The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-06-29
NO PANAMA TROUBLE
RumOrS of Shake-up Denied
by Secretary Taft.
COCKTAILS STAYS IN CHARGE
Absolute Harmony Declared to Pre-
vail Between Chief Engineer and
Other Members of the Panama
C5mmissiOn-Only Changes Made
WuI BE 10 Facilitate the Work.

Secretary OF War Taft returned to
Washington from New Haven yesterday
afternoon, and emphatically threw down
the various stories which have recently
been circulated regarding trouble on the
isthmus and the reorganization Of the per-
sonnet of the Canal Commission.
lie characterized the reports that Col
Goethals Is 10 retire from the head Of the
commission. either by his own request or
the request Of the department, and the
accounts Of dissatisfaction with his work
and Of other members OF the commission,
and the statement Of their own dissatis-
faction as "a tissue Of falsehoods."
The Secretary was much in earnest In
making this declaration. and intmated
that they were inspired 20 dlscrcdit the
work which IS being done and the men
who are doing II. Not only has Col
Goethals given no indication Of a desire
/ TO be relieved Of his duties on the 18th
mus, but he is working in entire harmony
with the department and all the other
members Of the commission, none Of
whom has given he slightest evidence of
an intention to ask 70 be allowed 10 retire
I from the work.
VIII Join Her Husband.
/ MS. Gocthals is now preparing 20
leave here for the isthmus, which is fur
I ther confirmation Of the fact that her
husband has no intention Of coming home
I in the immediate future
/ The facts in the canal matters are that
/ Secretary Taft has been consulting tbs
/ President and with Col GoethaIs by
mail and by cable. relative 70 several adj
uinistrative changes which will facilitate
( the work on the canal, and which are the
+ result Of experience gained Ia canal con-
structiOn. a sort of evolution which time
and development have brought about, as
well as cir sUmstauces which have taken
+ place from time " time.
/ Il has been Secretary Tafts plan oil
along 20 get all OF the various heads Of
( departments or the isthmus. and as much
! OF the working Office force there as soon
as possible, FOR the reason that their
/ duties can De performed there better
/ than in Washington.
Reduced Force Here.
However, it viii be necessary 10 main
/ tain a reduced working force IN Washing
+ ton. As TO whether or not Joseph 3.
. Bishop. secretary 20 the commission, who
. is now IN washington. viii remain here
. or 70 TO the isthmus Is q matter which
/ the Secretary Of War expects 20 decide
next week. as well as the character % his
/ duties. n De shall be sent there. The
probabilities are. however, that Mr..
I Bishop viii 60 10 the isthmus for a time.
/ az least.
! u Is intended that the principal Office
maint7ned here shall be that 81 the gen
eral purchasing agent. now held by David
+ r Ross. Nj Ross resigned voluntarily
/ several weeks ago. but az the request Of
/ Secretary Taft he consented % remain IN
/ charge until July -. At that time DE VIII
J De succeeded by Mai. Harry T. Hodges,
+ Of the Engineer Corps Of the army, who
YVES selected for the position upon The
F recommendation Il Col G0Cthals.
/ Mr.. Ross will have the work IN such
good shape that hereafter the department
will utilize officers from the Engineer
/ Corps for the outlying agents which have
. heretofore been employed.
Auditors Work SImpIified.
The Office OF the auditor will be trans
. ferrcd 10 the isthmus. and civilian,
whose selection has not been definitely
made. will succeed Ernest s, Benson, who
also resigned voluntarily. The work Of
the auditor will be much simp'Ided, how
/ ever. It's latitude being much less than az
present. his duties being chiefly 10 attest
accounts. The final approval viii be
made as at present. and as required by
law. by the Auditor for the War Depart
ment A deputy auditor will be main
tanned also IN Washington, and tran
script will be sent 20 Washington, al
/ though It Is not the purpose 20 keep a
duplicate set Of books.
/ The general d!sbursing officer viii also
have his Office on the istl1uus, and a
/ subdis5ursing officer will be stationed in
/ Washington. The engineer force, which
/ was employed chiefly In the work Of de-
rlgning has already been sent 10 the
/ isthmus. and will be maintained.
Contract Matter still Open.
/ The matter Of letting out the canal
work TO contractors is stu! an open one
/ as Secretary Taft has repeatedly stated.
+ It is one Of the duties Of the army officers
now in charge Of the work TO make re-
ports upon this matter which viii be
submitted TO Congress when il convenes
next December. They will report upon
/ the advisability or inadvisability Of doing
ANY or all the work by contract. so that
/ that matter viii not be settled until
/ some time next winter.
/ In the meantime Secretary Taft IS en-
tirely satisfied with the progress which
/ IS being made at the present time. The
/ fact that recent reports show that not
so much dirt few in the past two or
| three months as formerly is due to labor
troubles. chiefly those Of the steam
shovel men. and 10 a limited extent to
| the change Of administration. The com
mission now has sufficient men for all
the steam shcvels which can be utilized
at present and the situation is entirely
/ satisfactory