New-York tribune., 1905-07-07
IMPROVEMENT IN PANAMA
Mr. Sk0nts Plans to Make Life More
HeaIthfaL and Enjoyable.

Washington July 6-Iife on the Isthmus OF Pan
anna is to be made healthfu comfortable ana en-
1oyable before the real work of digging the eahal
is begun. according to announcement OF poney
made to-day by Chairman Shonts of the Pahaiha
Canal Commission, Mr.. Shonts said:
Our first duty Is to create sound underlying con-
ditions This is vastly more Important lhah man
houses in healthy surroundings; they must nave nave
wholesome and nourishng food at reasonanI9 soSt ~
they must have suitable ransportatioh @ 20 v
get to and from their work, and they iiiusT naf H
Opportunity for recreation afforded tnen II .a WI
be the policy of the commission to provide THESE
essentials quickly as possible. ana 10 olIS i il.
necessary to provide these necessities as 1ast as TUE
facilities indicated can be furnished Inc com. com
will result in the actual handling of less quanu-
ties of material Temporarily n4f t aiso HnGws more
will be accomplished later on at less COST anu Win
It viii also be the invariable policy Of the com
mission to give to the public the actual conatlons
10 either color conceal. SO much has Deen salu
by the press of an exaggerated characise s az O1e r
health conditions there that 1t may DS wise Tbr re
captulate the facts regarding yellow tever Ihere e
have 1esh 6s b thmus sg Since the disease first
appeared. in May. During that month there were
In June thirty canal employees were stricken and
four deaths & tTe t Gf nte5 States and two
appointed locally on the isthmus; Tnere were aiso
three Rairoad ea5Hs ID COMPANY and no deaths During
the month of July, up to the 6th there nave pSen
no new cases, and there is but one employe under
AZ an evidence of the consideration the creatlon
of health conditions is now receiving 1t may De
well TO state that 1212 cent of the total NUMBER
of employees are assigned to that work under Gov
ernor Magoon. . A., 4..4
that so many men have left because of reduction
in salaries the fact is that wages instead OF nav
ing been reduced, have been very considerably IN
creased in every branch of the service on the 18th
mus during the life of the present commission II
will be the fixed practice of the commission, as Tar
as practicable, to fill the higher and more de-
sjrabe positions by the promotion or deserving
employees The entrance or beginners salary Tor
the clerical positions, such bookkeepers stenog-
raphers typewrters. etc, is 81 500 per annum and
for draughtsmen from $3.50 to 5000: The wages
received In the outdoor railroad positions are from
10 to % per cent higher than those paid in the
United States being In general for switch engi-
neers S125 engine fOreInen $780, helpers S75. track
foremen $50 10 800 and supervisors $3.50 10 sl7S a
month All the mechanical tradesmen, sueh as
carpenters, blacksmiths. machintsts, ETC.. receive
Sc cents an hour In addition all employees are rur-
nished quarters allowed 10 per cent increase In
pay in lieu thereof. and given six weeks leave
Of absence a year on full pay
AS to the amount of work actually DONE complete
reports have been received yet at this ot1ce,
although the acting chief engineer cables same
what has been done and what the actual condition
of work Is the commission has sent two of Its
engineering members to the isthmus TO make a
personal examination of the ground and make a
formal report of their investigation.
cable dispatch received from Governor Magoon
to-day reports no additional of yellow fever
and no deaths, and only one case under treatment
op the isthYous