The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-22
View o a CANAL vnlag near the create
Problem That May Worry americans
When Work Is Begun ON Canal
FROM FIRST PACED

CONCLUDED FROM FIRST PACED
day by using electric lights at night-a
thing which. by the way, engineers and
sanitary experts recommend-the time re-
CURED for building the canal might be re-
duced one-half, but the corps OF laborers
required would be trebled in size.
If we estimate the number in this corps
by taking the mean of the estimates given,
respectively, by the optimistic and the pessl-
mistic we shall probably hit about the
figure fact will demonstrate as necessary.
This will be $4,000 men, with constant re-
cruts to fill the vacancies left by disease
and death, with the forces WORKING an
eight-hour shift a day. One hundred thou
sand will be the number If the working day
is divided into three eight-hour shifts. The
West Indian islands could not supply the
smaller number, to say nothing of the
larger. Only those West Indians to whom
the wages offered would prove a magnet
could be employed for this work; those who
now earn more on their native islands than
the canal contractors will pay could not be
imported. Now the standard rate of wages
for ordinary manual labor on the isthmus
is 81 20 Colombian silver a day. 1t Will
probably never be any higher, for should
the republic fix an arbitrary rate OF eX-
change at two for one, as Is now proposed
this wage will be equal TO sl.lC gold day
Certainly the contractors on the canal Will
not pay more than this sum.
Persons who have studied the problem of
labor supply in the West lndias from the
standpoint of the wage likely to be paid
say that, even If the governments of these
islands interpose no objection 1t will not
be possible to obtain more than Il, 600 men
from this source. The paucity of supply
would seem TO settle the West Indian negro
as a factor in the labor TO be required by
the digging of the canal, and conditions
may be even worse than L have given them,
for since the estimate of 1900 men was
made railroad construction i'm South and
Central America has taken many hundreds,
possibly thousands, of negroes from the
West Indias, especially from Jamaica. How
really serious this question is likely to be-
come may be gathered from the fact that
even now, with hordes of negroes on the
isthmus living in idleneSs, the Panama Rail-
road steamships are frequently compelled
during rush seasons TO stop at Fortune
island, halfway between Colon and New
York, and take aboard hundreds of ne
groes TO augment the stevedore gangs at
this terminal.
COoLIE LABOR MOST PREFERRED.
This brings the labor problem back to the
Chinese coolie, as no other class is avail
able in number sufficient to meet the re-
quirements of the undertaking. The most
Intelligent and best-informed students of
this problem agree almost unanimously in
the judgment that before we shall have
progressed very far in digging the canal
we shall, no matter what our first inten-
tions, be compelled to resort to the coolies.
The Panamaian advocate of Chinese ex-
clusion retorts that If We proceed upon this
line disease will balk our effort. and points
dehantly to the record under the French.
Then the Cinnamon died in appalling num-
bers, even in the higher and healthier sec
tons of the work, and the village of Ma
tachin-dead Chinaman-on the line of the
railway, midway between this city and
Panama, is monument TO death 5 whole
sale depletion of the coolies ranks. But
the student has his rejoinder ready. The
French displayed culpable ignorance in Sc
Letting Chinese for Importation. They
picked up the coolies wherever those will
Ing 10 come here could be found, whereas
little trouble would have been experienced
had they gone-as our agents will do
into the Chinese rice fields, where coolies
thoroughly Injured TO wet climates and ac-
customed to working more than knee deep
in water may be found in countless and in
exhaustible numbers. This class of coolie
labor would, it is contended, be immune
TO the isthmian's climatic terrors, and by
resorting to its employment the contractors
under the United States would never be
confronted or impeded by a scarcity of
labor.
There are, however. other advantages to
result from the employment of this class
OF labor, equal in their Importance with
that of supply. The employment of coolies
will be an almost positive guarantee against
any delay in completing the canal because
of wage and other ephemeral labor trou-
bles. For the wage scale which will be
paid on this work the Chinese coolie will
labor industriously and earnestly. He will
require careful management, and possibly
some driving; but ne Will be SatlSned with
his remuneration and the chances of strikes
will be reduced to the minimum. This fact
is to be carefully considered for with thou
sands of laborers susceptible to wage agi-
tation. and long periods Of idleness, due TO
strikes, made probable. the work would not
only be greatly impeded, but the expense
of il enormously increased. This latter be-
cause during strike periods violence would
surely occur, anarchy be introduced on the
isthmus and the cost of properly policing
the canal zone and protecting the work
done multiplied. Troubles of this nature
would undoubtedly occur In case the la
Dor employed is from the ranks of the West
Indian negroes, or even of the negroes
from our own country, for either is natural
~ turbulent element, and for its turbu-