The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-03
W ARMS AMERICANS
TO SHUN IS1HMUS
Minister Barrett Says Openings
for Employment Are
Few.

Washington, Sept. 3.-John Barrett,
the American minister to Panama, has
made a special report to the state de-
partment relative to the present and
Future conditions on the isthmus as
affected by the building Of the Panama
sore disappointment on the part of the
adventurous Americans attracted to-
ward Panama by resumption of the
vast enterprise. It is understood that
the Panama commission is especially
DESTROYS to secure the widest publicity
for the warning sent out by Mr.. Bar
rett. The report, in substance, is as
follows:
'fNo man seeking position as clerk,
foreman or any similar class of labor
which the average American is will
ing to perform, should come to the
isthmus in expectation of securing a
position unless he has made some pre-
vious arrangement for employment.
More men OF this kind are now coming
to Panama and Colon than there are
positions to be filled. The cost of liv-
ing is very, high, prices having in
creased nearly 300 per cent in the last
six months.
Few Opportunities.
"There are not at present many op.
| portunities for the establishment OF
| new mercantile, business and profess
| sional firms, and there should not be
an thrush Of merchants, business and
professional men in the expectation OF
ings for establishing themselves.
1T is the consensus Of opinion
among members Of the commission that
both Americans in the United States
and Panamans here have greatly ex
aggerated the increase Of population
which will result from the construction
of the canal, and that, including those
who will be employed on the canal ant
be only about $4,000 people. Thi
number, moreover, will not be coming
here all at once, but gradually thru
a period of years and as they may b.
required.
There is not yet any real boom il
Panama, in Colon, or in the zone, bu
rents for houses, stores and Offices hav
doubled and tripled during the las
few months, and are now almost exo1
bitantly high. ---.. -'
Healthier than Stated.
s'The disagreeable and unhealth
! features of the Panama climate hav
been ridiculously overstated by thos
, who have studied the situation super
fcially while passing across the. istl
Illus, VI WIZ ueSlI0 TO cf0dGS d. SeuSc
tion. AS a matter of fact, there ha
], not been during the month of July q
: August an uncomfortable night fc
sleeping, while the average days hav
Z not been hotter than those of Ne
York and Washington.
, ''There has not been single cas-
: of yellow fever for over month, an
!; there is less malaria than is often foun
. in sections Of the United States wher
there is considerable turning Of tn
!. soil: My corrections of overdraw
criticisms Of the Panama climate mus
E not, however, be interpreted as NEAR
. ing that there are not unfavorable fes
lures here. They exist, as they do
. all tropical lands. When the prese1
: able sanitary corps, who have chare
: Of improving health conditions in til
: isthmus,. have carried out their pla1
. for the improvement of the canal stri
: and of the cities of Panama and G.
+ lon, there is no reason why this istl
4 mus should not be one of the health
- est places in the world.'