The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-08
UNIQUE PROPOSAL
 FROM Fl. SMITH
That Department of Engi-
 neering Be Established
USE CANAL DIGGERs
Idea Being to Improve Rivers and Harbors of C0untry-Suggests Goethals Be Made Head
 of Department

Fort Smith, Ark, January 1.-The pro- posal of the Fort Smith Commercial league that commercial organizations oi the United States join with it in asking that the federal government maintain the organization and continue to use the machinery now in commission in the Pan anna canal zone and that there be estab- lished a national department of engineer ing. separate from the war department, marks the beginning of an active cam paign to have the matter brought to the attention of Congress for suitable legis- lation. The idea is to use the canal ma- chinery in improving the rivers and har- bors of the country and, incidentally, in view of the record of the Panama canal work, that Colonel George W. Goethals, chairman of the Isthmian Canal commis- sion. be made head of the department of engineering.
 The movement took the form of resolu- tions adopted by the Fort Smith Conner cial league. Copies of the resolutions have been sent to the President, the secretary of war, Colonel Goethals, each member of the House and the Senate and to the principal commercial bodies of the country with the request that such bodies take similar action
 J. F. Henry, publisher of the Fort Smith Times Record. today issued a statement in which he said;
 The subject of maintaining the ma chnery now being used on the Panama canal for service in improving the rivers and harbors of the country, and the cre- ating of a national department of en- gineering separate from the war depart ment in the main, will, I feel sure, re- ceive favorable consideration at the hands of the various commercial bodies throughout the country to whom 1t soon will be presented for action.
 ''Undoubtedly some use must be made of the canal machinery and to what bet ter use could it be put than the more extensive, the more scientific and the more thorough development of the rivers and harbors of the United States? In this connection the organization evolved in the canal zone-due largely to Colonel Goethals-certainly could be utilized in a most effective manner in rivers and har- bors improvement in this country The efficiency of the work on the canal is due in no small measure to this organization. and this has been attested by foreign ex- perts and many other persons of note, including former President Roosevelt for mer Secretary of War Dickinson, Pres ident Taft and Secretary of War Stim- son.
 .The Fort Smith Commercial Leagues proposal is unique and novel, and is un- doubtedly worthy of serious consideration bJ the national lawmakers and the ex- ecutiye."
 The resolutions adopted by the organi- zation recite the expected completion of the canal; the increasing magnitude and growing imrortance' of the rivers and harbors undertakings in this country suggest 'the wisdom of preserving the vast accumulation of plant and. the splen- did organization In the canal zone." and mention 'the wisdom of specifications being vindicated by the gratifying results of the competent and continuous admin istration of Colonel Goethals."
 Proceeding, they request suitable legis- latton by Congress to effect the preser- vstion of the machinery used in the ca nars digging, and the preservation of the canal organization in suitable form, as well as adequate appropriation of funds to carry out the plans for the proposed department of engineering separate from the war department.