Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-12-19

States. The American Wage-WOTherS
on the isthmus are the highly paid
skilled mechanics of the types men
toned previously. A steady effort Is
being made to secure Italians, and
especially to procure more Spaniards,
because of the very satisfactory re-
suits that have come from their en-
ployment; and their numbers will be
increased as far as possible. II has
not proved possible, however, to get
them in anything like the numbers
needed for the work, and from pres
ent appearances we shall in the main
have to rely for the ordinary unskilled
work partly upon colored laborers
from the West Indies, partly upon
Chinese labor. 1t certainly ought to
be unnecessary to point out that the
American workingman in the United
States has no concern whatever In the
question as to whether the rough work
on the isthmus, which is performed by
aliens in any event, is done by aliens
from one country with black skin
or by aliens from another country with
the canal as efficiently and as quickly
as possible; provided always that
nothing is done that is inhumane to
any laborers, and nothing that inter
feres with the wages of or lowers the
standard of living of our own work
men. Having in view this principle,
| have arranged to try several thou
sand Chinese laborers. This is de-
sirable both because we must try to
find out what laborers are most ef-
ficient, and, furthermore, because We
should not leave ourselves at the mer-
cy of any one type of foreign labor.
At present the great bulk of the un-
skilled labor on the isthmus is done
by West India negroes, chiefly from
Jamaica, Barbados and the other
English possessions. One Of the gov
ernors of the lands in question has
shown an unfriendly disposition to our
work, and has thrown obstacles in the
way of our getting the labor needed;
and 1t is highly undesirable to give
any outsiders the impression, however
i'll founded, that they are indispensa-
BILE and can dictate terms to US. The
West India laborers are fairly, but
only fairly, satisfactory. Thousands
of those who are brought over under
contract Cat our expense) go off into
the Jungle to live, or loaf around Co.
lon, or work SO badly after the first
three or four days as to cause seri-
Gus elimination of the amount Of Ia
Dor performed on Friday and Saturday
of each week Not only were the
quarters in which these negro laborers
were living much superior to those in
which ] am informed they live a:
home, but they were much superior to
the huts to be seen in the jungles OF
Panama ITSELF beside the railroad
| tracks, in which the lower class of
native Panamans live, as we'll as the
negro workmen when they leave the
employ of the canal and 60 into the
| jungles. The negroes generally do
their own cooking, the bachelors cook
| ing in sheds provided by the govern
ment and using their own pots. In
the different camps there was wide
variation in the character of these
cooking sheds. In some, where the
camps were completed, the kitchen OF
cooking sheds, as well as the bath
rooms and water-closets, were all in
excellent trim, while there were board
sidewalks leading from building to
building. In other camps the kitchens
or cook sheds had not been floored
and the sidewalks had not been put
down, while in one camp the bath
houses were not yet up. In each case
however, every effort was being made
to hurry on the construction, and
do not believe that the delays had
been greater than were inevitable in
such work.
/ had an interview with Mr.. Mallet
the British consul, to find out if there
was any just cause for complaint as tC
the treatment of the West India ne
groes He informed me most emphat
ically that there was not, and author
| licity. He said that not only. was the
condition of the laborers far better
than had been the case under the old
French company, but that year by
year the condition was improving I'M
| der our own regime. He stated that
complaints were continually brought
to him, and that he always investigat
| ed them; and that for the last six
months he had failed to find single
complaint of serious nature that con
tanned any justification whatever.
Recreation and Amusement.
One of the greatest needs at present
is to provide amusements both for
the white men and the black. The
Young Mems Christian association is
trying to do good work and should be
in every way encouraged. But the
government should do the main work
have specifically called the attention
Of the commission to this matter, and
something has been accomplished al
ready. Anything done for the welfare
of the men adds to their efficiency and
money devoted to that purpose is
therefore properly to be considered as
spent in building the canal. II is i'm.
peratively necessary to provide ample
recreation and amusement II the men
are to be kept well and healthy.
call the special attention Of congress
to this need.