Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-27
CAUSE OF Discomfort
CONDITION OF ISTHMIAN CANAL
employees.
Communication From Gen.
eral Davis to the Com
mission.

Wages and the discomfort OF employees
a, tho Isthmus of Panama is the subject
of a long communication from Governor
General Davis to the isthmian canal COM
mission His observations are connneo 10
enonloves of the commission on the fsthmus
who were hired In the United States. Ihere
are he saws. several causes which are
either reasons or excuses for the dlscon-
tent TO which reference has been so ire
ouently made in the press of late. Inese
he enumerates as:
"The panicky feeling over the existence
of yellow fever; asserted unfulflled prom
ises as to accommodations and allowances
made by members of the commission, py
it's officers, or by it's agents in the United
States; the non existence on the lstnlius
of amusements, diversions ana entertaiii-
ments, always at hand at nome, me -
necessaries of life, and homeslckhess.
Discussing the yellow fever situation Cen
Davis says:
Rayages of Yellow Fever.
..Thirty-three cases of recognized yellow
fever have been found on the lsthmus OF
Panama since last, May, and Of this num-
Der nine terminated fatally. There Is one
man in the hospital today seriously Ill from
yellow fever; six have recovered. Three
new cases have been reported since Fepru-
ary /. The whole city of Panama-and 1t
is only in Panama that the infection exists
is being thoroughly dfslnfected, ana every
house in the city is being fumlgated IN
the last two weeks one-slxt e 3l az 'Ie
houses in the city have been fumlgated II
will take six weeks to complete this ruml-
CATION and disinfection. 49,
"Of canal employees and their families
coming here from the em1te S SUES hoan e sicy
from yellow fever, and OF TINS NUMBER one
terminated fatally?'
Discussing the lack of accommodation
the governor observes. THE number Of
EMPLOYEES who have arrived the isthmus
under appointments made In the United
States, who assent that they were told by
members of the commission, or by IFS en-
pIoyes in Washington, shat they all would
have quarters or residences, and excellent
accommodations. iRlssfdarge, and the asser-
lions are so positiye. tbat cannon put pc
lieve there is some basis for the state
ments made, ands If such assurances or
promises were given II was a great mis-
take l think The; picture ought to have
been painted worse than 1t is rather than
otherwise, so that the men arriving here
could not possibly find the real condition
to be worse thar they would expect to
find it, Il sf
length. he concludes: 'sAs soon as land can
be secured in the tways provided by treaty
and by statute itswiAsbe taken, and there
will be no delay in erecting the necessary
houses for all the employees In the city or
Panama"
The Question of Wages.
On the question of wages Governor Davis
saws the fact is there is no rate of wages
conceivable that would be too high accord
ing to the notion of the Panama shop keep
ers and bar room owners, hotel keepers and
others who are looking for sudden wealth.
to follow the undertaking of this canal
work by the United States But the wages
paid to the employees who come here from
home. and to others of the same class hired
On the isthmus, are in many cases 70 per
cent higher than they were during the
busiest period Of the French canal work.
and In no case are they less.
Until quarters are available, he says. 1t
Is not advisable for married men to take
their families to Panama. Misery for all