The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-05-25
YANKEE AND FRENcHMAN.
Their Differing Methods of Labor, as the
Panama Canal Reveals Them,

M ~ h&iudltstliA titbOlSi WHO fiaH NbihcdAii
! the Canal zone under both The French
/, and the Americans gfYes al interesting
lcomparison ofNthe two systems.
Tle French did moi pay a. much
wages as the Americans, but living was
! cheaper. Then laborers got sixty cents
a day; now they get eighty cents.
| Under the French there We're q lot OF
market gardens. The Americans exclude
| them from the zone and they 20 into
the bush. Pork was 1915 cents d pound
then; now it ii Is cents. Fresh beef
was 1873 cents; now Il Is 20 cents.
| UnCer French rule tile men worked
ten hours il day. Nov they work eight
| but much harder, and there il no chance
10 make more money by task work
| Under the French we could take work
by contract. and two men, working to-
lgetler, could make So IN fortniahts
IThe blacks had more chance Of promo
/ ton then, too.
There is not SO much sickness as IN
French times The best thing the AM
ericaus have done Is Ia stop bad Ian
guage and gambling There II d big tine'
and prison for gambling.
In. the French days there used to be
cock fighting and drinking and shooting
and dancing al The time. Now 1t is all
lstopped. Ii man shoots OF u gun
now the police catch him and jerk him
lup to the prison 80 fast that his feet
don't have II Chance 10 touch the ground.
In Jamaica we used To have a baiTis-
ter and good long trial. In tie Canal
zone you have no barrister. You just
come before Judge and he shouts out:
You're right, you're right a you're
wrong. you're wrong and that is alt
there u to ii.
The i.orlAnen are more afraid Of the
Americans than OF the French The
French talked much and went this way
| {gesticnIating). The Americans keep
very quiet until they Get yexed and then
they make things stand around. They've
got IL, to get things done.
The Americans are too much Of schem-
ers to waste time or money. There are
no loaiing Jobs now. such as there used
70 be. II is like running a race all the
time. You don't mind it for day,
but You can't keep it up.
Nobody can stay in one Of the COM
mission buildings after seven a. m. I'M
less he II sick. The Waterman goes
around then, and ii he catches man
there it means a fine Of So or three
days pay. At eleven the men can come
back and Get dinner, then they have to
leave for work from one to five again.
Ii a man is sick he goes 20 the doctor
and gets paper 70 show TO the witch
man. If lie isn't sick and wants 10 get
oil be has 10 hide in the woods or lie
around a China shop (a saloou). The
China shops ought TO be shut up, at
least on sundays.
a man must be in his place ready for
work the first thing in the morning, tool
in laisd, and when Che whistle blows ii
| is "all right, boys and on II goes. The
ltimekeeper comes around every two
hours, making dot IN his little hook
every time: lear dets9mabei days
work.
Fer tie last six months have been
working on the new buildings here. J.
can do any carpenter work, from franz
ing TO finishing. HE bosses OF tie car.
pointers arc all,lind gentlemen. Nome Of
EN- treat me bad. Carpenters get 20 to
Is cents an hou.
About the best way u 10 get la
maiea woman tc keep house ior you.
You pay her $40 to SIP when tie pay
car comes around eyefy fortnight, and
hny her dresses and things
Some oi tl.e woinen don't know how
IL cooiS They juse Ok up some little
fpolishncss fisIi hal!s and tie like Of
that "A man can't work on such stufI
The |. &C. (Isthmian Canal tominis-
| stony Is serving rosses NOW at 20 cents
IA day, but they don't give the men what
they want Things don't taste right;
they cook The life out Of Il.
some Janaciaps don't ike rice and
WON'T cat potatoes. u makes the men
discouraged. not getting their rag when
they Want IL Pay day Is irregular, al
ways Two weeks behind, sometimes
mora.
There Is no ptiyacy or quiet in the
Iold bachelor buildings, tlliiig OF forty
| III i rooim Soue al tie men ATE noisy
at night and have no sense Of decency,
There ought 10 De co,s instead 81
hunks on Tho sides. where che men have
Ia Sheep on top Of eacE otheg Tho bath.
rooms arc good md nost Of The menuse
[ them,--Ihc Independent. ss