employed in this work, there will be no legal ob- stacle to this procedure,
 It is stated that Chief Engineer Stew ems resigned with the statement that he would remain in charge on the isth- mus until his successor arrived there and was thoroughly initiated into the new duties and prepared to take them over, Familiar as they are with the conduct of large engineering enter prises, 1t is believed that the army of ficers who are to relieve MT. Stevens soon will feel able to relieve him of his responsibilities there, and, as they sail from New York about March 6 for the isthmus, it is probable that the transfer can be effected early in April.
 It Is stated that it will be necessary for these army engineers to make a personal inspection of every part of the construction work on the canal before any determination can be reached as to the method of conducting the work in the future; that is, whether 1t should be done by contract, and if so, whether upon the percentage plan or in accord ance with the method now pursued
 The presidents letter yesterday indi- cated that there might be recurrence of the contract plan in the future, but even if that should be the case, the army officers in. charge will 1t is point ed out. find themselves able to man. age the work in a supervisory capacity just as they now do several of the large river and harbor propects in this country.
 IA number of telegrams were receiy- ed at the White house to-day from the south asking the president to name w. J. Oliver, whose bid for the construc- tion of the canal was rejected, as a member of the isthmian canal commis- sion. Secretary Taft tonight said that he did not believe that the president was considering the appointment of MT. Oliver as member of the com mission. Mir Oliver said he would not accept a place on the commission if 1t were rendered him. when he has been officially notified that the bid of the Panama Canal Construction company has been rejected, MT. Oliver will give out a statement for publication,
 "Only last Tuesday," he said to- night, "the president assured my friends that it was the intention to award the contract, and he went as far as to say that he would be down in Panama next November and said that he was confident that by that time he would have the work under way"
 The corporation organized by MT. Oliver is known as the Panama Ca nal Construction company, and will at once be dissolved. Mir. Oliver says he has spent S4G,O0O in the preparation of his bids and in the organization of the construction company John B. Me- Donald of New York, president of the Panama Canal Construction company will arrive In Washington in the morn ing and MT Oliver Is preparing state- 1nent including the official correspond ance between MT. Oliver and his asso- ciates, and the secretary of the isth- milan committee regarding the canal contract which will be given to the