The Washington herald., 1906-12-18

President Inspecting Steam shor
That IS. where the complaints were not
made wantonly or malicIously, they al
most always proved due 70 failure to ap-
preciate the fact that time was necessary
IN the creation and completion Of this IL
tanic work in a tropic wilderness. It is
Impossible 10 avoid some mistakes IN
building a giant canal through jungle
covered mountains and swamps. while at
the same time sanitating troDic cities. and
providing for the feeding and general care
or from twenty 70 thirty thousand work
ers. The complaints brought 10 me, eth
er OF insufficient provision in caring for
some Of the laborers. or Of failure TO
finish the pavements Of Colon. OF of fail
ure to supply water. or OF failure TO build
wooden sidewalks for the use of the Ia
borers in the rainy season, on investiga-
ton proved. almost without exception, 10
be due merely 20 the utter inability OF
the commission to do everything at once.
For instance. It was imperative that
Panama. which had the highest death
rate and where the chance Of o yellow
fever epidemic was strongest, should be
cared for first: yet most Of the com
plants as u the delay en- taking care Of
Colon were due to the inability or un-
willingness 10 appreciate this simple fact.
Again. as the thousands Of labOrers are
brought over and housed, il is not always
possible az the outset % supply wooden
walks and bath houses, because other
more vital neceSsIJi,= have to De met. anc,
30 consequence, while most Of the set
Elements have good bath houses and 10
+ "a large extent at least. wooden walks,
there are plenty Of settlements where
wooden walks have not yet been laid
down. and 1 visited one where the bath
houses have not been provided But In
this very settlement the frames Of the
bath houses are already up. and in every
case The utmost effort is being made 70
provide the wooden walks OF course. IN
some Of the newest camps tents are used
/ pending the building OF houses Where
possible, I think detached houses would
be preferable 70 the semi-detached houses
now ia general use.
Unjust Criticism.
Care and forelhoughl have been exer-
+ cised by the commission. and nothing has
reflected more credit upon them than
their refusal either 20 go ahead too fast
or 70 be deferred By the fear Of criticism
I from not going ahead fast enough. It is
curious TO note the fact that many Of the
most severe critics OF the commission cCft-
/ icise them for precisely opposite rea-
/ sons. some complaining bitterly that the
work is not ia a more advanced condi-
ton. while the others complain that il
/ has been rushed with such haste that there
+ has been insufficient preparation for the
/ hygiene and comfort OF the employees. Is
+ a matter Of fact neither criticism IS just
/ Il would have been impossible 70 8,
/ quicker than the commission has gone
/ for such quickness would have meant 81.
7 sufficient preparation. On the othel
/ hand. TO refuse TO do anything until ev
/ cry possible future contingency had beer
met would have caused wholly unwar
/ r8nted delay The right course TO fol
f low was exactly the course which Ia,
! been followed. Every reasonable prepara
/ ton was made in advance, the hygieni,
conditions in especial being made as near
/ IS perfect as possible; while on the othe
+ hand there has been no timid refusal {.
/ push forward the work because of in
ability Ia anticipate every possible eTncr
/ gency. FOR OF course, many defects caI
F only be shown By the working of TIT
/ system in actual practice.
I In addition 10 attending 10 the health
/ of the employees. il IS of course. neceSsar1
/ 90 provide for policing the zone This Il
done by q police force. which. nj pres
/ emit. numbers over 23o men. under capt
} Stanton. About one-tfth OF the men az
I white and the others black. In differeu
! places ! questioned some twenty or thir
/ " of these men. taking them at random
! They were "a fine set physically and Fl
( discipline. With one exception all IN
! white men I questioned had served in tn
/ American army. usually in the Philip
pines. and belonged to the hest type o
/ American soldier. Without exception Tn
black policemen whom I questioned haI
/ served either i'm the British army or IL
the Jamaica or Barbados police. The
were evidently coHrented. and were doini
their work wen. Where possible the po
licemen are used TO control people o
their oWn color. but in any emergenc
no hesitation is felt in using them indis
criminately.
Inasmuch as so many both Of the whit
and colored employees have brought thei
families with them schools have bee
established the school service being un
der Mr.. O'Connor. For the white pupil
white American teachers are employed
for the col0red pupils there are also som
white American teachers, one SPANS
teacher, and one COlOred American teach
CT. most of them being colored teacher
from jamaica. Barbados, and ST. Lucia
! The sehoolrooms were good. and 1t wa
a pleasant thing to see the pride that IN
teachers We're taking IN their work an
their pupils.
There seemed TO me 10 be too many 81
looms in the zone; but the new high-li
cense law, which goes into effect on Jan
uary ! next. viii probably close four
ffths Of them. Res0lute and sUccessfU
efforts are being made to minimize an
control the sale Of liquor.
The cars on the passenger trains on tn
isthmus are divided into first and secon
class, the difference being marked in tn
price of tickets As a rule seCOnd-Clas
passengers are coIored and frst-class pas
seugers white; but in every train whic