The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-01-12

against tie UDbcFI1IneHI.
Washington, January 10.-An elabo-
rate and comprehensive answer to the |
charges against the isthmian canal
commission contained in an article in
The Independent has been made by
Secretary Taft. 1t is in the form Of a
letter to the President. who on Janu-
airy 6 in a communication to the sec
rotary said his attention had been d.
Tected to an article purporting to have
been written by Poultney BigeIow,
attacking the administration of affairs
by the canal commission and yourself
- the isthmus," and adding. will
you please advise me what basis if
any. there is for these charges?"
In his reply Secretary Taft first
briefly summarizes the charges as fol-
lows:
Alleging that the conditions in Colon
are so u~nsapitaty as TO indicate great
neglect in providing for the health Of
the employees of the commission; al
legged m~istreatment of negro labOrers;
that persons appointed to the isthmus
are incompetent and have been given
their places through political infu-
ence; and official incompetency or
misconduct, the latter involving the
charge that there is so much red tape"
necessary to bring about the construc-
ton OF buildings that great misery has
come to the laborers on the isthmus.
Discussing conditions at Colon the
secretary says owing to higher death
rate at Panama the commission felt
justified in establishing a water and
sewer system in Panama first. He de-
MES that a large number of canal m
ployes live in Colon and says provi-
sion has beer made for an ample water
supply.
Secretary Taft declares the rate of
wages is we'll advertised throughout
the West Indies at 10 cents gold an
hour for a day Of eight hours, which
may be increased by diilgent work u
l3 cents an hour. 1t is also untrue
ne a Y that a great prejudice exists
against negroes in the railroad man
agement. The secretary says it Is
charged that the chairman of the com
mission and all others wrongly look
upon the tropical negro laborer as poo1
dUSI. iilS COASlLoIOA III AVA
and every observer on the isthmus hi
Eeclares, is to the effect that this labor
IS inefficient. Regarding the statemen
that the negroes are leaving the lsth
mus in pOytentOus numbers because o
mistreatment, Mr.. Stevens teSt1fies
the secretary says, that just De1of
the holidays a great number OF labor
ers returned to the islands whenc
thew came. This, the secretary says
has been the custom ever since IN
beginning of the French construction
Many Of the laborers leave their fam
lies and because transportation
cheap are able to go back and then re
turn. The secretary shows there ar
now on the pay rolls 1900 laborer
AS to the charge that officials o
the isthmus were appointed throug
Congressional or political infuenc
the secretary says the chief enginee
c~ategorically denies this. and | al
able from the standpoint of Wash!ns
ton. also catergorically to deny 1t
He says political influence has playe
no part whatever in the selection
appointees. ;,
Secretary Taft declares that tt
charge OF delay by "red tape" IN Il
construction of buildings on the Isl!
mus is shown to be untrue by u
statement of the chief engineer.
Secretary Taft says that the charg'
that the quarantine officials constr
the law and enforce 1t as lar as Pc
sible to interfere with commerce
utterly unfounded."
Secretary Taft repeats his form
statement that the charge that d 90
loa of black women were import
from Martinique for immoral pd
poses. is false. =.
Secretary Taft states that the writ
of the article containing the chars
arrived at Panama November 81 a
left December 1st and that 1T IS II
unfair to say that his opportunltl
for observing were limited to tweDt
eight hours including daytime a
Aignt."
In view of this statement the seer
+orv cove the writer should not ia
exception to the seven or elgnt I'd
which twelve of the most distinguish
engineers in the world in canal &C
struction devoted to the same TASK
Secretary Taft describes the Wltne'
as referred to in the article as nav
animus against the government. IL
are identified as Tracy Robinson a
John Lundie. Robinson failed 10 ge
s5 600 Mace with the commission d
Lundy was an applicant 1of meno
ship on the board of engineers pu.
application was rejected. Inc PRIV
interests of both men according 10 .
retary Taft, had come in connlcl "
the canal government in various Wa