The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-17

amount of labor performed on Friday and
many of these jamaica laborers as to
the conditions Of their work and what, #
any changes. they wished. ] received
many complaints from them but as re-
CARDS most of these complaints they
themselves contradicted one another. In
all cases where the complaint was as TO
their treatment by any Individual it
proved on examination that this individual
was himself a West India man Of color,
either policeman, a storekeeper, or an
assistant storekeeper- Doubtless there
cans Dut those 10 Whom spoke ala not
happen to make any such complaint to
ing saw but one set or quarters Tor
cOlored laborers which I thought. poor,
barracks Tor the unmarried men are
rOomy. well ventilated, and clean, with
canvas hunks for each man, and. a kind
OF Ialse attlc at the top, where the trunks
and other belongings of the different men
are kept. The clothes are hung on
clothesiines, nothing being allowed to be
rooms there were tables and lamps, and
usually few books or papers, and in
almost every room there was a Bible ::
the books being the property of the
laborers themselves. The cleanliness of
the quarters is secured by daily inspec-
ton The quarters for the married negro
laborers We're good. They We're neatly
Kept, and in almost every case the men
living in them, whose wives or daugh-
tiers did the cooking for them, were far
than the ordinary bachelor negroes Not
only were the quarters in which these
to those in which am informed they live
at home, but they We're much superior to
the nuts TO be seen in the jungles Of Pan
anna itself, beside the railroad tracks. in
which the lower class of native Panamans
live. as well as the negro workmen when
they leave the employ of the canal and
go into the jungles. A single glance at
the two sets Of buildings is enough to
snow the great superiority in point Of
comfort cleanliness. and heaithfulness of
me government houses as compared with
the native houses.
NEGROES DO Their Our, Cn,a~frrr
The negroes generally do their own cook
ing, the bachelors cooking in sheds pro
own pots IN the different camps there
was wide variation in the Character or
these cooking sheds In some, whore the
camps were Completed, the kitchen or
cooking sheds. as well as the bathrooms
and Water-cIOsets, were az IN excellent
trim, while there were board sidewalks
leading from building to building. In other
camps the kitchens or cook sheQs had not
been aoored. and the sidewalks mad no.
been put down. while in one camp the
bath houses were not yet up. In each
case. however, every effort being
made to hurry on the construction, and /
do not believe that the delays had been
greater than were inevitable in such work
The laborers are accustomed to do their
own COOKING put there was much COM
plant. especially among the bachelors, as
TO the quantity and some as to the quail
1ty. OF the food they got from the COM
missary department, especially as regards
vans. On the other hand. the married
men and their wives. and the more adj
variably expressed themselves as entirely
satisfied with their treatment at the COM
missary stores; except that they stated
that they generally could not get vans
there. and had to purchase them outside
The chief complaint was that the prices
were too nigh. II is unaVoidabie that the
prices should be higher than in their own
homes; and after careful investigation l
came TO the conclusion that the chief
trouble lay in the fact that the yams,
plantains. and the like are rather perish
able food and are very bulky compared
to the amount of nourishment they con
tain. so that it is costly to import them in
large quantities and difficult to keep them.
Nevertheless. / felt that an effort should
be made to secure them a more ample sup
ply of their favorite food, and so directed;
ment must itself feed them. I am having
this matter looked into.
The superintendent having immediate
charge OF the gang of men at the Colon
reservoir stated that he endeavored to
get them TO substitute beans ana othe[
Iiefrfshing food Tor the str1ngN WaJerX
vans, because the men keep their
strength and health better on the more
nourishing food Inasmuch, however, as
they are accustomed to vans it is difficult
to get them to eat the more strengthening
food and some time elapses before they
grow accustomed to it. At this reservoir
there has been a. curious experience. 1t IS
off in the Jungle by itself at the end of
= - - - 90 a T;ftle to.- - fI,~oad
In order to get the laborers there, they
were given free food (end of course free
lodgings; and vet IL proved dintcult TO
keep them, because they wished to be
where they could reach the dramshOp
I was struck by the superior comfort
and respecta bility of the lives of the mar
most admirable thing if a much larger
number of the men had their wives. for
with their advent all complaints about
the food and cooking are almost sure to
cease.
1 had an interview with Mr.. Mallet, the
British consul to find out if there was
any just cause for complaint as to the
treatment of the West India negroes. He
informed me most emphatically that there
was not. and authorized me to give his
tatement publicity He said that not only
was the condition Of the laborers far
better than had been the case under the
old French company. but that year by
year the condition was improving under
our own regime. He stated that complaints
were continually brought to him, and
that he always investigated them; and
ed to find a single complaint of a serious
nature that contained any justification
whatever
Recreation and Amusement.
One of the greatest needs at present is
to provide amusements both for the white
men and the black. The Young Mems
good work and should be in every way
encouraged But the government should
called the attention of the commission TO
this matter, and something has been &C
the welfare of the men adds to their effi-
cheney and money devoted to that pur-
cred spent in building the canal It
is imperaliVeIy necessary to provide am
PIE recreation and amusement II the men
are to be kept Wen and healthy. L call
the special attention of congress to this
need.
This gathering. distributing, and caring
for the great force Of laborers is one OF
the giant features Of the work INT fric-
ton will from time to time occur n con
nection Herewith is inevitable The as
tonishing thing is that the work has been
performed so well and that the mach1n-
cry runs so smoothly. From my own ex-
perience I am able 10 say that more care
had been exercised in housing. feeding and
generally paying heed to the needs OF the
skilled mechanics and ordinary laboreFS
in the work on this canal than is the case
in the construction of new railroads or in
any other similar private public work
in the United States proper; and it is the
testimony Of all people competent to speak