The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-11-24
CONDITIONS IN PANAMA,
United States Consul Gives Particu-
lars Concerning Matters
in General.

Having been here a full month and
having carefully noted existing condt-
tons and discussed them with members
of the Isthmian commission, the chief
engineer of the canal, the sanitary off,
Gals, the consul-general, and others
competent to judge, beg to submit
few suggestions.
No man seeking position as clerk,
stenographer, typewriter, engineer,
foreman. or any similar position which
the average American will be willing to
| fill, should come to the Isthmus unless
he has made some previous arrange
! ment for employment. or has sufficient
funds to pay his expenses in Panama
and his passage back to the United
| States if he finds no opening. More men
of these classes are now coming to
Panama and Colon than there are posi-
! tions to be filled. The cost Of living
is very high, prices having increased
nearly 800 per cent in the last six
months, and there is a great shortage
of cheap and good lodging and board
accommodations.
While Panama Colon and towns in the
Zone and in the interior of Panama
proper are sure to experience consid-
cradle measure Of material and indus
| trial progress through the digging Of the
canal, there are not at present many
opportunities for the establishment OF
new mercantile, business and profess
sional firms, and there should not be an
thrush of merchants and business and
professional men in the expectation Of
| finding ready openings. Itwould be best
for men DESTROYS of locating here in
business enterprises to come first and
! look over the field before finally closing
up their Offices in the United States.
It Is the consensus Of opinion among
members Of the commission and others
who have studied the situation that
Americans both in the United States
and Panama have greatly exaggerated
the increase of population which will
result from the construction Of the
| canal, and the number Of men who will
be employed by the commission for the
carrying on Of the undertaking. 1t is
not probable, in view of the modern
systems to be employed in construction.
that there will be at any time more than
1000 or $4,000 men directly employed
as ordinary laborers along the line of
the canal. If we add to these some
5000 to cover the small number of fam
lilies that will be brought and those who
might be termed camp followers, and il
We further add 5000 to represent high
class employees and all kinds of bust
ness and professional men who may
come here on account of the work, and
all others employed, we have, at the
outside, an increase of only $4,000 peo-
| pie. This number, moreover, will not
come here all at once, but gradually,
through period Of years, as they may
be required. Estimates that some 40 900
to 10000 people will be brought to the
Isthmus through the construction of the
canal are exaggerated and will prove
deceptive. AS the latest estimate of
population of Panama, according to
Whitaker, is 100000, this $4,000 added
through period of years is not suffi-
cient to create great boom, as that
term is commonly used.
There is not yet any real boom In
Panama, in Colon, or in the Zone, but
rents for houses, stores and Offices have
doubled and tripled during the last few
months, and are now exOrbitantly high
In fact, the Panama landlords are, some
Of them, so unreasonable in their
charges that there is danger Of their
driving business from Panama proper
into the neighboring Zone. The United
States, in securing Offices for its lega-
ton, is as much sufferer in this respect
as any merchant or professional man.
The disagreeable and unhealthy fea-
lures Of the Panama climate have been
ridiculously overrated by those who
have studied the situation specifically
While passing across the Isthmus, or
who have desired to create sensation.
Members of the commission who are
familiar with other tropical countries
find 1t much cooler and healthier here
than in corresponding latitudes of other
lands, and my experience confirms theirs.
The sanitary conditions existing in the
days OF the old Panama Canal company
might have characterized the construc-
ton of similar work in any other Dor
ton OF the world and are responsible
! III vi LIE LdIoS L0aI are
now told in the American press.
My corrections Of overdrawn criti-
cisms of the Panama climate must not,
however, be interpreted as meaning that
there are not unfavorable features here.
They exist, as they do in all tropical
lands, and of course the conditions Of
maintaining health and enjoying life
are not by any means so favorable as
those in the average temperate regions.
When the present able sanitary corps
which has charge of lettering the health
conditions in the Isthmus has carried
out its plans for the improvement of the
canal strip and the cities of Panama and
Colon, there is no reason why the 18TH
mus should not be one of the heaIthiest
places in the world.
JOHN BARRETT.
Population Of Moscow.
Ananrdin0 fo ho l.,