The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1906-12-20
ed in our Grst-elass hospitals at home.
Unjust Criticism.

nothing has reflected more credit up
on them than their refusal either &c
go ahead too fast or to be deterrej
by the fear of criticism from not go.
ing ahead fast enough. II is euri0u.
to note the fact that many of the
most severe critics Of the commissions
eriticise them for precisely opposite
reasons, some complaining bitterly
that the work is not in a more ad
vanced condition, while the other.
complain that it has rushed with such
haste that there has been insufficient
preparation for the hygiene and com
fort % the employees. AS a matter
Of fact neither criticism is just. Il
would have been impossible to go
quicker than the commission has
gone, for such quickness would have
meant insufficient preparation. On
the other hand, TO refuse to do any
thing until every possible future con-
tingency had been met would have
caused wholly unwarranted delay.
The right course 10 follow was cx-
actly the course which has been fol-
lowed. Every reasonable prepara-
tiOn was made in advance, the by-
.ienic conditions in especial being
made as nearly perfect as pos
sjble; while on the other hand there
has been no timid refusal to push
forward the work because of inability
tC anticipate every possible emergen-
cy, for, of course, many defects can
only be shown by the working of the
system iii actual practice.
Colon Water Supply.
1t was not practicable, with the
force at the commission $ disposal
and in view of the need that the
force should be used in the larger
town of Panama. to begin this work
before early last winter. Water main;
were then laid III the town and watel
was furnished to the people early ir
March from temporary reservoir
This reservoir proved to be INSULT
cient capacity before the end of the
dry season and the shortage wa;
made up by hauling water over thu
Panama Railroad, so that there wa!
at all times an ample supply of th'
very best water. Since that time tht
new reservoir back of Mount Hop
has been practically completed.
| visited this reservoir. 1t has LAKE
over a mile long and half mile
broad. 1t now carries some 800,
100000 gallons of first-class water.
Care of Employees.
Next .eg,,Hluinp II uiimnportance s t9 the lPlgr9blep
equal Importance, is the problem o
securing and caring for the mechanic
laborers. and other employees VIII
actually do the work on the cana
and the railroad. This great task ha
been under the control Of Mr.. Jach
son Smith, and on the whole has bee
we'll done. At present there are som
5000 white employees and some l9
| 600 colored employees on the lsthmu
/ went over the different places wnel
the different kinds of employees we
working. I think l saw represent
tives of every type both at their wo'
; and in their homes; and convers'
with probably a couple of hundred
them all told, choosing them at ra
dom from every class and lneludll
those who came especially to prese
certain grievances. I found tn
those who did not come specifically
present grievances almost lnvarlaf
= expressed far greater content a
a satisfaction with the conditions IN
!, did those who called to make co
It plant. -.
+ Nearly 5000 of the white emplo.
! had come from the United Stat
! No man can see these young Vlg
Gus men energetically doing tn
% dutv without a thrill of pride IN tn
It's Americans. They represent on
m average high class.
,e Health Showing Remarkably Goo
in Just at present the health show
" On tbe isthmus is remarkably goo
a, 90 much better than in most seetl
f. Of the United States that L do
G, believe that it can possibly conti
v- at quite its present average. III
he carly in the present year a band
I6 | several hundred Spaniards
VS. brought TO the isthmus as LABOR
IL and additions to their number
od been made from time to time;
at. since their arrival in February
rS bnt one of those Spaniards
It brought over to work on the c
sea | has died of disease, and he OF
,n- phoid fever. Two others were
On ed. one in a railroad accident.
-, one bv dynamite explosion. L
,;n- has been for the last SIX montI
,lIv well-nigh steady decline IN the d
NV rate for the population OF the
this being largely due to the dec
lie in death from pneumonia, whlch
been the most fatal disease on
his isthmus. In October there wei
srk- deaths of every kind among the
act nloves of the isthmus. There
II. then on the rolls $500 whites, 5
eights of them being Americans
these whites but two died OF Oh
age and at it happened neither man
nies an American, including some
IN women and children. not
Eork death has occurred in the past
months, whereas in an averags
/. in the United States the nnmu
s at deaths for a similar number OF
keel pie in that time would have be
hos from disease. This very RENAL
/ the showing can not of course perm
ettle- " obtain, but it certainly &C
sr Of .a,.o-o that if good care Is taxi