Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1914-06-16

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Gratis have been in control of the ad-
mlnistration of the government the
wife OF Republican member of con-
gress was elected to the presidency
of the club. The vfcepsesident today
is Mrs. Frank H. Briggs, a daughter
OF the late Senator Frye of Maine.
Mrs Briggs father was a Republican
and her husband is a Progressive and
yet the Democratic majority of the
club elected her as first vice-president
The present home OF the club is in
the residence once occupied by Sena-
tor Arthur Pue German of Maryland,
VINO died some years ago. Member
ship in the organization virtually is
socially necessary to every congress
sional woman. 1t enables her to meet
and to get intimately acquainted with
people whom she is expected to meet
and it makes for good comradeship
among the women.
Committee for Canal Opening.
President Wilson has just issued
an executive order ito create a
committee to formally and otfici-
ally open the Panama canal" This
order of the president is all that is
necessary, in connection with a re-
cent appropriation by congress, to
start the work Of preparation fol the
great celebration in January next of
the opening of tile isthmian waterway
TO the commerce of the world.
IN the presidents order occurs
this:
The committee shall be known and
referred to as the committee for the
formal and official opening of the Pan
anna canal. 1t shall have chairman
and a vice-chairman, who shall per
form its duties under the direction
OF the governor of the Panama canal.
The persons named below are hereby
appointed members of this committee:
Col. George W. Goathals, United
States army; Hon Richard l.. Met
calfe. Gen. William c. Gorgas, United
States army; Col. Fl. f. Hodges.
United States army; Lieut.. Col. Will
liam l.. Sibert, United States army;
NAfh EASlASSI H. II. ROuSS6du,
United States navy. Col. George W.
Goethals, now governor of the canal.
shall be chairman Of this committee,
ard Hon. Richard L. Metcalfe shall
be vice-chairman.
/ 1t will be noted by a glance at the
names of the members of the com
.mittee that each man named was
member of the isthmian canal commits
sion. 1t was intended when the com
mission was abolished by law on April
/ to name the member: at once as a
committee of preparation for the Gel
ebration. but there were obstacles in
the way, and so the plan has just
been put into effect.
Pay for the Members.
The members of the committee are
to receive salaries at the rate of S10,-
600 2 year from April 1, 1914, to
December 81, 1914, inclusive, and such
necessary travelling and living ex-
penses when on duty connected with
the work as may be approved by the
secretary of war;
AS matter of fact, only one mem
Der Of the committee will draw full
salary, for there is q special provi-
sion IN the law that the salaries as
fixed shall include any salaries which
members of the committee may now
be drawing from the government.
Colonies Goethals and Hodges and
Civil Engineer Rousseau, who are still
connected with work in Panama, and
are drawing $4,000 year each, will
not get cent of pay for the work
on the committee. General Gorgas,
who is the surgeon general of. the
United States army, will draw only
the difference between his present
army pay and the amount fixed as his
compensation as a Committeeman.
Colonel Sibert is going to China Tor
five months to formulate a reclama-
ton plan for the Chinese government,
and as bis army pay stops while he
is on this trip, the Chinese govern
ment giving him his compensation,
he will get no salary at all except for
a month or two after he returns from
his preliminary work in China. Rich.
ard L. Metcalfe, the only civilian mem.
Der of the committee, will draw full
pay, which is pay for nine months at
the rate of $4,000 a year.
In few days the members of the
committee will prepare Invitations to
al the nations of the world to be
represented at the celebration in hon
or of the canal opening
Sentiment Enters In.
The appointment of this committee
of arrangements is to some extent a
matter of sentiment Its members,
with one exception, spent seven years
working on the isthmus under pres
sure to get the great work completed
as soon as possible. When the 18TH
milan canal commission was abolished
in April three of the members left
the isthmus to take uI' their ordi-
nary work in life The other men,
beers were held there to help complete
the plans for the operation of the
canal. 1t was felt by congress and by
the administration that ii would be
unjust to these commissioners who
had worked so hard ON the great
canal project if they were not allowed
to be present at the opening of the
canal in some official capacity More
over. II was felt that they were best
fitted TO make the preparations for
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