Middletown transcript., 1907-03-09
WASHINGTON LETTER

/ THERE is an explanation in the air as
to why Chief Engineer John F.
Stevens qnit the canal SO suddenly. 1t is
a partial explanation at any rate, and
has to do with disagreement between
him and the PresideAt 1t looks to the
outsider like case of cranial enlargement.
Mr.. Stevens is good engineer, few better.
But it is known that he is very sensatiye
to criticism, newspaper or otherwise. He
has gotten plenty of criticism since be
has been on the isthmus, some of it per-
haps warranted and much of it unjust.
However that may have been, it nettled
him and he complained to the President
patted him on the back as it were and
told him to 60 ahead that he was just the
man and the only man for the work
Now that was just polite figure of speech.
No man is absolutely essential to any un-
dertaking and the President knows it if
Mr.. Stevens does not. But the encour-
agement led him to make more demands
for encouragement and moral support and
then came the threat of resigning, made
not with the idea that it would be &C.
cepted, but in the thought that the ad-
ministration wonld have a chill at the
idea of losing his valuable services. Just
what sort of chill it threw into the Ad-
ministration may be judged by the celer-
ity with which Mr. Stevens was allowed
to translate his threats into words. 1t
was annoying and the President did not
like his quitting SO unceremoniously.
But now. he has quit and is out, and the
work Of the canal is going on without
ripple on the surface There is moral
in this. Let no man assume that he is
the hole shooting match.
~
There are all sorts of troubles lowering
around the canal, Mr.. ]. w. Oliver, the
unsuccessful bidder for the canal contract
is still in Washington and the maddest
man that walks the Avenue. OF course
it is rather disappointing to him. Invita-
tions were issued for big contractors to
bid on the canal work. divers bid was
the lowest bout half, but the government
had reserved the right to reject all bids if
it saw fit and it saw ft. So after deposit
ing his certified check for $500, 600 as an
evidence of good faith and being morally
sure he was going to get the contract, Mr..
Oliver was left out in the cold world and
had his certified check returned to him.
Now he says that be spent SAC, 600 in get
ting his company together and making
his bid, and he wants the government to
return him that amount OF course he
won't get it. the chances;are that he vii
never even sue for it. And if he does,
it will make an interesting spectacle when
he turns in his itemized bill. So far as
an outsider can see, there is only one item
of legitimate expense, that is the interest
on the 100000 lying idle six weeks,
which Mr.. Oliver possibly had to pay,
that ordinarily being the nature of certi-
fed checks. If he paid per cent. for
the money, which he probably did not,
that would make the interest amount to
few cents more than 1923. What went
with the other $39, ,00O2 If Mr.. Oliver will
send this in an itemized statement to the
White House, the payment probably will
be taken under advisement. There are
lot of ways of spending money in Wash.
lngton and Mr.. Oliver says that he twas
assured he would get the contract. Who
assured bim? These are interesting
poihts that-Mr. Oliver might clear up.
1t would add to the gaiety of the winter
season if he did.
~
Representative Burkett of Nebraska has
hurled another inquiry resolution at the
Interstate Commerce Commission. 1t de-
mands to know whether the express COM
panies are doing commission business in
defiance OF the law, whether there is a
law to forbid them and whether they are
using the practice to cover up rebates and
determinations. It will be remembered
that decision of the Supreme Court for
bids common carriers to deal in the mer-
chandise they transport. This was set
tied in the G. & o. coal case. 1t is claimed
that the express companies are doing q
regular business along their lines as COM
mission merchants in fruit, vegetables
I