Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1907-02-07
WASHIy GTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent.


ment OF Chairman Shonts from
the Panama Canal Commission
and his succession by John f.
Stevens, now the chief engineer of
the canal. Mr.. Shonts has given
up his $4,000 job as the presi-
dent of the Commission, to ac-
cept something which is reported
to be worth from 100000 to
100000. for the management
of the New York subsidy, t h g
Belmont-Rvan institution, which
can afford to pay any sum it
chooses to get a suitable man.
The severane OF Mr.. Shont's con-
nection with the Canal enterprise
was not marked by any of the un
pleasant accompaniments, such
as were made public when Chair
man Wallace resigned the same
position about a year ago. Mr..
Shont's letter OF resignation was
sent to the President and was ac-
cepted in an entirely friendly spir-
it and he was given the good
wishes OF the Administration in
his coming work.
John F. Stevens, the present
chief engineer of the canal h a 8
succeeded Mr.. Shonts as chair
man of the Canal Commission. 1t
is generally understood t h a t
both the President and Secreta-
ry Taft consider Mr.. Stevens full
ly equipped in every respect to
carry on the work and an effort
will be made in the nearfuture to
reduce the number of Canal Com
missioners to three, possibly ev-
Ell making it a one-man power
concern with Mr.. Stevens in en-
tire charge.
Considerable scandal has been
created by the publication in
Washington OF the fact that the
Navy has maintained an effect
i've lobby here this winter for the
passage of the personal bill.
There are a number of executive
orders against government en-
ployees Of any sort lobbying in
favor of a bill which affects their
own department., and there is a
particular order that any petit
tions of naval officers either for
or against measures affecting
their service shall be transmitted
to Congress through the Secreta-
ry OF the Navy. This procedure
has not been followed in the case
of the personal bill. 1t might al
so be news to the War Depart
ment to learn that similar lob
bies have been maintained this
winter in favor of the Artillery
Bill and the Medical Bill, both OF
which are now pending for t h e
War Department. In fact, it is
said, in case OF the artillery bill
that personal requests were cir
culated from high officers in the
service to all their subordinates
asking them to bring. whatever
pressure they are able>to bear on
both senators and representa-
tives favoring the pussage OF this
bill.
There is a standing rule in the
Treasury Department, one OF the
most strickly enforced rules in
! the service by the way, against
any employee OF the Treasury ac-
cepting presents Of favor OF any
sort from the financial institut-
ions with which the Treasury has
| to deal. This matter was brought
into prominence this week by the
action of Treasurer Treat in de-
manding the resignation of Sam
uel Terry, and Edgar Lee Of the
New York snb-treasury on ac-
count OF their having accepted
presents from some of the New
York banks or trust companies.
A good deal ofmysteryi is thrown
lover che action of the Depart
martment in these two cases and
4 it is specifically stated that no
thing was found wrong in the ac-
counts of either Of these two EN-