The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1906-12-18

provided. But in this very settlement
the frames of the bath houses are al
ready up. and in every case the ut
most effort is being made to provide
the wooden walks. OF course, in some
of the newest camps tents are used
pending the building of houses. Where
possible, | think detached houses
would be preferable to the semide-
tached houses now in general use.
Unjust Criticism
Care and forethought nave been ex-
ercised by the Commission, and no
thing has reflected more credit pom
them than their refusal either to go
ahead too fast or to be deferred by
the fear of criticism from not going
ahead fast enough. 1t is curious to
note the fact that many of the most
severe critics of the Commission crit
cize them for precisely opposite rea-
sons, some complaining bitterly that
the work is mo- in a more advanced
condition, while the others complain
that it has been rushed with such
haste that there has been insufficient
preparation for the hygiene and COM
fort of employees. AS a matter of fact
neither criticism is just. 1t would
have cen impossible to go quicker
than the Commission has gone, for
such q%uickness would have meant in
sufficient preparation. On the other
hand, to refuse to do anything until
every possible future contingency mad
been met would have caused wholly
u~nwarranted delay. The right course
tt follow was exactly the course winch
has been followed. Every reasonable
preparation was made in advance, the
hygienic conditions in especial being
made as nearly perfect as possible;
While on the other nan there "a
been no timid refusal to push for
ward the work because of inability to
anticipate every possible emergency,
for, of course, many defects can only
be shown by the working of the sys-
TEN in actual practice.
In addition to attending to the
health of the employees, it is of
course necessary to provide for polio
ing the Zone. This is done by a po-
lice force which at present numbers
over 200 men, under Captain Stanton.
About one-fifth of the men are white
and the others black. In different
places l questioned some twenty or
thirty of these men, taking them at
random. They were a fine set, psy-
sically and in discipline. With one
exception all the white men I question
ed had served in the American Army,
usually in the Philippines, and belong
ed to the best type of American sol
der. Without exception the black
policemen whom l questioned a
either in the British army or
in the Jamaica Or arbad police.
They were evidently ~contented ant
were doing their work well. Where
possible the policemen are used to
g ~s- @@1o, h,&
in any emergency no hesitation is felt
in using them Unfortunately.
Inasmuch as so many both of the
and colored employees have
brought their families with them,
schools have been established, the
school service being under Mr.. O'Col
nor. For the white pupils white
teachers are employed; for
the colored pupils there are also some
American teachers, one Span
teacher, and one colored American
teacher, most of them being colored
teachers from Jamaica, Barbados, and
st. Lucia. The schoolrooms were
good, and it was a pleasant thing to
see the pride that the teachers were
taking il their work their pupils.
There seemed to me to be too ma
ny saloons in the Zone; but the new
~high-licease law which goes into eff
feet on January 1 next will probably
close four-fiftns of them. Resolute
and successful efforts are being made
to minimize and control the sale of
liquor.
Care of Employees.
Next in Importance to the problem
of sanitation, and indeed now of
equal Importance, is the problem of
securing and caring for the mechan-
les, laborers, N other employees
who actually do the work or the ca
nal and the railroad. This great task
has been under the control of Mr..
Jackson Smith, and on h whole a
well done. At present there are
some six thousand white and some
10000 colored employees on the
places where the different kinds of
1 saw representatives of every type
both at their work and in their
homes; and l conversed with proba-
bly, two hundred of them all told,
choosing them at random from every
class and including those who came
to present certain griev-
ances. found that hose wlo did
not come specifically to present griev-
ances almost invariably exprest far
greater content and satisfaction with
the conditions thar did those VINO call
to make complaint.
Nearly 5000 of the white employ
ees had come from the United States.
No nan can see these young, vigor-
Gus men energetically doing their
duty without a thrill of pride in them
as Americans. They represent on the
average a nigh class. Doubtless to
Congress the wages paid them will
high, but as a matter of fact