The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-05-24
WORK ON SHIP CANAL
PANAMA PROJECT WAITS FOR
 SIGNING OF TREATY.
Millions to be Spent in Preparing for Actual Ddgging-sanitation Forms the Problem to be Considered-Southern
 Negro Held to Be
 Fitted for Labor.

Panama Correspoudsaee of Chicago
 Chronicle.
 wanted-3O.0oo men to build the Panama canal. Apply to Uncle Sam, Washington. D. c.
 If the above notice should appear in
 the papers there would be scramble for jobs the like of which has never been known. For some reason most men would rather Ego somewhere" to work than be satisfied with job at home and in this case the opinion seems to prevail that there is no time to be lost; that as soon as the Colombian Government agrees to the transfer of the concession from the French company to the American authori- ties the dirt will begin to fly before the ink gets dry on the treaty.
 As a matter of fact, the real work on the canal will not begin for rom one and one-half years to two years after the final neg citations between the United States Government and the Colombian Congress are completed, so it will not be advisable for anyone who intends to go there to think about giving up their present job or to let their boss get an inkling of their intention to quit. Two years is rather a ,ong wait for the aver age workingman It is estimated that about 20 per cent of the total expenditure (nearly 25,00o. .00O will be used in getting ready. The most thorough and compre- hensive arrangements will he made in engineering, policing. sanitation and general contingencies. Without this pre- liminary work three out of every five men who go there would never come back, Panama is dirty and foul beyond descrlr- tion. Swamp and jungle eoze with poison fhd the very air is freighted with death.
 Problem of Sanitation.
 To break this slender rib of soil and rock and thus shorten the path of ocean travel has been dream ef eanturiss. ard the effort hns already cost SD many lives that the worldt would be shocked if 1t knew the truthl The tFrench lay tn ,ir failure to swindling. hut the cne great obstacle has always been the dreadful levers which attack the workmen and cause them to die like flies Pestilence must be overcome or the big ditch will never be put through.
 The American sanitary officers are the most skilled disease fighters in the world Wherever they have tried their hand they have brought the death rate tumblirg g down in a manner that was little sh Tt # marvellous They will surely win in Pana- ma, for they are planning the greatest campaign that science has ever inaugu- tdlCu. lHcJ VIII pdfG IIic way Noi out army of laborers and skilled artisans and make 1t possible for them to complete the task that will stand as one of the greatest accomplishments of man. But until our sanitary experts say come the average American had better hold down his job at home. The most of us have no idea what a good place this country is to stay in until we have tried living abroad for a while.
 When the work of construction finally gets under way the least number of men whose services will be required is esti- mated at 30,000. These will consist of unskilled labor by the thousands, as yell as skilled laborers of almost every kind There will be flaces for electricians, en- gineers, stonemasons, stone cutters, plumbers. bricklayers, wire workers. tin- ners, pattern-makers. carpenters, iron workers. expert acountants, doctors nurses, druggists clerks, overseers, rail- roau men, cooks, walters, telegraph operators. photographers, stenographers, laundrymen, etc, etc.
 Question of Canal Labor.
 It has not been determined whether the government will do all the work or whether a large amount of 1t will be done by contract. Tn the former case the government will employ the help and furnish all supplies, providing l'ansporta- tion for the people and sending all pro- visions on transports. In this event the will also include living quarters. There are hundreds of houses that will be included in the transfer of the property and an important part of the preliminary work will consist of putting these in order. Additional accommoda- tions will be provided as they are needed
 In ease contractors undertake he whole OF part of the work it Is not known what arrangements will be made for food and quarters for the men. It is very possi- ble. however. that in securing employees these things will enter into the contract for very obvious reasons. Rates of comS pensation in no line have been agreed upon or computed. The commissioners state that they will endeavoF to secure the best skilled labor in all lines and pay accordingly. The same rule holding good in regard to the clerical force. There is considerable doubt and controversy over the selection of the common labor. Ex- perience has shown that the Jamaica negro makes an efficient hand for the kind of labor that will be needed on the isthmus and next to him comes the negro from Barbados. Some references has been made to contracting for labor from Japan and China and 1t is possible that the force may be supplemented by repre- of these races. Coolie labor is very cheap but the rate of mortality among this class is very great and every thing must be taken into consideration which will tend to preserve the health and life of the community.
 Negroes Best Fitted for Climate
 The Southern negro has been slightly ronsidered-that is. the one from the far SOuth-but the one objection to his being employed is the fact that the scale of prices in vogue with him is higher than Is likely to rule in the line of work that he Is intended for It will be the policy of those In charge. at least if has bean 30 recommended and approved by the to employ as many people from the Southern States as possible. as well as those who have had experience in the tropics. The clerk or workman from these cllmes will be less liable to take the tropical levers to which all will be exposed.
 Aside from the thousands of men who will ente- 'he eTnlav af the goysrn'n.,nt there will he many chances for work on the outside. Barbers. tailors. doctors. dentists. shoemakers and others without number will find ready market for th4i- services. The chances for Independent endeavor, however. will depend in l large measure on whether the gov does the work or lets it out by contract. If the whole work ix done by the government 1t will greatly reduce the chances for individual effort along many lines. With 20 900 men drawing reg ilar wages the gamblers and amusement