The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-23
PANAMA LABOR PROBLEM
Coolies the Only Solution Of 1t
By MERRILL A. LEAGUE.
Special Correspondent of the Morning News

Colon, Dec. eff the American
plans for an interoceanic canal offer
no serious or forbidding engineering
difficulties, there are other problems
grave in character that we shall have
to solve. Foremost among these is
that of applying the laws of sanitation
to the isthmus and of forcing obed-
ence to these laws. OF that problem
1 have already written exhaustively
The other most serious one deals with
the question of labor
There has been, ever since the re-
public was established, very deter
mined agitation against the importa-
ton of Chinese coolies for the canal
work. The argument is advanced that
the isthmus and the West India Islands
can furnish all the labor necessary.
This is, of course, fatuous. 1t does
not, however, deter the leading spirits
in the republic from very vigorously
insisting upon the passage at an early
date of a Chinese exclusion act. The
Star and Herald, official organ of the
republic, has demanded editorially the
passage of such an act, and DIR. ANA
dor is understood to strongly favor
the proposition.
This opposition is purely selfish
There is no labor on the isthmus that
would be deprived of opportunity
through the presence of Chinese; there
is no society here that would be con-
taminated, more than contamination
has already been spread, by the coolies.
They are. however, a. serious menace
| to merchants, large and small. The
French Canal Company brought coolie
| labor in large quantities to the isthmus.
Those that survived the pestilence
which ragged in those days have gone
into business, and so developed that
they now control in a large measure
both retail and wholesale vending at
Panama, Colon and between these two
cities. Here in Colon they almost en-
! tirely monopolize the regular local
| trade. and at Panama they have come
to be a powerful factor. In the forty
seven miles across the isthmus their
command upon trade is practically
complete.
| The ability of these people to live
cheaply is more pronounced here than
1t is iii any other country outside of
! China. The item Of clothing is almost
| entirely eliminated from their expense
! accounts. Here, as in China, thy con-
duct their little pigeons" in the front
of the buildings they occupy as resi-
! dences Fuel, except for small charcoal
fires for cooking, is never required, ana
an able-bodied Chinaman can feed MINI
sell on the isthmus at the expense or
a few pennies a day. In consequence
they can undersell any of the other
merchants on the sthmus, especially as
! they import largely and directly from
| China. These advantages, with that
| clannishness characteristics OF the yell
low race, strike terror to the hearts OF
the Caucasian merchants. They know
that millions of dollars will be dlsburs-
ed here in wages, to flow later through
the regular channels of trade. They
are afraid that if coolies are brought
here to form a majority of the wage
earners they will patronize the Chin
csc merchants exclusively, thereby de-
priving local Caucasian merchants OF
the riches they hope 70 accumulate
This fear is, of course, we'll founded;
but what alternative offers?
West Indians Poor LabOrers.
The Panamaians say the United
States should employ native and west
Indian negro labor. That sounds ike
a sensible proposition, but untortu-
nately the negative contention weighs
down the affirmative. In the nrsr
place, the native labor, If such a thlng
can be said to exist. is absolutely
ha native lahOrpr is law.
shiftless, irresponsible, and generally
of no account. Why should he toll
in sun-baked or ain-flooded trenches
for eight hours a day when he can
live as we'll as he wishes to live by
idling all the time. trapping his meat
and going into the forest and jungle
for vegetable supplies?
AS for the other plan-that Of bring
ing west Indian negroes to the 18TH
n,rs-it is advanced without any intel
1ipent idea as to it's practicability. The
stock argument used by its champions
and the opponents of coolie importa-
tion is that these negroes stand the
ciiroate better than does any other
class That is true. During the pc
Rod of active work by the French eV-
erv class of labor konwn to large em-
Movers was called into service, ana the
Wet Indian negro proved more effl-
'.,ate than did any other-that is, for
= season. He did then, and will now,
live longer on the isthmus than will
the Chinese. Mayalans, Africans. Sy-
rians or any other. For little wnlie
he will work steadier and accomplish
more than will the other classes, but
his inherent shiftlessness soon over
comes him in this enervating climate
and he lapses into an idleness from
which it is almost Impossible 10 arouse
him. .,.Y,Io
Resides this phase Of the West Indian
negro problem there is that one OF Sc
curing this class OF laborers. the tor-
ner efforts to construct thls
anal resulted in heavy
SiaaIillas lana. OF the West IN
Alan islands. Should we determine 70
use these negroes in our attempt we