The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-01-28
ORDER SPECIFIES
CANAL zone rule
Permanent Government, with
Coethals as Head, Goes
in Effect April |.
DEPARTMENTS PROVIDED
Present Commissioners Probably Will
Act as Committee in Charge of
Opening Ceremonies.

Secretary Of War Garrison yesterday
announced that the nomination of Col
Goethals to be governor OF the NPanama
Canal Zone under the permanent organ
ization would be sent to the Senate by
President Wilson at once. At the same
time he made public an executive order
signed by the President, establishing the
permanent government OF the Zone. Cot.
Cocktails was notified by cable Of the
signing Of the order and Of the Presi-
dents intention to nominate him for gov
ernor.
The new form of government. the or
der directs. is to go into effect April !.
and on that date the present Isthmian
Canal Commission will cease to exist.
It also is stated in the order. however,
that not all the several departments and
divisions need be established on the Zone
until the governor shall consider 1t de-
sirable.
1t also was announced that the Presi-
dent will ask Congress to provide for the
other members of the existing Canal
Commission by giving him authority to
appoint a committee to have charge Of
the opening of the Canal. The members
OF the existing commission. in addition
to Col. Goethals, are Col. II. F. Hodges
and Lt-Col. w. L Sibert, corps of en-
sineers, U. S. A: Civil Engineer II. II.
Rousseau. u. s. N, and Richard l.. Met
calfe, former editor of Mr.. Bryan's Com
moner. Lt.-Col. D. d. Gaillard, corps Of
engineers, U. S. A, was. until his death
last fall, a member OF the commission.
and Col William C. Gorgas, medical
corps, L. S. A., also was a member until
his recent nomination to be surgeon
general of the army.
VIII Arrange for Opening.
All the members of the commission will
automatically be deprived of positions by
the establishment of the new govern
ment. The men now on the commission
will receive salaries, and 1t is likely that
Col. Gorgas will be named to serve with
out additional compensation. because of
his important connection with the canal
work as chief sanitary cffcer. 1t is re-
ported that the plan is to make Mr..
Metcalf chairman of the new committee.
This body will have much work to do
in arranging for the opening.
The order provides for several depart
ments. under the direction of the COVER
nor, who shall report to the President
through the Secretary of War. by which
the Canal Zone is to be governed and
the canal operated. The departments and
divisions specified are: Department of
operation and maintenance, purchasing
department. supply department. account
ing department, health department, and
what amounts 10 a civil government de-
partment. :.
The Department of Maintenance and
Operation is to be under the direction
OF an officer of the engineer corps of the
army. and he Is to be acting governor
in the absence of disability of the gov
ernor. This department is to be charged
;tt. Lii al,t -
the canal and all matters relating to the
traffic of the canal and its adjuncts. As
ISOLATED with this department will be
n superintendent of transportation, who
is TO be an officer of the navy; an cleo
trical engineer, to be an engineer officer
of the army: captains of the terminal
ports, to be naval officers; superintendent
OF shops and drydocks, to be a naval con-
structor.
Buying of Supplies.
The purchasing department will con-
tinue much as at present, charged with
the buying of all supplies. machinery,
&C. 1t will have an officer in Washington
as at present.
e The supply department, to be under
the direction of a chief quartermaster
who shall be an officer of the quarter
master corps of the army, will store and
distribute all material and supplies for
use of the canal and its employees and
for other departments on the Isthmus and
their employees. and for vessels.
The auditing department is to hare
,harge of all collections, accounting
both for money and property. prepare
ion of statistical data, and the coliec-
ion, custody and disbursement of all
kinds of funds for the canal and zone.
The health department is to be under |
he direction Of chief health officer |
Who is to be an officer of the medical |
,orps of the army. This department
hall have charge of all matters of sani- |
over the cities of Colon and Panama. |
hospitals in the Canal Zone will be under |
lis direction. with a superintendent Of |
hospitals, who is also to be an army
medical officer. and a chief officer of the |
quarantine division, who shall be an Off |
er of the II. S. Public Health Service.
All matters pertaining to civil admins
ration and relations between the zone
and the government OF the 4
Republic of Panama are to be in charge |
4 an executive secretary. He also will /
Upervise matters relating to the time of |
mployes, postotfices, customs, taxes, |
olice and prisons. fire protection. land /
flee, schools, clubs, law library, and
OF files and records. and, in addi-
ion, perform the duties of a shipping
1t is further provided by the order that
he supervision Of all operations of the
anal shall be under the Secretary Of