Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-12-18

he american WaSeWOrkerS on the
isthmus are the highly paid skilled me-
ehanics. A steady effort is being made
to secure Italians and especially to
procure more Spaniards. 1t has not
proved possible, however to get them
in anything like the numbers needed
for the work. and from present ap-
pearances we shall in the main have
TO rely for the ordinary unskilled work
partly upon colOred laborerS from the
West Indies. partly upon Chinese la
Dor. 1t certainly ought to be unneces-
sary 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 with
black skin or by aliens with a vel
low skin. Our business Is to dig the
canal as efficiently and as quickly as
Is done that is inhumane to any labor
ers and nothing that interferes with
the wages of or lowers the standard OF
living Of our own wOrkmen. Having
In view this principle. l have arranged
to try several thousand Chinese labor
ers This Is desirable both because we
must try to find out what laborers are
most efficient and. furthermore. be-
cause we should not leave ourselves at
the mercy of any one type Of foreign
labor.
Negro Laborers and Their Quarter.
The West India labOrers are fairly.
but only fairly satisfactory. Some Of
the men do very well indeed. The bet
ter class, who are to be found as fore
men, as skilled mechanics. as police
men. are good men. and many of the
ordinary day labOrers are also good.
But thousands of those who are
brought over under contract (at our ex-
pense) go off into the jungle TO live
or loaf around Colon or work SO badly
after the first three or four days as to
cause serious diminution Of the
amount of labor performed Oh Friday
and Saturday Of each week.
One Of the greatest needs is to pro
vide amuspnrntS both for white men
and black The Young Mems Christian
association is dOin;, good work and
should be encourage l. but the govern
mnnt should do the main work. Any
thing done for the welfare Of the men
adds 10 their efficiency. and money de
voted to that purpose is therefore prop
l,.. r Inn
ing the canal call the special atten-
ton OF congress to this need.
This gathering. distributing and car
Ing for the great force Of labOrers are
among the giant features OF the work.
The astonishing thing Is that the work
/ has been performed so well and that
|; the machiRery runs so. smoothly. From
my own experiences am able to say
that more care has been exercised in
housing, feeding and generally paying
heed to the needs Of the skilled me,
chanics and ordinary laborers in the
/ work on this canal.' than Isl the case
in the construction of new railroads or
gin any other similar private or public
Ework in the United States proper.
The Work of Construction. /.
There remains to consider the actual
/ work for which these laborers are
/ gathered together. This is under the
direct control Of Chief Engineer Ste
vens. who has already shown admirable
results and whom we can safely trust
to achieve similar results in the future.
The three big problems Of the canal
are the La Boca dams, the Gatun dam
and the Culebra cut
In Culebra Cut.
The main work is now being done in
the Culebrn cut. 1t was striking and
impressive to see the huge steam shOv-
els in full play. the dumping trains
carrying away the rock and earth they
dislodged. The implements Of French
excavating machinery, though of eX-
cellent construction, look like the veri-
est toys when compared with these
new steam shovels, just as the French
dumping ears seem like toy cars when
| compared with the long trains Of huge
cars dumped by steam plows which
dLc uOW III use. lilo IcpIcScuVo Luc
enormous advance that has been made
in machinery during the past quarter
| century. The old French cars had to
be entirely discarded. The new cars
hold from twenty-five to thirty yards
| apiece, and instead Of the old clumsy
methods of unloading them a steam
pillow is drawn from end to end of the
whole vestibuled train. immensely
economizlng lpbOr.
AS soon as the type Of canal was de-
clded this work began in good earnest.
The rainy season will shortly be over.
| and then there will be an immense In
crease In the amount taken out, but
| even during the last three months
steady progress is shown by the fig
ures: In August. 242.OOO cubic yards:
in September. 29l 900 cubic yards, and
in October. 325. 600 cubic yards hope
to see tie growth of a healthy spirit of
| emulation between the different shovel
and locomotive crews. just such q
spirit as has grown on our battleships
between the different gun crews in
matters Of craftsmanship Passing
| IN rnuuk tho emf tho amnunt oP NOW