Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-04

road offices and drygoods stores In the
states without civil service examinations.
"Of course, these dry goods men ana raii-
way clerks were at once qualified for general
supply office work. Among them was MI.
j. T Griscom, whom Mr.. Tubby appointed
as his chief clerk at a salary OF S3'ooo per
year Mr.. J. s. McIshley was received WITH
open arms at a salary of S2,400 per year.
Mr.. Harry Leonard, | think. a former dry
goods clerk, was Immediately sent TO EN-
pire with the title of general storekeeper'
at a salary of S2,40O a year, Wnlie MI.
Frank Wright chief clerk for Mr.. Burk, al
Mt. Hope. is a happy possessor or an IN
come which amounts to a trif1e more tnah
81 500 a year And we still have Mr.. era
ham as shipping clerk at a salary of S2loo.
II will be remembered that none of these
gentlemen has passed a civil service exam
IL ation while there are hundreds of un-
employed clerks throughout the United
States who are anXiously awaiting the ar
rival of their appointment.
Martinique Women Not Wives
.'Ir regard to the statement relative to
few Martinique women that were sent down
10 the isthmus, wish to say that was In
Colon on the morning of their arrival. ana
/ failed to see the outstretched arms of an
anxious husband greeting any OF this lively
bunch There was a small crowd of them
only amounting to two hundred and eighty
one, which was distributed along the canal
zone In places most needed. If the person
who denied this statement would only ask
for some of our Martinique applications
for service on the canal L am afraid they
would find about S91R per cent of them
marked single A few of our Christobal
boys managed to arrive on the scene about
the time these fair damsels were unloaded
at the steamship docks In Colon, and were
lucky enough, as they term It, to get pick
and choice. During the past year or so
this is not the only bunch that has come
to the isthmus with transportation under
the heading of employees.
Civil Service Affairs
81 think II some of our patriotic fathers
who are interested in the digging of this
canal would Investigate the civil service
commission problem that Is now in exist
ence throughout every department
nected with the isthmian canal commission
they would find that instead of having
donkey skinners and hosting engine men
for locomotive drivers we would have men
who would know an extra from regular
train. | do not hesitate to say that a
mans life whether an employe or pas
senger crossing the isthmus on one of our
fast passenger trains, is in danger at any
moment as the canal tracks intersect with
the Panama Railroad Company at every
point convenient. 1t Is very common oc-
currence for the United States mail train
to be held up in a very abrupt manner by
Jamaica fagman for some little dirt
train which has stood perhaps on the Pan
anna main line for an hour or so trying to
get unloaded. OF course. we cannot ex-
pect our superintendent, Mr. Bierd, to run
the Panama railroad and the canal trains.
but i think 1t would be advisable for the
safety OF our tourists and investigating
committees to get some kind of block sig
nails and not forever be held up by work
trains Fhe standard times used on the
canal tracks differ great deal. and re-
gret to say that the watches of both depart
rpents differ considerably.
while the Panama trains are operated
most any time OF day or night, the canal
employees claim they have all the time
they want. Therefore, / think, If some
standard watch would be used on the canal,
and not the modern Ingersoll or the anx-
ious watch by the employees for the COM
ing of the head of the department, think
that the canal trains could be operated
more successfully and without SO much
delay TO the traffic.
''The locomotives. which amount to sew
eral hundred. that were ordered for the
canal commission, were the most success
full failures that l saw. And l can
not see why our purchasing agent here IN
the United States should be compelled to
pay a trihe over half the actual value for
these locomotives to have them recon-
structed. To my surprise / found that To-
comotives being shipped to the Panama
railroad and the isthmian canal commits
sion were something of our modern trans
Siberian type, with their modern sweat
boxes for cabs TO be used for the comfort
of the engineer and fremen In the tropics.
The Labor Problem.
II can say as mechanic of eleven years
experience on the best trunk lines in Mex
leo and In the United States that the an
swer 10 the labor problem which Mr.. Stew
ems claims now confronts the canal COM
mission is to cut out the blacklist system
on the canal, give the mechanics a show to
work for their transportation should they
be discharged, and not allow them to lay
In the lumber yards at Colon as one mould
er did and die for the want OF attention
when overcome by the fever, which most
every one has when on the isthmus. Give
them a laboring mans show. live up to
the commissions contract in every respect,
and think that the labor proposition will
be AN easy problem for Mr.. Stevens to
solve.
II do not make this statement through
any disrespect for the chief engineer of the
canal. but l simply say that which is justly
due the commission to know.
II make these statements not from one
months experience on the sthmus or from
the general talk among the employees, but
l make them from figures taken from the
books of the material and supply depart.
naent and from several months hard labor
and actual experience for the canal CONS
mission on the isthmuS"