The Saint Paul globe., 1905-02-27
TELLS OF WORKERS
LIFE ON ISTHMUS
uenerai Davis Answers Grill.
cisms of Conditions i'm
Canal Zone

WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 26-Writ-
ing on the general topic of Wages and
the discontentment of employees IN tba
lsthmus." Gen. Davis, governor of the
Panama canal zone. has addressed a lone,
communication to the Panama canal com
mission. His observations are confined to
employees of the commission ON the 18TH
mus who were hired in the United States
There were, he says. several cases which
were really excuse for the discussion OF
the discomfort in the press of late. He
enumerates:
The panicky feeling over the existence
OF yellow fever; asserted unfulflled prom
fses as to accommodations and allowances
made to members of the commission by its
officers or authorities in the United
states: the non-eXistence on the isthmuS
OF amuSements. diversions or entertain
ments, always at hand at home; the ex-
lsting high price of commodities and OF
the necessaries of life and home sick
ness
Discussing the yellow fever situation
Gen. Davis said:
"Thirty-three cases of recognized vel
low fever have been found on the 18th
| mus of Panama since last May. and of this
number 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
FEB l. The whole situation of Panama
and only In Panama the infection exists
is being thoroughly disinfected and every
house In the city is being fumigated. In
l the last two weeks one-s seventh of all tho
/ houses in the city have been fumigated.
! 1t will take six weeks to complete this
disinfection and fumigation.
Fever Attacks Few Persons
"Of the canal employees and their fam
4 lilies here from q 'njted States only six
! out Of 400 or 500 have been sick with yell
| low fever. and OF this number one ter
minated fatally"
Discussing the lack of accommodations,
| the governor observes
The number of employees who have ar
! rived on the isthmuS under appointments
| made In the United States who assert
| they were told by members of the commits
| sion or by its employees in Washington,
that they would all have quarters or resi-
| denceS and excellent accommodations is SO
| large, and the assertions so positive, that
1 cannot but believe there is some basis
| for the statements made, and if any such
| assurances We're given it was great mis-
| take, l think. The picture ought to have
| been painted worse than it is rather than
! otherwise, so that men arriving here could
not possibly find the real condition! to be
worse than they expected 10 find it.
After reviewing the housing conditions
At length. he concludes:
LAS soon as land can be secured in the
will be taken and there VIII be no delay
| in erecting the necessary houses for all
the employees in the city of Panama"
On the question of wages Gov. Davis
'Thus far there is no rate of wages con-
ceivable that would be too high accord
ing to the notion of the Panaman shop
keepers and bedroom owners, hotelkeepers
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 % per cent higher than they were
during the busiest period of the French
canal work. and in no cases 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
concerned has resulted in cases where this
has been done. There is no suggested
remedy for the complaint of lack OF
amusement.
Plans for Y. M. c. A.
However, plans for a building for the
Young Mems Christian associat ton are now
! being prepared
Continuing. Gen. Davis says:
"Other establishments of the same class
should be created at other centers of ac-
tivity along the canal line, and no doubt
will be. The barroom and gambling hellS
are the principal attractions now, and in
the city of Panama lottery tickets are ev-
erywhere offered for sale on the street
corners The gambling and drinking sa-
looms are. of course. made attractive, and
unfortunately they are often patronized by
United States employees.
Because of the increased cost of mer-
chandise of all kinds. the canal COM
mission has just directed that the material
and supplies department establish a com
missary where will be kept for sale at
cost price and at a slight addition thereto
to cover transportation and cost OF
handling, all the essential commodities
required by our people at home. Here
tofore the canal employees have enjoyed a
similar privilege accorded by the Panama
commissary. The canal commissary was
opened Feb. 10.
Concluding Gen. Davis says:
Casting up the matter in all its phases
I would say that while this discomfort
lists and certainly will exist probably for
q long time. with respect to some of the
employees, yet the larger number are not
unreasonable and accept the situation:
they know that the government is doing
everything possible to make their lot
pleasanter and they are Loyalty working
and carrying out their contracts