The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-11-14

b rigging On the deck above: the fore
man In charge of the gang of laborers
sent n of them above to free the
tackle The laborer went to the place
to which he was sent, and did what ne
was told to do. The foreman, paying
no attention TO him after he started on
his GRAND, missed hi ma efw minutes
later. and, looking around for him,
discovered him sitting peacefully at the
spot tn which he had been sent. What
are you doing fhere:" yelled the fore
man. You told me To come here.
Sah." Well, why didn't you come
back" You didn't tell me TO, Sab"
1T is to this class of labor that we
are paying from SO to 90 cents per day
in gold, and out OF which it is estimat-
ed we do not get more than % per cent.
Of the efficiency OF labor In the United
States. This is the kind of labor to
which we are compelled to apply the
eight-hour law-that is, TO aliens who
Fnow nothing CT the laws existence
until they arrive on the Istnn.us. Such
application will increase tda labor cost
of canal at least 25 per cent. and will
add many millions unnecessarily to the
total expediture.
In my opinion it is a mistake to
handicap the construction of the Pen
anna canal by any laws save those of
police n sanitation. | want to 90 on
record here that the application Of the
eight hour law, of the contract labor
law, o fthe Chinese exclusion act. or
of any other law passed, or to be pass
ed, by congress for the benefit of
American labor at home, to labor on
the isthmus, is a serious error. Over
80 per cent. of the employees of the
canal will be aliens. a majority of the
other twenty per cent. employed will
be a clerical or supervisory character.
The application of these laws on the
isthmus benefit a very small number of
American labOrers, but will enormous
ly add to the cost Of construction. and
American labor at home will have to
pay it's share of the consequent in
crease in taxation. As business men,
you will understand the force of the
statement"
THAT is the story, gentlemen. Of
hat we have been doing on the 18TH
mus In line with this, let me add that
Chief Engineer Stevens is preparing
three complete sets of plans applicable
To as many types of canal, 81 that
when decision shall have been reached
as to what type will be used, 40 delay
in beginning work will Isl 1t is our
confident belief that by the first of July
next the plant as purchased will be in
stalled and working to it's fullest prac-
teal capacity. In other words, by that
time the dirt will begin to fly in
earnest.
BUILDING OF THE CANAL IS AS
SURED.
THE canal will be built-rest assur-
ed OF that--and it will be built at Pan
ma Those two phases of the prob
lem have passed irrevOcably from the
field Of debate. There Is an industri-
Gus and voluble band OF hired .Anan-
Eases moving to and fro in the land
whose mission it is to deny this The
burden of their song is: The canal Will
never be built at f'analn:,. aud every
body connected with the enterprise. IN
Guiding the President, and comMdssion-
ers, and engineers. is convinced of it."
You can hear the members of this band
chanting their song, singly and in
chorus, wherever men congregare, and
wherever a few operators are gathered
together. They are rehearSing for
their grand burst Of noise when CON
gress shall have assembled. When
they are not rehearsing they are put
ting the words of their song into bogus
interviews and other written forms Of
newspaper publication. which they are
sending forth by thousands from their
Bureaus of Publicity in this and other
cities. AS One cOntemplateS the out
put Of this singular industry, this fac
tory Of fiction, he is moved to say of
It's guiding spirit, as Shakespeare says
of Captain Dumain: He will lie with
such volubi1ity, sir, that you would
think truth were q fool"
THE ROOSEVELT CANAL.
"Who is capitalizing this industry ?
What is the bountiful source of this
spouting spring of mendacity? Is it
to be found among the friends of an
Isthmian canal? Are these supplying
funds for the sustenance Of such a
campaign of misinformation? What
interests, except those foolishly dread
ing the competition of an Isthmian ca
nal would put up money to delay and
possibly defeat it's construction? That
there are interests of that kind is not
O matter of suspicion or speculation,
but of history. They have been fight
ing a canal for more than half a cen
fury. and they fought it successfully
till Theodore Roosevelt, armed with his
big STICK appeared as it's champion
From that moment their efforts have
been powerless. but they have not yet
discovered the fact. They are wasting
their energies and their cash, for be-
hind Theodore Roosevelt stand the
American people in solid mass and
with determined front, shouting as one
man: Give US a canal that will be
adequate to meet the demands Of the
commerce of the world, and give ii to
us at the earliest possible moment"
That, gentlemen, is the command
which the commission, under the in
SEPARATION of the President, is obeying
to the letter. We are building the
Roosevelt Canal"
Heayau IF puhIic Ownership