The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-23
A Great Advantage
splits" OF
.AP0Nimar1s

commissioners. The municipal govern
ments were found to be wholly unsatis-
factory.
The variety Of subjects that Secretary
Taft will have to handle during the five
or six weeks that he will be absent on
his coming trip TO Panama, Cuba and
Porto Rico would be enough to brighten
the average man. He will endeavor to
be impartial investigator, the pasificator,
the mediator, judge, counsellor and friend
to all, He Will try to round off rough
edges to establish new friendships and
place cid ones on a frmer basis.
Lock Dams.
1t is admitted that one Of the main
objects of his visit to Panama is to de-
termine whether locks and dams can be
built at Gatun. Eminent engineers diff
fer. Upon the outcome depends the con-
structon of the gigantic enterprise upon
present plans. The secretary has had test
| holes fifty feet deep drilled along the
proposed works at frequent intervals. The
borings will show whether Il stone founda-
ton can be reached Frederick p.
Stearns of Boston, authority on the con-
struction of earth dams; Alfred Noble
in charge of the terminal works of the
ltiiilSA lNdHld IdllTudu Ill new lOIh CITY ,
John Ripley Freeman of Providence, r.
J., an expert in electrical and meehani-
cal engineering, are being taken along
to scrutnize the borings and advise the
secretary.
Secretary Taft will also be accompanied
by Senator Kittredge. who will be the
new chairman Of the Senate interoceanic
canals committee and an ardent advo-
cate of the sea level type of canal; Rep
TpSpnt9ttNp RnTtDn a CfIaVp1ap1 chairman
of the House committee on .rlivers and
barhors, and Representative DeArmond of
Missouri.
Secretary Taft is confident that the
result Of their examinations will con-
firm present conclusions. If the mem
hers Of his party say that the canal
project is all right the work will be
pushed
Numker of Questions.
Outside of this there are number Of
questions that have caused friction be-
tween the officials of tile canal zone and
the Panamanians originating largely
through the differences In prices of food
and uHuries, because of tariff duties 1t
is charged that the Tiyol hotel, In the
canal zone, because of duty free goods,
has rur about nine y mercan hotels in
Panama cut Ct business. The question
Of tariff figures also in other differences.
Charges Against stuart.
The civil service commission is again
lnYeetigating charges against Collector
j. G. L. Stuart of the customs office
at Ncwpart News, Va. Commissioner
Henry +. Greene has charge of tie in
Ncstisation and is now at Newport News
The charges are merely that the son of
The famous Confederate general has
she. too much partisan zeal as re-
cen, convert to republicanism. The ac-
cusGtion is that Collector Stuart has
threatened Ia discharge or has actually
DISCHARGED every democratic elnpIsye OF
the office, Deputies and clerks Of the
customs offices throughout the country
not long ago were included in tho per-
maLent civil service lists. and when Col
lector Stuart took charge of the office
at Newport News he found that nearly
all of his subordinates were democrats,
ih1s depriving him wholly of patronage
II the alleged charges against him are
uroved. it is believed his resignation will
he asked for, as it should be-