The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-23

record under the French. Then the
 Chinamen died h appalling numbers, even
 in the higher and healthier sections Of the
 work. and the village of Matachiu--aead Chinaman--on the line of the railway,
 midway between this city and Panama,
 is monument to deaths whoesale depie- tton of the coolies' rank. But the
 student has his rejeinder ready. The French displayed cuipable Ignorance in selecting Chinese for importation. They picked up the coolles wherever those willing to come here could be found. whereas little trouble would have been
 experienced had they gone-ss our agents will do-into the Chinese ricefields, whefo | coolies thoroughly inured to wet climates l and accustomed to working more than kneedeep in water may be found in count
 less and inexhaustibie numbers. This
 class of coolie labor would, it, is contend ed, be immune to the isthmian's climatic terrors, and by resortlne to its employ
 ment the contractors under. the United States would never be confronted or ifn- | pedsd by a scarcity of labor.
 TAere 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 he an aiplost positive
 guarantee against any delay ia complet- i ing the canal because of wage end other | ephemerai labor troubles. For the wage scale which will be paid on this work the Chinese coolie will labor industriously and
 earnestly. He will require careful man
 agement, and possibly some driving; but
 he win be satisfied with his remuneration
 and the chances of strikes will be reduced
 to the minimum. This fact Is to be care
 fully considered. for with thousands of
 laborers susceptible to wage agitation,
 and long periods of idleness due to strikes
 made probable. the work would not only
 be greatly impeded, but the expense of it
 enormously increased. This latter be-
 cause during strike periods violence
 would surely occur, anarchy be. introduc- cd on the isthmus and the cost Of prop eriy policing the canal gone and protecting the work done multiplied. Troubles of this nature would undoubtedly occur in case the labor employed Is from the ralks of the West Indian negroes, or even of the negroes from our own country for either is naturally a turbulent element, and for its turbulence there would be no lack of encouragement on the fsthtnus Curing the flush times of active canal work
 Ths coolie a Steady Worker.
 Another thing which inclines experts to favor the employment of coolies is their general tractability. It was the expert. ence of the French that it was almost i'm. possible to exercise control over other classes of laborers. The coolie works steadily, regularly. contentedly, ana in his hours off. while an inveterate fan-tan player. is little addicted to boisterous liy- Ing and excessive drinking. Exactly the reverse was found to be the case with other laborers during the period of French activity. The West Indian negroes were absolutely uncomfortable, They would fNRlR trK Aafn Ha9N ing the services of veritable taskmasters for overseers, and then in their hours off they would indulge. in the widest orgies. Night after night they would devote to dissipation in all the forms common on the isthmus, gradually weakening their system until they were wholly unable to resist the approach of fatal disease. And then there were their regular seasons of idleness, during which all work stopped. The French practice was to pay on alter nate Saturdays, and the major portion of the payroll was computed on the basis ot piecework. Early on Friday afternoon before payday these negroes would in- variably quit work. and in anticipation of receiving their bIweelSly wages begin drinking. On Saturdays when the money was handed over to them. there was no work at all. On Monday few who had quickly exhausted their store of cash would struggle back to work Tuesday a few more would appear, but not until Wednesday would the work be Yin full swing again, the intervening days having been spent by the great majority In drunken reveiry. totally unfittinR them to return even on Wednesday to render full and efficient service.
 No euch difaeuiity as this, which N,e should have to expect with the West In- dian negroes employed, fould be experi- encSd with coolie labor. The cooIjbg pIaee tco much value on money ana are naturally too provident to depleta their earnings on account of Ieet time.
 Labor Must Be Depoeted.
 The last argument advanced by the champions of coolie labor is one we rnuat not overlook An immense populattbn will be brought to the istamus ana main tained here during the eight or ten ye,rs that will be covered by the constr,ictlon work. When that work shall have been completed 1t will be necessary for me "A reduc@ the local population by removing the greater number of thesa laborArs With the canal fin operation the raIlrosd trafic will drop to almost nothing. end there will be scant opportunity for en1, body of laboFers, beside that tha nat.H-s population will be able to provide to nnd employment. We must, therefore con template the necessity of expatriatinw thja labor after ita usemulness has denartaN
 Some of the laborers win, if west fn- dian negroes are employed. go into the wilderness. take up claims and settle down to be seif-supportine citissns of fine republic Our experience with the great. CT number would hoWevess slmont insvi- I