The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1907-02-15
SHONTS AND
THE CANAL
tMail speclal to the Advertlser.l

(Mail Special to the Advertiser.)
WASHINGTON, ID. c., January 81
Affairs at Washington are rapidly con-
verging into n broad and deep but quiet
current. There is less agitation on the
surface. Perhaps the rapids have all
been passed. The shaking OF fists over
the Brownsville ARRAY has ceased. The
President has been studying the canal
contracts with Secretary Taft. They
have agreed to award the contract. The
Congress is grinding away on the big
appropriation bills, authorizing the TAX
ing of many millions from the Treas
Jury, and having a little quarrel occa-
sionally but on the whole very busy.
This short session of three months will
probably appropriate close to billion
of the peoples money. 1t takes con-
siderable time to vote away that
amount.
There has been peace around the
White house of late. The lawgivers
are going there on frequent errands
but these are not often of great i'm
portance. There are but few good Of
fees now to bestow. The President
likes to keep in touch with what is
going on at the Capitol and according
ly he likes to talk with Senators and
members a portion of every week day
morning.
A notable matter of the last few
days has been the resignation OF Theo-
dore P. Shonts as chairman of the 18TH
milan Canal Commission. His resigna-
tion has been accepted by the Presi-
dent to take effect March 4. In accept
ing 1t the President bestowed a lot of
pleasant words upon the retiring chair
man, which was quite in contrast with
the scoring John F. Wallace received
when he suddenly quit the job Of COM
mission chairman. But, as has been
pointed out in many quarters, the Pres
ident and Secretary Taft did not want
Mr.. Wallace to leave his place. While
there have been no official utterances
on the subject 1t is certain enough that
Mr.. Shont's resignation was welcomed.
He certainly was not urged to stay.
All in all, Mr.. Shonts has been dis
appointment in his capacity as chair
man of the Isthmian Canal Commits
sion. He did not make the right i'm
preston in Washington. His friends
have proclaimed his abilities and sung
his praises. Secretary Taft, however.
early decided that there was something
lacking in Mr.. Shonts when it came to
such titanic job as the digging OF
the canal. The chairman certainly did
not enjoy the full confidence Of the
Secretary of War and there were evil
dences that President Roosevelt was
not altogether satisfied with him. Mr..
Shonts retained his presidency of the
Glover Leaf railroad, which the Presi-
dent did not altogether approve.
n NJ o,s 81 10,
ging the canal seemed to be a life of
ease in Washington for the commission
chairman with plenty Of society for
his wife and daughters. Mrs. Shonts
and the two Misses Shonts returned
from Europe a few months ago with a
great flourish and apparently some of
the family was responsible for the
story that President Roosevelt had
wanted them to come to Washington
for a winter of social gayeties. Those
who know President Roosevelt are
well aware that that sort of adj
vertising at his expense would be any
thing but agreeable to him.
Chairman Shonts was plainly deter
mined not to go to the isthmus to
live. He preferred that Chief Engineer
John F. Stevens should attend to the
drudgery and make the dirt fly. The
chairman could occupy the mahogany
furnished offices in Washington to adj
vantage and keep in touch with the
War Department and the White House.
He could head the organization and
look after the administration of affairs.
Let others do the construction work.
AS the organization and administra-
ton work was about completed there
seemed little more for Mr.. Shonts to
do and accordingly his resignation came
at an opportune time. He is to have
charge of the Ryan-Belmont INTERIOR
ough roads in New York city and will
probably be an acceptable man in that
place. He gives up 100000 salary as
and what he receives from
the marlborough organization Is not
known. Presumably it is as much as
he has been getting from the govern
ment.