Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-10-31
DIRT FLEW TOO SOON.
Worlds Work Tells Of confusion's
Rainn in banana

i the Panama canal. When the United
States took hold of the enterprise, there
was a popular demand THAT dirt should
| fly, and dirt flew-but in bucketfuls
when 1t should have been by trainloads
| There are not enough machinery to dc
anything worth mentioning, and wha,
there was was handled in about the
worst possible manner. The result was
that the forces were fast becoming
disorganized and the outlook for the
completion Of the canal was reaching
into far distant future. Up to the
10th Of last August this condition pre-
vailed and was growing worse.
So says Eugene p. Lyle. Jr, in the
Worlds Work for November. Then
hope was revived thru the methods
adopted by Chief Engineer Stevens.
Tho great problem, as Yet, says Mr..
Lyle is to organize the work. The
absolutely imperative need of such or
ganization is shown by what Mr.. Lyle
tells of conditions in the canal zone
up to Aug. 10th. At that date there
were eleven steam shovels, only two or
three of which We're working at any one
time. The trouble then was there was
no organizatio of trackage. A train
would be loaded sin no time" and
would be off. but there would be no
other to take dts place. Steam shovel
and crew would then LAY off, until
another train could be brought up. 1t
might be an hour. or two or six hours.
Yet there would be trains near, two
or three sometimes: but because of the
lack of track arrangements they could
not be switched into position. So the
train crews were idle also.
"Red Tape" at It's Worst.
Another trouble that has blocked eff
fective work has been red tape" very
red and very long. Mr.. Lyle tells Of
a case DIN which it required whole
day to move two cars of lumber dis
lance of two miles, taking whole
train crews time to do the job, and
delaying am equal time the work OF
those who were waiting for the mate
rial.
The Jamaica negro who has been de-
pended upon for much of the work.
Mr.. Lyle says is about the poorest
laborer in the human race. A foreman
is quoted as saying that the jamaica
negro is 1.-THE LATEST brute of the hui
man kingdom" Chief Engineer Ste
vens says the white mans worth as a
laborer is reduced 60 per cent but that
even then one white man equals three
negroes.
The problem of food supply is des-
perate one but is being solved by
the efforts of Governor Magoon of thu
comnlissary. AS late as last summer
men sometimes took to the jungles in
search of food.
Ambition ThrottIed.
Ambition seems to have been throt-
tied in Panama. Young men, highly
trained, capable and ambitious, on ar
irving at CuIebra cut, have been set
to counting empty dirt cars, or at 9TH
er subordinate work. while incompe-
tent men, appointees from home, have
been put over them. Often such ex-
perts return by the same boat or the
next boat at the latest. Mr.. Lyle says
politics is to blame. When an eX-
pert has stayed with his job, outlast-
ing "appointees from home and has
actually taught such appointees their
ton Such work has been disheartan-
ing, and has Influenced the whole force
for the worse.
The disease which Mr.. Lyle says is
most dangerous to the canal force is
anemia, from soil pollution. Mr. Lyle
says its dangers are even worse than
those of yellow fever or malaria. 1t Is
due to the absence of latrines, and up
to Aug. 10 there had been no adequate
provision of these. The death rate has
not been large in the canal forces, but
they have been working in dry soil.
Mr.. Lyle says that when they get into
the marshes, malaria is likely to be-,
come a far more serious problem.
Change Under Stevens.
But theme has been a change since
Stevens took hold. The order of Aug
10. suspendlng digging, was absolutely
Mr.. Stevens saw the ne
cessity of complete reorganization of
the forces and equipment before the
work of making dirt fly could begin in
earnest. So at the risk of sharp crit
icism he suspended work But there
has been a change of heart among the
forces, and, Mr.. Lyle says, exp eta
lions of accomplishment of results are
warranted The matter. he adds, now
rests with Mr.. Stevens.
Steel Dividend.
New York, Oct. 3l.-rhe directors of