East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-12-26

The force employed on the 18TH |
nus of Panama on November is, !
9O5, was as follows. according to
he report Of the canal commission,
lst issued:
In November, .9O4, the commits
ion's employees on the isthmus
umbered $500. In November. 1905,
hey numbered. approximately, H.
30. OF these, II, 800 were under the
department OF construction and en-
,ineering, 26OO under the bureau of
Material and supplies, and 1850 un-
er the department Of government
md sanitation. There were. in the
ocal auditors office 46 men and in
he office Of the disbursing officer
81,
b OF the 1900 employees about D.
iO5 were on the gold rolls and IA
$50 on the silver rolls.
The number of white Americans on
! the isthmus is estimated at 1900.
/ The Panama Railroad company en-
uloys about $500 men, who are not
| included in the total Of 1900.
The question Of labor is n grave and
perplexing one. A sufficient supply
| Of labor can be secured from nearby
| tropical islands and countries, so far
as numbers are concerned. The ques-
| tion of quality is n very different
matter. Unless much greater eff
! cheney can be developed than is Sc
cured a; present it will be necessary
| to look elsewhere for a better class.
| The present wage varies from 80
cents to $l.O4 per day in gold. As
! compared with the best common la
| Dor in the United States, its efficiency
| is rated at from rs to 33 per cent.
| over so per cent of the employees of
| the canal are now and will continue
! to be alien laborers. a majority of
the other 20 per cent employed will
| he in clerical, a supervisory, or in
| some other capacity to which the
various labor laws of the United
States are not applicable. 1t Is to
this Kind OF labor We are compelled
to apply the eight-hour law-that Is,
to aliens who know nothing Of the
laws existence until they arrive on
the isthmus. Such application Will
increase the labor cost of canal con-
struction at least % per cent and will
add many millions unnecessarily to
the total expenditure.
The application of laws passed or
to be passed by congress for the hem
eft of American labor at home to la
Dor on the isthmus will benefit a
very small number Of American la
horers. hut will enormously add TO
the cost of construction, and Amert-
can labor at home win have to pay
its share of the consequent incrcas"
in taxation.
In the opinion Of the commission
II ii. a mistake 30 handicap the con
struction OF the Panama canal with
anv laws save those of police and
sanitation The commission strongly
, recommends that labor on the 18TH
mus be excluded from the applica-
ton Of the eight-hour law, the con-
tract-lnhor law, the Chinese-cXclusior
act and any other law passed or tc
be passed by congress for the benefit
of American labor at home.
From Janaury To December /
p 1905 2725 persons were appointed IT
the United States for service on the
Isthmus of Panama i'm l5S different
. rgades Of positions, and OF the above
number appointed 2043 persons have
I hpen transported TO their places %
duty. the remainder having failed tC
sail after selection and appointment
Two hundred and siNty-seven mem
hers of families and 275 persons re
turning from leave of absence nave
also been furnished transportation a
the reduced government rate durin.
the same period from New York cit!
+ over the Panama Steamship com
panys lines. The above number doe
8 not include the returning employee
D and members of families who hav,
J. sailed from the ports Of New Orlcan
9 and San Francisco.
The conditions of employment
grant free quarters for the familie
of officers and employees of tn
, commission, and these are also give
reduced rate OF 800 for transporta
ton between New York and Color
II is believed that the ultimate resul
will be the establishment of socia
A conditions on the isthmus which wi
tend to increase greatly the stabilit
and permanency of the force, an
thereby enhance its efficiency,
g. Engineering wort< of tho Year.
e. While this preparatory work h.