The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-20
PANAMA BUREAU TOOK IN $118
THEN THE Authorities CAME
DOWN on w. S. WARNER.
Perhaps His Letter Calling the Secretary
OF the Panama Canal Commission
an Idiot Hurried Things-Reststered
You for 81 as Applicant for q Job.

Warburton S. Warner, the proprietor OF
the International Labor Exchange at Al
West Twenty-fourth street. a licensed
employment agency. was hauled up before
Commissioner Francis l.. c. Heating yes
terday to explain the inner workings OF
the special registration bureau he had
established for securing jobs for applicants
on the Panama Canal.
The matter came to the attention OF the
License Depar tment through an adyer-
tisement. The law forbids employment
agencies to promulgate false or misleading
advertisements or circulars. The adyer-
tisement reads
THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR EXCHANGE.
moved from 100 Wal! ST.; is now Ming appllca:
lions for clerical. trade and mechanical positions
send stamp for circulars and blank form OF apph
cation.
Mr.. Warner also sent out circulars say
ing that the bureau had been established
for Panama Canal contractors and en-
ployers and that 80, 900 men would be needed.
Registration fee, 81.
William Barclay Parsons OF the Panama
Canal Commission testified that he did
not know Warner. but had received letter
from him. This letter, it seems, was sent
to each member OF the commission after
Secretary Murphy Of the commission had
issued a warning from Washington against
fake labor bureaus in connection with the
building OF the Panama Canal In the
letter Warner denounced Secretary Muir
phy as an idiot" and said that he himself
was doing business under the laws OF the
State OF New York.
Mr. Parsons testified that on receipt OF
the letter he wrote to the secretary asking
if Warner had been authorized by the
commission to do business. Mr.. Murphy
wired lack Immediately that the com
mission had given no countenance TO the
scheme, and that he and the COM
missoners there looked upon 1t as iraud.
Admiral Walker also telegraphed that ne
INSPECTORS Finn and Gilbert OF the License
Department testified that they had APP
preached Wagner in the guise OF applicants
For places as bookkeepers or timekeepers on
the canal and that he had promised t get
them jobs in November, saying that NE
national Administration was too BUSY WIN
politics to start the work before that time
He assured them that he had inside IN
formation from the contractors ana en-
eineers and that he would have no trouhie
In placing them. He said he positively
knew who the contractors would be and
that he had an arrangement with them.
Mr.. Parsons swore that no contracts
had been let vet except small ones for pre-
liminary work and that no speciilcations
had been given out on which bids couiu
be made. In 1act, ne bhiu, ~ hoo nv. j.! S'
been decided to do the work by CONTRACT; ,
and the work would certainly not be started
in November. The commission, he testlned'
have no arrangement with any labor bureau
As for civil and mechanical engineers,
timekeepers, bookkeepers, &c, they would
be employed under the civil service rules
There are plenty of laborers on the spot
now 10 do all the work that will be required
for months to come. Ultimately II may
be necessary to get laborers from outside.
Under questions by Commissioner hest-
ing, Warner admitted that he was not
In constant communication with Gov
eminent officials, as he had represented,
that he knew none OF the engineers or
contractors and that his knowledge OF
Panama Canal affairs was entirely derived
from reading newspapers and magazines
He also admitted that he had no agents,
as his circular stated. in Norfolk, va;
New Orleans and San Francisco. He said
that he alone was the International Labor
FL change, but that he had filed no GER
tificate with the County Clerk setting forth
this fact as the law required. II is mis-,
demeanor to do business under an assumed
name without fling a certificate to that
effect with the County Clerk,
Warner said that he had an agent at
Colon named Alfred Padmorc. 4 refer
ence to his books showed that Padmore
had applied for job and paid the regis
tration fee of ST. The books showed that
iIS applications for work on the Panama
Canal had been made at 81 each.
Commissioner Heating will decide his
case on Saturday.