The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-11-03
lSTHMUS NOT
WHITE MANS LAND
SERIOUS PICTURES OF coNDI-
TIoNs. ALONG THE CANAL
George .. Kavanaugh Returns and
Says System is Wrong He Declares
Workers Are Robbed and Wallace's
Resignation Was Setback.
Chicago Post.

Panama canal affairs says George
j. Kavanaugh, who has just returned
from a six months stay on the isthmus.
: are in a serious condition thru two
causes-lack of central head in the
construction work and plundering Of
American. laborers by Spanish French
combination of merchants.
The government has made mistakes
In the grading Of salaries Of men en-
ployed and civil service red tape doesn It
work well in tropical climate; but
the chief reasons for the delay in the
work, and the fact that little practical
headway is being made at the present
time are what have mentioned.
Up to the time Chief Engineer Wal
was making. He is practical engineer
and went down there to make the work
go thru. Attic hampered much by. Of
fetal jealousies in the canal commits
sion, he got start and every Ameri-
can employed on the work took new
hope and courage. When Mr.. Wallace
quit we understood the reason to be
solely that neither he nor any other
practical engineer could get along with
tuted.
Workers Lose Courage.
after Mr.: Wallace's departure
|
work up to the time left really had
made no Roadway. The government has
sent in more than 600 c1erks-youn
men employed for the clerical work at
salaries ranging from 500 to $120. 1t
also has sent in q certain amount of
skilled engineering labor that is receiv-
| ing 1898 a month. These employees
of $25 in gold a passage, but if they
wish to return the cost is $55 in gold,
and as salaries are not high enough for
the actual living expenses few are get.
ting back.
to this while I was there. Half a
dozen young fellows Of an engineering
and settled their board bills. With the
! little they had left they were gambling
with the understanding that the winner
would take the pot and buy a home
| ticket with it. In this way about one
man a month can get away from each
eorFPFS Tba .snec;., :. = Il +hs hest hote7
in Panama for canal employees are 500
month in gold, 50 that a man at $83.3a
must always be So in The hole, If. not
more. Rates in the French quarters
range from $40 to $40 in gold, and the
accommodations are bad. Food and
clothing are high, and even a glass OF
D6er COSCS 20, CSuGS. 10
"The Spanish and French have the
idea that because we are building the
canal we necessarily must flood then
with money. They control the trade
and. they have the stores and hotel an6
most of the governmental concessions
Their rates amount to extortion, but
there is no appealing from them,- be-
cause they have a monopoly.
Says Climate is Deadly.
"a large percentage Of the govern
young southerners, but the climate does
not agree with them, altho the dead
Hest disease from Panama to Color
is honest ckness. With more than $50,
100000 of French machinery scattered
along the, proposed route. with all thu
ruin Of the French efforts staring then
in the face, and underpaid and ham
pered in every direction by red tape
these youngsters become sick on almos
any provocation, and the only saliva
tion. for them then is to get them ou
of the country. T. Ifts.e> u +,
"The canal, can be built and com
pleted at reasonable figure, but tn,
feeling in Panama is that successful
work on it never will get under way
until all the commissions are discharged
and one, big, vigorous American rail
way constructor is given absolute
4 sway over the whole work and held re
sponsible for all he does. When thi'
comes about the canal, if built will
locks, will be completed in ten o.
twelve years, and if made sea leve
in not less than thirty years.
'sTo the American speculator and in
vestor l would say-keep away from
Panama. Nothing can be found Their.
. worthy of American enterprise but tn,
building of the canal. The country
Itself is not a white mans land.'