The National tribune., 1905-10-12
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who was last Spring elected to the
United States Senate from Connecticut
Secretary Taft is back at his desk in
the War Department, not a bit the
worse for wear, though he has Travelled
about $4,000 miles in the last 80 days,
and visited the Orient and Occident,
beside crossing the United States. Sec
rotary Taft expresses himself as de-
lighted to get back to Washington, but
he WOULD live in Manila, Now, think
of thai, will you? Manila cool! Why,
we have been having it banged into
our heads for years that 1T was just
one remove from the inferno for heat.
The Secretary of War broke the record
for the trip from Yokohama, making
it TO San Francisco in IA days-two
days ahead of schedule time. Then he
broke the record from San Francisco
to Washington. Secretary Taft desired
to be here for the first Cabinet meet
ing, and he was, with a day to spare.
There was but one unpleasant incl
dent on the whole trip of party of so.
Mrs. Dubois. wife of Senator Dubois.
was badly hurt in a carriage wreck,
but came back all right. Secretary Taft
says:
THE trip was made without the
slightest ripple in the harmonious rela-
tons existant among the party. On
the boat | walked four miles, or 60
exercise. In the swimming tank, flush
ed al the upper deck, with the bottom
on the lower deck, there was pleasant
bathing Those outsiSe and anywhere
near the tank got quite as wet as those
inside. No, did not go in"
DO you recommend a representa-
1.-Two
1902" was asked.
Yes" he replied: cit would be a
school for them. 1t would show the
people of the Islands that Government
is not thing of defamation. When
they levy the taxes and have to pay
them it is different proposition.
There is a vast opportunity for trade
in the Orient which is largely contin-
gent upon proper Consular service
there" said the Secretary. Il found the
American Consuls and other representa-
tives in China and Japan living in en-
tireIy inadequate and disreputable quar-
ters. / have said nothing against the
personnel of the service. The repre-
sentatives l came in contact with are
good men-much better than those that
were there two or three years ago. But
IL Shanghai, which is the principal COM
mefcial point of the Orient, for instance,
the pay allotted by Congress to our
offices where they should be, and the
Germans have 10 times as many clerks
as we have.
ut is the fault of Congress that our
Consuls are underpaid. The same crit
icism applies to the Diplomatic service.
An ambassador receives less than the
$4,000 or SO per annum which it costs
him 10 keep up his establishment. The
time has come when only men of wealth
can be appointed to such positions and
when men of more ability are shut out
because of the iliiberal policy pursued.
"Since the end of the war there has
been in Manchuria a decided demand
for American manufactured stuffs, par
ticularly piece cotton goods. The Chi
nese merchants found that the boycott
hurt them more than 1t did us, and the
demand has become such there now
that they cannot supply it. For the
present, at least, this has put aside the
boycott. American merchants ought to
read the Consular reports more than
they do. and Congress ought to make
the entire Consular service over there
more efficient through the establish
ment of offices on a scale BETTING such
a wealthy and prosperous Nation as
ours. America would then be in posi-
ton to take advantage of the Oppor-
tunities in China and the Orient gener-
ally:
Now here's probably the crystalized
truth for you about the Panama Canal
conditions. 1t comes from w. J. Muir
ply. a well known sanitary specialist
who for the past year has been con-
nected with the Sanitary Department
established on the Isthmus by the Canal
Commission. Mr.. Murphy will talk?
Oh. yes. indeed. and he does not mince
his words at all. During his period of
- s-1
Gorgas, the yellow fever expert, who
during the war with Spain. cleared Ha-
yana of the scourge and kindred dis
eases. Mr.. Murphy was under him In
Cuba, also, so it is more than probable
that Mr.. Murphy speaks by the book.
"To my mind" said Mr.. Murphy,
1.-THE two greatest evils, next to yellow
fever. are red tape and the swarm of
small fry clerks and officials which our
great and good Government has sent
down to the Isthmus. They have all,
without exception, bad case of
Swelled head. and the evils of red tape
are only rendered the more acute by
the doings of this swarm of two-by
four clerks and officials. l went down
TO the Isthmus filled with enthusiasm
and with the intention of working as
l had never worked before at the task
of roofing out yellow fever, as well as
discovering everything possible In re-
gard to the disease. l was not in the
Zone very long before / discovered that
the greater part of the small-fry clerks
and officials had come there with no
higher or better object than that Of
having royal good time at Govern
ment expense. Everything is shirked.
everything is looked upon in a light and
frivolous spirit by these fellows, some
OF whom are not worth their transport
tation back and forth"
Then Mr.. Murphy goes after Govern
ment red tape In a scientific manner,
showing pretty conclusiyely that a lot
of the stories which have come back
To us had some foundation in fact, and
that fact was the unsettled mind of the
Government as to just how to do things.
Another very serious evil is Govern
ment red tape. although Engineer Stew
ems is working manfully to overcome
this drawback. The discomfort among
the laborers on the canal has been due
largely to the fact that at times they
were near the point of starvation. The
Government has changed the date Of
pay days five times during my stay on
the canal. and during that period there
were no commissaries maintained by
the Government at which the workmen
could buy provisions on credit. All
along the canal one finds a number of
small shops kept by Cinnamon, left
overs from the cargo of Cantonese