Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1913-12-09


engineer, is to be made the governor
OF the Zone prior to the completion of
the canal and that the commission is
TO be abolished IN order to make a one
man government possible in the imme-
date future.
The chief sugineer of the canal, il
is known is in favor of a one-man gov
eminent after the commission is aDol-
lshed. His views as 10 the wisdom of
this system of ruling the Zone are
counter TO those of Richard Lee Met
calfe, member Of the commission
and at present the head of the de-
partment of civil administration on
the isthmus. The main point to bear
IN mind at present, in the face of this
difference of opinion, is that their is
no apparent intention on the part
OF the president of the United
States to abolish the commission for
IA months, and that whatever contro.
versy there may be between the chief
engineer and the head of the depart
ment of civil d illustration, it has no
OCl1A4S vi l1AO Vi lAC -
nal for many months to come.
All to Share in Honor
1t perhaps is possible that the chief
engineer would like to be made gov
ernor of the Zone and to be the sole
representative of the isthmian canal
present in official capacity when the
waterway finally is opened, but it
seems certain to men in Washington
that the president has determined to
keep the commission intact until the
work finally is completed and to give
all of those who have had share in
the building of the waterway an OPP
portunity to share in the honors Of
the completing occasion"
All discussion concerning the differ
ences of opinion between Colonel
Goethals and Mr.. Metcalfe concern
ing plans as to the final form of gov
eminent for the Canal Zone has no
connection whatever with the work
of completing the canal. 1t is pure
ly academic discussion, for the matter
is one for The congress of the United
In August, 1912, congress passed a
law for the permanent operation of
the canal and for the permanent gov
eminent of the Zone. This law pro-
vides for one-man government. Mr.,
Metcalfe favors a change in the law
so as to make it provide for commits
sion of three, one to be an engineer
officer of the army, one to be versed
in tropical sanitation and one to be
a civilian who is to be the head of
the department of civil administra-
ton. This plan has many friends in
congress and it may be that the adj
ministration finally will come to con-
slider it as the best plan offered. 1t is
not at all unlikely that Mr.. Bryan re-
regards this commission plan as the
best one which has been suggested
Won't Wait for Trust Reports.
1t seems likely that while congress
at the regular session is discussing
antitrust legislation the governments
commissioner of corporations, Joseph
e. Davies. will be making an invesGi-
cation of the methods of the big cor
porations as they exist, later to make a
report to the administration thereon.
In Washington one hears considerable
comment because of the apparent in
tention of congress to legislate on a
subject while the subject is being in
vestigated to determine the facts in
the case.
1t is probable that President Wilson
thinks there have been Investigations
enough and reports enough in the past
to enable the lawmakers to go ahead
with the work of restoring the compe-
titive conditions in trade W. q
Democrats seem to think it is possible
to re-establish. 1t is still the feeling
of men who seem to know, that the
president will carry out his zone thing
at time" program and will not ask
congress to consider any question ex-
cept antitrust legislation at the time
that the subject is under discussion.
The tariff law has gone into effect
and is now working along it's course
to the end of good or of evil. While
the law is being tested by actual op-
GRAFTON a bureau of the department of
commerce is studying customs mat
tiers apparently to find out definitely
whether the law in the main is right
or wrong. The thought seems to be
that if the investigators discover that
hardship is being worked by one sec
ton of the bill, correction can be
made by the party in power.
Quantities of Data on Hand.
There are enough reports which
have followed trust investigations in
the past to provide material for book
shelf of public documents. Some of
these Investigations were instigated
the minority in congress, and some of
them were instigated by progressive
Republicans. Taking it for granted
that the officials who did the investi-
eating did it honestly, President VIII
son has enough data on the affairs of
all the trusts from Standard Oil to a
shoe string combination to enable rim
to write dozen messages to congress
on the inequalities and iniquities" in
every case.
One of the curious developments of
the day is the growing feeling among
the Democrats that they must take
notice of the Progressive party's plan
for regulating the trusts through an
trade commission similar in
form and in authority to the interstate
commission. The Demo
Gratis opponents see inconsistency in
this, for they hold that Mr.. Wilson has
said definitely that the big corpora
tons can be dissolved sand that com
petitive conditions can be restored,
or in other words that legislation can
be- so framed that small shop keepers
and small manufacturers can get into
the field and compete on equal terms
with the big fellows.