Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-08-11
Chinese Labor Will Be Tried
Upon the Isthmus in Dig
ging the Big Ditch
TO EXPERIMENT WITH $500
If They Prove a Success More Will
be Employed at once-other Help
Has Been Tried and Found Wanting
-Jamaicans and spanards are Not
Proving Great Success.

| Washington Aug 11.-Chinese labor
may become great factor in the
building of the Panama canal. The
| government has decided to give the
| Cinnamon thorough test. Contracts
calling for $500 of them for canal
work have been prepared and adver-
| tisements will be issued by the 18TH
milan canal commission in few days
asking for proposals from labor agents.
| II the initial $500 Cinnamon prove
a success it is likely that many more
| will be taken to the isthmus to do the
work, which is too hard for the ia
macians now employed there in large
numbers.
| Organized labor has offered much
csc labor, but the Jamaican workmen
have proved inadequate, sufficient
| Spaniards can not be had Immediately
TO rush the work and the Chinese are
the last hope of the commission.
Other Help Found Wanting.
| President Roosevelt, Secretary Taft,
Chairman Shonts Of the isthmian ca
nal commission, and other men prom
5nently identified with the canal work
are known to have delayed employing
| Chinese until it became evident that
| the other help available was not equal
| to the demands. The administration
!! has taken the position that the canal
must be dug at any cost, and altho
| the president urged that there be no
haste in employing Chinese he did not
stand permanently in the way Of the
| plan to try the coolies.
| 1t is the intention of the commission
| to ask for bids from labor agents, who
| will arrange with the Chinese govern
ment for the expectation Of labor,
transport the Chinese to the isthmus
| under contract to work for a fixed
| wage and ship them back to China,
thus relieving the commission Of all
detail work and all responsibility. A
bond will be required Of all contrac-
tors for satisfactory fulfllment of
/ any contract they may enter into with
| the commission.
Agencies Can Supply Men.
There are said to be about thirty
labor agencies which supply Chinese to
CONTAGIOUS III ltdl Us vi lue WI H.
These agents are familiar with all the
Chinese laws, stand ready to pay mon
ey to the families o. men who are go
ing into their service and are ready on
short notice to mees demands for an
unlimited number of coolies.
Leroy Park, labor agent I'M the en-
ploy of the commission, is still in Spain
negotiating with the Spanish govern
ment for the employment of large
number Of peninsular Spaniards on the
isthmus. His efforts promise to be sue
cessful and the commission expects to
recruit many high grade workingmen
from Spain. 1t is the desire of Chief
Engineer Stevens to have several kinds
of laborers on the isthmus
Jamaicans to BE Returned.
The employment of Chinese will not
displace the Jamaicars who are already
there, but it is not likely that many
more West Indian negroes will be
hired if the Chinese prove a success.
The negroes are paid only 80 cents
a day, as against $3.50 to the Span
iards, who are said to be capable of
| doing three times as much work.
If the contractors obtaining help for
the commission do not pay more on
the isthmus than Chinese are paid in
other parts of the world it is believed
the daily wage of the coolies will be
less than of the Jan.alcans on the is
thmus