Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-09-12
Tuesday, September II, 1905
The Maine Man on the lsthmus.

That John F. Stevens. the West
Gardiner. Maine, man who has been
placed at the head of the great work
at Panama. IS taking hold of his task
in the spirit that will bring order out Ct
chaos and eventually complete the ca
nal is evidenced by this item in the
led in the Iowa Register and Leader:
The chief engineer of the canal. J..
F. Stevens. made an unexpected visit
to the work at Culebra on Friday.
which resulted in the stoppage of work
by the various steam shovels in that
section Of the zone 1t Is said that Mr.
Stevens i'm the garb of workman, ana
without being recognized asked the
foreman i'm charge of the first steam
shovel how long he had been idle. The
latter thinking he was one Of the many
seeking work. replied with the greatest
Calmness, "all the morning" Mr. Ste
vens after visiting two other steam
shovels. came to the conclusion that
even though the laborers we're not
working 1t was no fault Of theirs. He
told The forenen to put out their nres
and stop the work. One of them asked
him who he was 10 give suoh an order
as that He replied, II am stevens. the
chief engineer" He told the foreman
afterward that possibly he might find
work for them if they desired to re-
main. These men were getting salaries
OF 1896 a month. gold.
Mr.. Stevens has personally investi-
gated the status Of the work and has
come to the conclusion that a number
Of improvements must be made before
canal construction can proceed very
or months, devoted to getting things IN
order will hasten the work more than
years of the present elip-shod condi-
lions The excavating work has thus
been stopped and the men put to work
improving railway facilities and erect
ing good sanitary houses in which to
live" The sanitary. railroad and build
ing departments will work with an IN
creased force, so that when the work is
resumed in its full activity. some three
months hence, there will be cOmforta-
BILE houses for all and adequate facili-
tics for prosecuting the work in Il
business-like manner says the Pana-
ma dispatch.
Another matter to which Mr.. Stevens
has given his attention is the equali-
20 he Of n1 and o.
chapics. The Panama dispatch above
quoted explains:
He thinks the same pay should be Civ
en- I'm the various departments for the
same class OF work. This has not been
true in all cases heretofore. 1t has
happened several timees that one de-
partment has been crippled by men
leaving and entering another depart
ment where they have been offered
more money. 1t has been common
pratice for q man to abandon his work.
change his name, and apply for and OBJ
tain work at an increased rate in an
other part of the isthmus. representing
that he has never been IN the service
of the commission before. 1t IS easier
to do this than it sounds. for negroes
all look alike down here and in many
cases the man who hires them never
sees them again after they go to work
The chief engineer has hit upon tn
right way of stopping this by equaliz-
ing the rates of pay for the same work
and thus destroying the inducement
The whole system of the payment OF
labor is to he put on "a rational basis
and hereafter il will not be possible foi
u chief of department who is disposed
10 keep down expenses TO suffer by
having his men hired away from him.
Mr.. Stevens has been in Panama only
month. but it Is already apparent
that there is a stronger hand at tbs
helm" He is going about the work ir
the right manner. tightening up loose
screws and giving affairs a business
like administration. From all reports
this is exactly what is needed.