Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1906-12-18

REPLY TO CRITIC.
Comes Out Boldly in D.
Tense Of Canal Com
mi sion


November. he sad, because it is tho |
rainiest OF The year and the ono IL
which the work OF digging the cara
goes on at the greatest disadvantage
He says:
This country has never made a bet
ter investment than the S40.0OO,Jo
which II paid to the French Compaa.
for work and betterments, includin
especially the Panama railroad.
An inspection on the ground 1T tn
height of the rainy season served to
convince me Of the wisdom OF Con-
gress in refusing to adopt either 2
high-level cr a sea-level canal. Their
seems to he a universal agreement
among all people competent to judgr
that the aPnama route. the one actual
chosen. is much superior TO both IN
Nicaragua ard Darien routes.
The wisdom Of the canal managsme
has been shown in nothing more ciear.,
than in the way In which the founda
tions OF the work have been laid IT.
have yielded to the natural impatience
OF ill-informed outsiders and begun al
kinds Of experiments in work prior 10
a thoro sanitation Of the Isthmus, and
to fairly satisfactory working out Of
the problem Of getting and keeping
labor supply, would have been disas.
trous.
The Isthmus has been q byword 70
deadly unhealthfulness Now. aftf
two years OF our occupation. the cor
ditions as regards sickness and IT,
death rate compare favorably WI
reasonably Healthy localities III IL
mosquito-and this not OF the danger
Gus specles-was seen by any menb
Of our party during my three days @
the Isthmus.
REMEDYlNG ALL EVILS
I was struck by the fact that in a
most every instance where a complain
was made which proved to have an
justification whatever II appeared chs
steps had already been taken to rem
edy the evil complained of.
Care AMI forethought have been e.
erc'sed by tho commission. and nothir
has reflected more credit upon thci
than their refusal either to go abe.
too fast or to be deferred by the feo
Of crit cism from not going ahead fas
enough.
There seems to me to be too man
saloons I'm the Zone; but the new high
license law. which goes into effect o.
January i next. will probably clos
four ffths of them. Resolute and sic
cessful efforts are being made to mini
mize and control Of the sale Of liquor
append figures OF the wages paid
] employees. so that the Congress car
Judge the matter for itself. Later !
shall confer On the subject with certain
representative labor mon here in tbs
United States. as well as going over
with Mr.. Stevens the comparative
} wagesfpaid on the zone-Hnd at home
land I may then communicate my find
lngs TO the canal committees OF the two
houses.
The married men ate al
home The unmarried men sometimes
te at private boarding-houses or pri'
J rate messes. but more often, judgin
q 1y The answers OF those whom I III go
. eoned, at the government cantecus o
hotels, where tn meals costs 3o cent.
. 20 each cnploye This 30-cent uet
truck me as hens ne good % meal a.
, ve set in i1e united states at tae or
I binary hotel in which a 5o-cent mea
Is provided. I came to III
conclusion that. speaking generally
, there was no warrant for Complaint
about the food.
r CHINESE FOR THE WORK
: oar business is to dig tn,
canal as efficiently and as quickly a.
! possible, provided always that nothing
e is done that Is inhumane to any labor.
D ers. and nothing that interferes will
{ The .aages or lowers the standard o
0 living OF our own workmen. Havin;
4 in view this principle, I have arranged
D TO try several thousand Chinese labo-
ers. This IS desirable both because w
must try 10 md out what laborers ar
!. most efficient and because We SHOULD
4 not leave ourselves at the mercy Of an,
1 one type of foreign labor
There will now and then be short
y comings in administration; there vii
p, be unlooSt-for accidents to delay III
excavation OF the cut or the buildinl
Of the dams and locks.
There remains an immense amour
, Of as reckless SANDER as has ever beef
!. published. Where the slanderers are o
foreign origin, have no concern witt
them. Where they are Americans,
feel for them the heartiest contemo
and Indignation. because. in a spirit o
wanton dishonesty and malice. they ar
trying to interfere with and hampe
4 the execution OF the greatest work o
s the kind ever attempted and are seek
;. ing to bring to naught the efforts 0
e their countrymen TO put TO the credi
d OF America one OF the giant felts o
/. the ages.
Q The outrageous accusations OF thes
n slanderers constitute a gross libel upol
. a body OF Public servants who, 60
trained intelligence. expert ability
e high character and devotion to duty
l. have never been excelled anywhere
4 There is not man among those direct
y ing the work on the 1sthmus who Ia
j, obtained his position on any other basi
than merit alone. and not one who ha
used his position in any way for hi
own personal or pecuniary advantage.
BADGES FOR AMERICANS
Under Mr.. shonts and Mr. Steven
and DR.. Gorgss this work has starte
with every omen Of good fortune. The
4 and their worthy associates, from IN
! highest to the lowest. are entitled t
the same credit that we would give {
d. the picked men of a victorious army
/ for this conquest OF peace will. in it
great and far-reaching effect, stand a
among the very greatest conquests
whether Of peace or Of war, which hav
4, ever been won by any OF the people o
! mankind.
A hadra IS TO be given to ever