The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-12-18
THE EVENING TIMES, GRAND FORKS. N. D,


enough. 1t is curious to note the fact
that many Of the most severe critics
OF the commission criticise them for
precisely opposite reasons. some com.
planning bitterly that the work is not
In more advanced condition, while
the others complain that it has been
rushed with such haste that there has
been insufficient preparation for the
hygiene and comfort of the employees.
AS a matter of fact neither criticism
Is Just. 1t would have been impossible
to go quicker than the commission has
gone, for such quickness would have
meant insufficient preparation. On
the other hand, to refuse to do any.
thing until every possible future con.
tingency had been met would have
caused wholly unwarranted delay. The
right course to follow was exactly the
course which has been followed. Ev.
cry reasonable preparation was made
In advance, the hygienic conditions in
especial being made as nearly perfect
as possible; while on the other hand
there has been no timid refusal to
push forward the work because of in
ability to anticipate every possible
emergency, for, of course, many de.
fects can only be shown by the work.
ing of the system in actual practice.
Care Of Employees.
Next in importance to the problem
OF sanitation. and indeed now of equal
Importance. is the problem of secur.
Ing and caring for the mechanics, la.
borers and other employees who actu.
ally do the work on the canal and the
railroad. This great task has been
under the control Of Mr.. Jackson
Smith and on the whole has been we'll
done. At present there are some
5000 white employees and some 10000
colored employees on the isthmus.
went over the different places where
the different kinds Of employees were
working; I think saw representa-.
tives OF every type both at their work
and In their homes: and I conversed
with probably couple Of hundred of
them all told, choosing them at ran
dom from every class and including
those who came especially to present
certain grievances. I found that those
who did not come specifically to pre-.
sent grievances almost invariably ex-
pressed far greater content and salts.
faction with the conditions than did
those who called to make complaint.
Nearly 5000 Of the white employees
had come from the United States. No
man can see these young. vigorous
men theoretically doing their duty
without q thrill Of pride in them as
Americans. They represent on the
average high class. Doubtless to
congress the wages paid them will
seem high. but as matter of fact the
only general complaint which I found
had any real basis among the COM
plants made to me upon the isthmus
was that, owing to the peculiar sur.
roundings. the cost Of living and the
distance from home, the wages were
really not as high as they should be.
In fact. almost every man l spoke to
felt that he ought to be receiving
more money-a view, however, which
the average man who stays at home
In the United States probably likewise
holds as regards himself. append
figures Of the wages paid, so that the
congress can Judge the matter for It.
self. Later shall confer on the sub.
tect with certain representative labor
men here in the United States, as we'll
as going over with Mr.. Stevens the
comparative wages paid on the zone
and at home; and I may then com.
munfcate my findings to the canal
committees of the two houses.
The white Americans are employed,
some of them in Office work, but the
majority in handling the great steam
shovels. as engineers and conductors
on the dirt trains. as machinists in
the great repair shops. as carpenters
and timekeepers. superintendent and
toremen OF divisions and of gangs and
SO on and so on. Many of them have
brought down their wives and fam.
lilies; and the children when not in
school are running about and behav.
ing precisely as the American small
boy and girl behave at home. The
bachelors among the employees live,
sometimes in small separate houses,
sometimes in large houses; quarters
married and unmarried.
The housewives purchase their sup.
plies directly, or through their hus-
bands, from the commissary stores of
the commission. All to whom spoke
agreed that the supplies were excellent,
and all but two stated that there was
no complaint to be made; these two
complained that the prices were ex-
cessive as compared to the prices in
The States. On investigation did not
feel that this complaint was well
founded. The married men ate at
Tome. The unmarried men sometimes
ute at private clearinghouse, or pri.
vate messes. but more often, Judging
by the answers Of those whom I Ques-
toned, at the government canteens or
hotels where the meal costs 30 cents
to each employe. This 30-cent meal
struck me as being as good meal as
we get in the United States at the or
binary hotel in which a 50-cent meal
is provided.
Chinese and Other Labor.
OF the 10000 or 10000 day laborers
employed on the canal few hundred
are Spaniards. These do excellent
work. Their foremen told me that
they did twice as we'll as the West In
dian laborers. They keep healthy and
no difficulty is experienced with them
In any way. Some Italian laborers are
also employed in connection with the
drilling. AS might be expected, with
1ohnr "a hfoh unload m Dro.o~k To-