Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1914-01-27

government for the Panama canal
gives great power into the lands of
the president. 1t provides for one
man rule of tie zone. Mr.. Metcalf
thinks that there should be three
man rule and enc does not have to
go far in this town to find support
for the Metcalf plan as against the
plan which has already been given the
force of law.
Would Divide Duties.
The law as IL is allows tie presi-
dent TO appoint either a military man
or civilian to the governorshjp. IL
his choice falls upon civilian the
appointee PROFESSIONALLY will have
his military troubles, and If 1t shall
fall upon a military man he unques-
tionably will have his civilian trou-
bles. Ii the Metcalfe plan should be
adopted and a commission Of three
men should be appointed to govern
the Panama canal, one Of the mem
bers would be military man, another
a physician and sanitariap and the
third layman charged with the du-
ties OF civil administration.
Under the existing law the presi.
dent not only appoints the governor
OF the zone. but he appoints all o.
the subordinate officials 1t is now
being asked what will happen II the
man chosen for governor happens to
be politician. AS governor he
naturally would expect to have some
thing to say about the men who are
to serve under him In this case the
question is would we not have on the
Canal Zone political doctors, political
civil administrators and political
everything else outside of the imme-
date ranks OF the army?
1t is known definitely that soma of
the men who have done great work
on the isthmus fear the coming of the
day when politics may enter into the
zones government. The safety of
the waterway, for instance, depends
absolutely upon the sanitation of the
zone. Colonel Gorgas made the place
not only habitable, but one in which
it is delight to live. A physician
and sanitarian of achievement enough
to secure an appointment as mem
Der of the isthmian canal commission
certainly could be depended upon to
see that his subordinates did their
work. Could equal dependence be
placed upon canal governor sitting
alone in authority and being charged
with many Judgment duties" upon
some of which he was not qualified
by training to pass?
Going Easy on Business.
Even in the face of certain know
edge that some antitrust legislation
is to be enacted. it still seems to the
Washington observer that for the
= est OF this session congress will
proceed cautiously in the matter of
legislation of a far reaching ma
ture. AS has been said before in
these dispatches. this does not mean
that congress will not have plenty to
do. The one thing which seems to be
assured since it came together again is
that the Democratic majority has la
ken note of the sensitiveness of bust
ness and is going to spread its legisla-
ton over considerable period of time
in order that conditions may adjust
themselves to the coming order.
Now that it is certain legislation
forbidding the 1nterlocking of direc-
torates Of corporations and some other
things is to pass, the attention of bust
ness men, as shown by letters which
congressman receive, is sharply direct
ed to the future and to just what is to
be expected in the way Of laws pre-
venting the doing of certain things
which in the past some business men
appeared to think they had a right to
do. AS an example of the intention of
the majority in congress to go rather
slow with its legislation it may be
said that 1t probably will be two years
before effect will be given to the law
which is to be enacted forbidding in
terlocking directorates. What the
business men want to know, as shown
by their letters, is what things are to
come in the future.
1t is impossible apparently for con
gressmen to answer definitely these
letters which come to them. All that
the Democratic congressman can say
is that whatever legislation is passed
will not be intended to injure the bust
ness of the country, but that wrongs
will be righted and that no legitimate
business need fear that it will suffer.
The word Legitimate the Democratic
members say, is the one word of prom
Use for those concerns which need any
consideration.
Republicans Less Outspoken.
There is a feeling manifest among
Republican members of congress that
business depression is bound to follow
Democratic legislation intended to sup
plant the Sherman act. 1t Should be
said. however, that the Republican
members are not talking disaster out
loud as they did some time ago. They
have found perhaps not only that it
was bad politics, but that 1t was con
sidered in many parts Of the country
as being unpatriotic. 1t was the
charge of lack Of patriotism in crying
",golf.' even if they thought they saw
one, which probably has produced the
change in the Republican members
manner of yoicing their opposition to
the administration methods of anti
trust legislation.
A good many of the Republicans re-
scented the hard times speeches which
were made when the Republican ma
tional committee met here last month
The Republicans who are critical OF
the speeches which were then made
say that the country actually got the
impression that the members OF the
national committee who spoke as they
did appeared to be eager for hard
times in order to give the Republican
party a chance TO come back into
power.
A. things are now it appears the
Republicans will cease crying disas
fer and will confine their opposition to