The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-07-14
Will Be Dependence of Com
mission for Canal Work.
COOLIES ARE BARRED OUT
Hest Of AtIe.Sodied Workers to Be
Drawn from Many Southern States
and Given an Eight-Year Job
in Digging Great Ditch.

A Washington special says: There
is a strong probability that the south
will be stripped of large portion OF
its labor for work on the Panama ca
nal. The isthmian canal commission
from-more's the pity - for only an
most difficult with which it has to deal,
and as yet they have been unable to
determine from what source the thirty
thousand or perhaps fifty thousand
workmen needed will be drawn. Ai-
miral Walker, chairman Of the COM
mission, has heretofore always shown
objection to the plan of drawing work
men from the negro population in the
south, but since the immigration au-
thorities, backed by congress, have
shut down on the scheme Of import
ing Chinese coolies the commissioners
have now come face to face with the
fact that they will not be able to I'LL a
rush order for labor from the sources
at present in sight, which include the
natives of Panama and the negroes Of
Jamaica. Great hopes were staked on
this Jamaica source Of supply, but BY
a careful investigation the commits
sion believes now that they will be
unable TO get more than three or four
thousand from that island.
The natives resident on the strip
will, of course, furnish working ba-
sis for the start, but an estimate OF
the available men On hand does not
give more than five or six thousand.
The commission must have at least ff'
teen thousand more at an early date
after the canal work is fairly well un-
der way, and there is no closer place
to draw from and no men better suited
to the work than the large number Of
phos phate miners and turpentine
hands of the negro population in the
south.
The wages for the canal diggers has
not yet been decided on, but in the
face of scarcity of labor it Is expect
ed that a larger price will be given
than was anticipated to induce the ne
gro laborers of the south to give up
their present positions to go to fever
laden country. 1t will not be the idle
or worthless class Of negroes in the
south that the commission will draw
from-more's the pity-for onl yam
able bodied and healthy lot will be
taken. The situation as it now faces
the south, therefore, is very large
decrease in its able bodied force Of
workmen and consequent probable
rise in the price Of plantation hands,
turpentine workers and miners. OF
course, the taking away Of $4,000 men
amongst many thousands or more ne-
groes employed in the south might not
seem at first glance to be very Sc
rious loss, but it is the present condi-
tions of labor in the south that will
make the difference. All the cotton
fields it is said are hard pressed to
get cheap labor, and should Panama
prove attractive to the class at present
at work on the fields and in the
phosphate mines, South Carolina and
Georgia will be particularly affected.
Some of the engineers in Panama
are figuring On doing the whole work
on the canal with thirty thousand men,
but most of these estimates are mere
guess work. Admiral Walker himself
has never committed himself to an es-
innate of the number needed, but ne is
known to have looked rather skeptica1
over the small number suggested by
other engineers. The admiral has con-
centrated his heart on getting the Ca
nal finished in eight years at the most,
and if it takes fifty thousand to do
the trick he will not hesitate to make
the necessary requisition.