Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-06
At THE WHITE HOUSE
Mr.. ]. B. Harris Calls on the
President.
HIS OPINION AS TO LABOR
jamaican Negroes the Most Worthless
of All Laborers.
PROPOSITION TO MIR. SH0NTS
Will Furnish All the Common Labor
Needed at 81 Gold Per
Day.

A man who has built more miles of rail-
road than any human being in the world
and who Is said to have had greater
perience in handling labor of all kinds than
any other man, called on President Roose-
welt today. He is ]. B. Harris of Munro
via. Cal, and he was presented by Repre-
sentative McLachlan of that state.
Mr.. Harris gives 1t his opinion that
the most worthless OF all laborers are the
Jamaica negroes, who are now being used
on the canal Mr. Harris has given to Pres
ident Roosevelt and Chairman Shonts of
the canal commission his views that the
best labor in the world Is that of Mexico
and Central America, which has heretofore
been regarded as the least satisfactory. The
experience OF Mr.. Harris, however, has
been so widespread that his views GER
tain to command respect. En- a communi-
cation to Chairman Shonts and in talk
today with a Star representative Mr.. Har-
ris said:
Mr. Harris Statement.
THE natives of Mexico and Central Amer
lea are law-abiding and Industrious, healthy,
strong physically, obedient. quiet, easily
managed. efficient and reliable in every
way. They are difficult of approach, dis
trustful of strangers, and 1t is hard to gain
their confidence, but they are loyal and
faithful in friendship when they know
man. As laborers they usually build their
OWA UOIHeS ana IuFnlSn lnelF own 1000. L
built the Jackson and Great Northern rail
road with negroes of that vicinity. | built
portions of the Central Pacific, Northern
Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads with
Chinese labor ! built the Havana and Ma
tanzas railroad, on the Island Of Cuba. with
native negroes. l superintended all the
work that was done by the Maritime Canal
Company in Nicaragua, using Jamaica ne
groes. built the Guatemala Central rail-
road from the coast to the capital, over the
Cordiileras, with the native labor of Mexico
and Central America.
My experience Is that the Jamaica and
west India Island negroes are the most in
different, unreliable and worthless of all
men that l have ever worked, and the ma
tives Of Central America and Mexico the
best"
Proposition to Chairman Shonts.
MIR. Harris then makes a proposition to
Chairman Shonts that is of deep interest
1t is as follows: II will furnish you all the
common labor you require in building the
Panama canal under the following guaran-
teed conditions: Wages not less than 81
gold per day, paid weekly Houses with
Water-tight roof. Food consisting mostly
of corn beans and pork, sold at reasonable
price or the men to have the right of i'm
porting the same. Ordinary police protec-
tion. Permission to bring their families or
leave to visit their families. They are
mostly married men with families For
myself expect reasonable remunera ton
also to be properly accredited. that 1 may
stand well with the government that NAV
be able to lead men out of their country
and away from their homes"
Other Callers.
Representative Burke of PENNSYLVANIA
presented to the President James w. War
drop and Mr.. Moore, a committee of the
Merchants and Manufacturers Association
of Pittsburg. They invited the President
TO attend a dinner of the association i'm
honor of Lincon's birthday in April The
President said he would not he able tn
attend.
Charles W. Anderson, the coIored colIec-
tor of internal revenue of the second dis
trict of New York, and Emmett j. Scott
private secretary to Booker L WASHINGTON
spent considerable time with the President
discussing matters bearing upon the negro
people and some appointments and reap
pofntments of colored men who hold places
in the government.
The President Cannot Interfere.
A petition has been received at the White
House from the Susan B. Anthony Club of
Cincinnati, Ohio, asking the President to
intercede in behalf of Antoinetta Tolla of
Hackensack, n. j., who is under sentence
to hang on January II for the murder of a
young Italian, who, it is said attempted
to enter her home last summer The perti
nent question is asked: Can a woman be
hung in New Jersey for defending her
honor in her own homer
The President has no authority to inter-
fere in this case, and he Will not do so
This case is similar to the Howard case in
Kentucky An effort was made in Ken
lucky to secure presidential Interference
but it was announced at the White House
that the President did not Interfere in
state cases.
The lack of authority to interfere does
not preclude the President from making
request for executive clemency. This has
been done occasionally. Yesterday the
President wrote the governor of Colorado
asking an investigation in the case of C. c.
Waggoner the ex-Rough Rider under SEN
tence for taking a neighbours team to go to
the rescue of his daughter who was in
trouble.