The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1906-12-21
PRESIDENTS PANAMA
!. CANAL MESSAGE.

President Roosevelt transmitted tt
congress a special message giving the
results of his observations during his
recent inspection of the Panama cana
work and his recommendations there
on. The message was accompanied by
photographs taken on the isthmus and
by various official reports, mortality
tables, etc.
Beginning with his arrival at Colon
on the battleship Louisiana at 2:30
p. m. Wednesday, Nov. IA, the presi-
dent says:
l was three days ashore-not a suf-
ficient length Of time to allow of an
exhaustive investigation Of the mi
nutiae of the work of any single de-
partment, still less to pass judgment on
the engineering problems, but enough
to enable me to get clear idea of the
salient features of the great work and
of the progress that has been made as
regards the sanitation of the zone,
Colon and Panama, the caring for and
housing of the employees and the ac-
tual digging Of the canal. The zone Is
narrow strip Of land, and it can be
inspected much as one can inspect fifty
or sixty miles of a great railroad at
the point where it runs through noun
tains.
l chose the month of November for
my visit partly because 1t is the rain
Test month of the year, the month in
which the work goes forward at the
greatest disadvantage and one of the
two months which the French Canal
company found most unhealthy.
Immediately after we anchored there
was a violent storm of wind and rain.
From that time we did not again see
the sun until Saturday morning. 1t
would have been impossible to see the
work going on under more unfavorable
weather conditions.
First Day Ashore.
On Thursday morning we landed at
about half past and went slowly over
the line Of the Panama railway, end
ing with an expedition in tug at the
Pacific entrance Of the canal out to the
islands where the dredging for the
canal will cease. We took our dinner
at one Of the eating houses furnished |
by the commission for the use of the |
government employees, no warning of
our coming being given. l inspected |
the Ancon hospital, going through va
rious wards both for white patients
and for colored patients. l inspected |
PORTIONS Of the zone police, examining |
the Il Yen Individually. also examined |
certain of the schools and saw the
school children, both white and col
ored{ speaking with certain Of the
teachers. In the afternoon Of this day
was formally received in Panama by
President Amador, who, together with
the government and all the people of
Panama, treated me with the most
considerate courtesy, for which here
by extend my most earnest thanks. l
was driven through Panama and In a
public square was formally received
-zff NM welcomed by the r~esldent ana
other members of the government, and
in the evening l attended a dinner |
given by the president and reception, |
which was also a government func- |
ton. l also drove through the streets |
of Panama for the purpose of observ-
ing what had been done. We lept at
the Hotel Tivol, at Ancon, which is
on a hill directly outside Of the city
of Panama, but in the zone.
Second Day.
On Friday morning we left the hotel
at 7 o'clock and spent the entire day |
going through the Culebra cut, the /
spot in which most work will have to /
be done in any event. We watched ]
the different steam shovels working
we saw the drilling and blasting; we
saw many of the dirt trains (of the two
different types used, both carrying |
the earth away from the steam shov-
els and depositing it on the dumps |
some of the dumps being run out in |
the jungle merely to get rid Of the
earth, while in other cases they are be- |
ing used for double tracking the rail |
way and in preparing to build the |
great dams. l visited many different |
villages, inspecting thoroughly many |
different buildings, the local receiving
hospitals, the houses in which the IN
married white workmen live, those in |
which the unmarried colored work
men live; also the quarters of the
white married employees and Of the
married colored employees as well as
the commissary stores, the lighthouses,
the water closets, the cook sheds for
the colored laborers and the govern
ment canteens, or hotels, at which
most of the white employees take their
meals. l went through the machine
-, 7 Ali i
superintendent and heads of depart
ments, divisions and bureaus, steam
shovel men, machinists, conductors, en-
gineers, clerks wives of the American
employees, health officers, colored la
Iborers, colored attendants and man
ayers of the commissary stores. In
the evening l had an interview with /
the British consul, Mr.. Mallet, and the
French consul, Mr.. Gey. l saw the
lieutenants, the chief executive and ad-
ministrative officers under the en-
cheering and sanitary departments.
1 also saw and had long talks with
two deputations-one Of machinists and
one representing the railway men of
the dirt misunderstanding to what they
had to say as to the rate of pay and
various other matters and going over
as much in detail as possible all the
different questions they brought up.
As to some matters l was able to meet
their wishes; other requests refused;
as to yet others reserved Judgment.
Third Day.
On Saturday morning we started at
8 O'Clock. from the hotel. We went
through the Cnlebra CUT stopping on