The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-20

ated-ADOut ts,OVD wen EInpiOyeu.
WASHINGTON, Dec. i0.-In his annual
report to the Secretary of War for the
wear ended December I, Chairman Shonts
Of the lshtmian Canal Commission says
that the engineering work Of the year has
teen almost entirely preparatory. This
ne attributes to the fact that the delay
in deciding what type Of canal TO build
made IL impossible 10 locate permanent
and we'll arranged dumping grounds for
the disposal of waste material. Despite
this delay, however, 1880, 900 cubic yards
has been excavated from the canal prism,
as against 742 900 for the previous year.
Last September there were available for
work a total force of forty six steam shovels.
Says MIR. Shonts:
During the year the first stage OF canal
work, that of preparation, has virtually
feen PASSED and the commission finds itself
in position to enter upon the second stage,
that Of actual construction of a lock canal
AZ an elevation of eighty-five feet Authorized
hvCongress ine une last. or these two stages
the first was at once the more difficult and
the more important. II not done thoroughly
and intelligently in every part the actual
work of construction would be handicapped
from the start. II was necessary, as in the
launching of any great enterprise, to create
an organization with which to work. 1t
was necessary also TO make the Isthmus
by thorough sanitation a healthful place
in which to work; to provide suitable quar-
tiers and food for employees; to construct
proper terminal yards and railway tracks
and intermediate yards for the handling
Of the vast quantities of materials and
supplies; to install a system Of railway
tracks through the cuts; to put the various
levels in the cut in proper condition for
the installation and operation Of the maxi
mum number Of steam shovels; to purchase
and assemble the plant for constructing
the canal; to work out all engineering prob
lens, to perfect a government and create
a system of accounts, and to formulate
a preliminary plan for carrying forward
the work in each department.
Ofthe health of the Canal Zone Mr.. Shonts
has this TO say;
The most serious problem that con-
fronted the health department when il
was organized two years ago was the elimi-
nation Of yellow fever, which had been an
important factor in the failure OF the French
company and was regarded a. one Of the
most formidable obstacles TO American
SUCCESS. lie ODbldClc OctH NOut-
pletely removed. Although there has
never been so large a number OF nom
immunes on the Isthmus as during the
past year, there has not been a single we'll
authenticated case Of yellow fever during
that period.
The average daily sick rate among
employees OF the commission during the
ten months from January 1, 1906, to October
81, 1905, was twenty-eight per thousand,
which is no higher than might be expected
in an equal body OF laborers engaged in
construction work in any part Of the world.
Dhring the same period the death rate
among the whites was about seventeen
and one-half per thousand, and among
the blacks nearly tfty-three per thousand.
II is a rather remarkable fact that among
the 1000 Americans on the Isthmus a death
from disease did not occur from August
! 10 October 81"
The commission now has quarters for all
lts bachelor employees and in addition has
quarters for 375 families. But there are
now about 1900 American women and
children on the Isthmus. Hotels and mess
houses are established along the line Of the
canal where good food is sold at cost.
Authority has been given by the commits
sion for the construction OF "A suitable num-
her of appropriate buildings to accommo-
Gate properly those who wish to attend
religious services, such buildings to he
available for all denominations and creeds.
II is contemplated to erect at such points
a. necessities seem to require PLAIN two
stored buildings, the upper floors TO he
fitted up as lodge rooms Tor the various
orders and societies formed. or to be formed,
among the employees, and the first floors
to he used for religious services.
The force now available for the task OF
making the dirt fly is thus described:
In November, 1905, the commissions
employees numbered approximately 1900,
and in November, 1906, the number was
practically the same. OF these, 1882 were
under the department of construction and
engineering, l,l29 under the division OF
material and supplies, 2,2sl under the de-
partment of government and sanitation and
1877 in the auditing and disbursing Offices.
"Of the II 900 men, about 800 were on
the gold rolls, virtually all white Americans,
and 10 800 on the silver rolls, mainly aliens.
This number does not include 400 people
employed on the Panama Railroad
The Commission hits negro labor a hard
rap by saying:
Another years experience with negro
laborers from nearby tropical islands and
countries has convinced the commission
Of the imp~osSbility of doing satisfactory
work with them. Not only do they seem
b he disqualified by lack of actual vitality,
but their disposition to labor seems to be
as lTdu as tneT DOuly eJTenkLu. rev OF
them are steady workers. The majority Of
them work just long enough to get money
to supply their actual bodily necessities,
with the result that while the commission
Is quartering and caring for about $4,000
men the daily effective force il many thou
sands less. Many of them settle in the jungle,
building little shacks, raising enough TO
keep them alive and working only a day or
two occasionally as they see fit
The 800 laborers from northern Spain, on
the contrary, ave lone e cellent service,
and not one has died of disease. They get
40 cents an hour in silver. They are more
efficient and stand the climate better than
the negroes. The chief engineer il con
vlnst by this experiment that amy white
man, so-called, under the same conditions
Will flnd the climate on the Isthmus very
much better than the blacks, who are sup
posetto he immune from practically every
uhlng, but who as a matter OF fact are
suhler TO almost everything
Panana's water system is now complete
and sos the city's sewer system, while the
prlncipd streets have been paved with
brick. 1T il believed says Mr.. Shonts,
that III city of Panama is to-day the best
paved, tie best watered and the best severed
city in central America, or in the northern
hall Of puth America"
The t1al amount OF purchases for the
year enbd June 10 WAS Is. 7A3. 1R2 .O3. The