Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1907-03-01
ENGINEER STEVENS
QUITS PANAMA CANAL
Isthmian Situation Still Keeps
Up It's Records
FOR LloHTNlNe.LlKs CHANGES
Roosevelt Rejected the Bids Because
He Says the Bankers and Not the
Contractors, Would Have Gotten
the Bulk Of the Profits.

Contractors. Would Have Gotten
the Bulk Of the Profits.
Washington, Feb. 2S.-By an or
der addressed To the isthm!aa canal
commission, President Roosevelt as
far as IL lay in his power under ex-
Using Law. transferred 90 the engi-
neer bureau OF he army the resPOn-
sibility for the further construction OF
the Panama canal.
lie also. in the same order which
took the form OF letter addressed
20 the chairman OF the commission.
Mr.. Shonts, himself about 10 retire
from all connection with the enter
prise, formally recorded the abandon
ment for the present at least OF the
project of having the canal work done
by contract on the percentage sys-
TEN.
Another feature Of the order was
the announcement Of the resignation
OF John +. Stevens. a. engineer In
charge OF the canal construction. Mr..
Shonts Is in New York. where he vii
preside al a meeting or the directors
OF the Panama Railroad company, OF
which he is president. and will, II is
expected, formally resign that Office.
The intention OF the president is
that there shall De an en- Ire reorsan-
izatiOn OF the commission with three
army officers Of the engineer corps its
leading members. who are 10 have
charge OF the engineering features of
the canal work. The chairman and
engineer In chief OF the commission
will be Major G.. W. Goethals. and
hi. associates will be Major ID. Dub.
Gaillard. and Major William l., ST.
bert, 10 rank In the order named.
These officers are all comparatively
young. ambitious and energetic men,
bers OF the corps
The reorganization is 10 become
effective Immediately upon me confirm
alton and retirement OF the old COM
mission. Senator Joseph c. {. Black
burn. OF Kentucky. who retires from
he United States senate on the 4th Of
March, is 20 he made a member OF the
reorganized commission. The NOM
nations Of the present commission
now pending before the senate in
clude Messrs Shonts. Stevens.
Haines. Endicott. HerrOd. Gorgas
and Jackson Smith. Their confirm
alton Is desired in order 10 remove all
doubt as 10 the legality OF certain acts
thev have performed in connection
with the making OF contracts.
The retirement OF Messrs ShontS
and stevens will leave but two va
cancies. so that there will be Two
more retirements necessary 10 make
way for three army officers and Sem
ator Blackburn. AS he told his call
ers, the president Is determined that
the work on the canal shall proceed
continuously and thoroughly. and the
temporary "dislocations" which may
cone as a result Of the designations
Of higher officials. will not De allowed
10 interfere with progress.
The president Is unaware Of the
special reasons which have been in
nucnill in prompting Mr.. stevens
resignation II surprised him very
much. for as late ss the middle ~
December, when H. was here. NJ !
Stevens made no mention " his wish
70 retire In the near fu'1re. Crit
icisms aimed a him IN connection
with cana wor'. en- 10 ~ bcor DE-. |
posed 70 complain somewhat ahor /
them. Some ~ this criticism came /
out during ne hearings before com
mitters of congress. The salary
question T. also understood N have
had an inpor ant bosru- on his re-
tiTcm'ut
I, is understood rha' NJ Steven. |
Is leaving The governments serve |
20 accept a position 10 connection VII
great eng p"ar.ng enterprise In n
oountrg a. an annual salary more traul
double that he now receives from tacI
government
Qllser for Canal Commission.