The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-02-13
.SHONTS AND
THE CANAL
Why the Late Chairman
Did Not Suit the
President.
CMall Special to the Advertiser,

: AHalrS at washington are rapidly con
verging into a broad and deep but quie
current. There is less agitation on tn,
surface. Perhaps the rapids have al
been passed. The shaking of fists owe
. the Brownsville ARRAY has ceased. Thu
President has been studying the cana
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
ury, and having little quarrel occa-
sionally but on the whole very busy
This short session of three months viii
probably appropriate close to a billion
of the peoples money. 1t takes con-
siderable time to vote away tina,
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
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-
ton has been accepted by the Presi-
dent to take effect March 4. In accept
| ing it 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 it is certain enough that
Mr.. Shont's resignation was welcomed.
He certainly was not urged to stay.
All in all, Mr.. Shonts has been a 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 a titanic job as the digging or
the canal. The chairman certainly did
not enjoy the full confidence of the
denees that President Roosevelt was
not altogether satisfied with him. Mr..
Shonts retained his presidency of the
Glover Leaf railroad, which the Presl-
dent did not altogether approve.
Furthermore Mr.. Shonts's idea of dig
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 winter of social gayeties. Those
who know President Roosevelt are
we'll 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 ad-
vantage and keep in touch with the
War Department and the White House.
81 n +frNr,
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 a $4,000 salary as
chairman, and what he receives from
the Interborough organization is not
known. Presumably it is as much as
he has been getting from the govern
ment.
Chief Engineer Stevens will succeed
Mr.. Shonts as chairman and head man.
Washington knows but little about him.
except that he is a determined and like
wise an efficient man and has been APP
plying himself on the isthmus. Whether
he has the capacity to direct the execu-
ton of the great project is unknown |
here, but undoubtedly he is as capable /
in that direction as Mr.. Shonts ever |
was and more likely TO be successful I
because he has resided on the isthmus /
a long time and has comprehensive /
knowledge of affairs connected with /
the canal work.
1t has already been announced that /
the contract for digging the canal will
be awarded to W. J. Oliver of Tennes-
see. but the partner whom he chose in
the bidding, Arson NJ. Bangs of New
York, formerly resident of Fayette-
vile. \. Y, will not be allowed to
share the work with him. That is be-
cause the President and Secretary Taft
have become convinced that Mr.. Bangs
is not capable for such an undertaking.
Furthermore. they are not pleased at
the close association there has been
between the Bangs and Gaynor fami-
lies. John F. Gaynor having been con-
victed of fraud in connection with
harhor work at Savannah Ga The