Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-04-01
lSTHMIAN CANAL COMMISSION Is
DISSOLVED AND CIVIL ADMIN
ISTRATION BEGINS IT'S DUTIES
IN ZONE TODAY.
GOVERNOR I%NAUGURATEO
COL. GEORGE W. COCKTAILS BE
COMES THE FIRST EXECUTIVE
HEAD. WITHOUT CEREMONIES.
SPEECHES OR DISPLAY.
(By Associated Press.

manenI form of government.
The Isthmian Canal Commission.
which has governed the zone during the
construction Of the waterway, was dis
solved. and a civil administration semi
military in character, was established.
Colonel George W. Gocthals. by ap.
pointment of the President of the United
States. became its first governor. His
inauguration was remarkable. There
were no ceremonies, no speeches, no dis
play.
In his office ON the top Of Culcbrn
Hill, overlooking the now famous cut Of
that name. Colonel GocthalS. chairman
and chief engineer Of the Isthmian Canal
Commission. simply began his days
work under a new title-"Goycrnor AMI
Chief of the Department of Operation
and Maintenance"
In the big cut below. while the colonel
figuratiyely transferred his power from
one hand Ia mother. the steam drcdgcs
were tearing away at the foot Of turca-
racha slide. and the locomotives We're
busy hauling away more of the daily
spoil. Work progressed n usual along
the whole route If the canal. There
were no extra flags FLYING. not outward
show Of any kind that the government Of
the zone was undergoing any changes.
These were changes in name merely. so
far as most Of the canal workers were
concerned. Ever since Colonel Gocthals
became the guiding spirit Of The work he
hnS l..n th. .l.n.x.l.nf l.u,.tf ~ III.
lsthmus. aud there are few new faces
in the group Of men who have found a
place in the permanent government.
The list has been announced rs fol.
lows:
Engineer of Maintenance Colonel
Harry +. Hodges. of the army engineers.
Superintendent of Transportation
Captain Hugh l:odman. United States
navy.
Electrical Engineer Captain w. III.
Rose. Of the army engineers.
Captains for the Terminal Ports
Commander ID. T.. DismukcS and Lieu
tenant Commander Henry V. Butler.
United States navy.
Superintendent If Shops anl Dry
Docks-Naval Constructor ID. &. Nut
ting.
General Purchasing Officer Mayor +.
4. Boggs. army engineers.
Chief Quartcrmasier Captain Il. T..
Wood. United States cavalry ttrmpor
arily, pending reorganization of the
supply dcpartment.)
Auditor-H. \. \. Smith. assistant.
B. Il. Harrah.
Chief Health Officers Lieutenant
Colonel Charles L. Mason, medical corps
United States army.
Chief Offio'r of the Quarantine hi
yisiOn-l'ast Assistant Surgeon Mar
shall 4. Guthrie. United States Bureau
of Public Health.
Executive Scrrctary-C. 4. McIlvainc.
Only n small portion of the permanent
organization hccame actually effective
today. Ii probably will not he perfected
until all Of the construction work has
been done. which will require probably
another year.
That part If the old organization that
will feel the new order of things first is
the old Department of Civil Administra
ton over which Richard L. Mctcalfe pre-
sided. As fast rs practicable. Colonel
GOethals said. this viii be- rcorganizcd
and will he placed under the new execn
tive secretary. The courts. which form
erly were considered a part Of this de
partment, already have been separated
and consolidated under one federal Judge
and his two assistants M either end of
the canal.
The sanitary and health departments
also will soon he on the permanent basis.
The work practically has been completed
and the new Department of Health with
Colonel Mason nj its head, within ia.
ture look after the sanitation Of the Zone
and the lsthmus Of Panama generally.
The department of operation and main
tcnance will not he fully established
until the anal has been fully completed.
The accounting department Of the per
mancnt organization will succeed 10 the
work formerly lone by the division Of
disbursements and the examiner of a
counts. Nothing more than a consalida-
tion and a slight contraction of working
force will be- needed To make them ready
for their new work.
All departments will b. directly r.
sp0nsible 10 the Governor of the Pan
anna canal who, in turn. is responsible
10 the President If the United States
through the War department.
When in operation il is estimated
there will he about aOOO American white
employees ON the canal. and perhaps a
few hundred negro laborers. all residents
Of the Canal zone.