The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1906-08-17
LABOR
FOR BIG DITCH
Government to Employ Chinks on
Isthmus Of Panama.
CLEAR CASE OF NECESSITY
President Decides Upon This Course as
Last Resort--Present Force of
Workmen Inadequate.

A Washington special says: Chi
nese labor will be given a thorough
test on the Panama canal. Contracts
calling for $500 Cinnamon for canal
work have been pl ,.ared, and adver-
tisements will be issued by the 18th
milan Canal Commission in a few
days for proposals from labor agents.
If the initial $500 Cinnamon prove
a success, it is likely that many
more viii be taken to the isthmus
to do the work which is too hard for
the Jamaicans, now employed there
in large numbers.
Organized labor has offered mucn
opposition to the use Of contract Chi
nese labor, but the Jamaican work
men have proven inadequate, sum
Client spaniards cannot be had i'm
mediately to rush the work, and the
Chinese are the last hope Of the com,
mission.
President Roosevelt, Secretary Taft,
Chairman shonts Of the Isthmian Ca
nal Commission and other men, prom
inently identified with the canal work,
are known to have delayed employing
Chinese until it became certain that
the other help available was not
equal to the demand.
The administration has taken the
position that the canal must be dug
at any cost, and although the presi-
dent urged that there be no haste
in employing Chinese he did not STAN
permanently in the way of the plan
to try the coolies.
1t is the intention of the commits
sion to ask for bids from labor agents
who will arrange with the Chinese
government for the expectation Of
labor transport the Chinese to the
isthmus under contract to work for
fixed wage and ship them back to
China, Thus relieving the commits
sion Of all detail work and all re-
sponsibility.
A bond viii be required of all cons
tractors for a satisfactory fulhllment
of any contract they may enter into
with the commission
There are said to be about thirty
labor agencies which supply Chinese
to contractors in all parts Of the
world These agents are familiar with
all the Chinese laws, stand ready to
pay money to the families Of the naen
who are going into their service and
are ready on short notice to meet
demands for an unlimited number Of
coolies
Leroy Park, labor agent in the
employ of the commission is still
in Spain negotiating with the SPAN
ish government for the employment
of large number of peninsular SpaA-
iards on the isthmus His efforts
promise to be successful, AID the
commission expects to recruit MANY
high-grade worldngmen from Spain.
It is the desire of Chief Engipeer Ste
vens to have several kinds /of labor
ers on the isthmus
The employment Of the Chinese will
not displace the Jamalcans who are
already there, but it is not likely
that many more West Indians viii
be hired if the Chinese prove a sue
cess.
The negroes are paid only 80 cents
day against s160 to the spauiards,
who are said to be capable Of doing
three times as much work
IF the contractors obtaining help
for the commission do not pay more
on the ISL rs than the Chinese are
paid in ogher parts of the world, it
Is believed the daily wage Of the
coolies VIII be less than that of the
Jamaicans on the isthmus