The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-12-18

were inevitable in such work The labor
ers are accustomed to do their own cook
ing; but there was much complaint, es-
pecially among the bachelors. as to the
quantity. and some as to the quality, Of
the food they got from the commissary
department. especially rs regards yams.
On the other hand, the married men and
thelr wives, and the more advanced
1 among the bachelors, almost invariably
/ expressed themselves as entirely saus-
ned with their treatment at the commits
safy stores; except that they Stated that
they generally could not get yams there,
/ and had to purchase them outside. The
chief complaint was that the prices We're
/ too high. 1t is unavoidable that the
prices should be higher than in their own
homes, and after careful investigation I
came to the conclusion that the chief
/ trouble lay IN the fact that the vans,
plantains, and the like are rather perish
able food. and are very bulky compared
20 the amount of nourishment they con-
/ tain, so that IL is costly 10 import them
/ IN large quantities and difficult to keep
/ them. Nevertheless, l felt that an effort
/ should be made to secure them a more
ample supply Of their favorite food, and
so directed; and ! believe that ultimately
] the government must itself feed them.
am having this matter looked into.
/ The superintendent having immediate
/ charge Of one gang Of men at tlfe Colon
7 reservoir stated that he endeavOred TO
/ get them TO substitute beans and other
/ nouTishing food for the stringy. watery
/ yams. because the men keep their
I strength and health better on the more
/ nourishing food Inasmuch, however as
/ they are accustomed 20 yams it Is difficult
4 to get them 10 eat the more strengthen
/ ing food, and some time eIapses before
I they grow accustomed TO it, At this res
I ervoir there has been a curious expert
! ence. 1t Is of Ia the jungle by itself az
4 the end Of a couple Of miles OF a little
! toy railroad. In order to get the laboreCs
there they were given free food land. Of
course, free lOdgiugs}; and yet il proved
difficult 10 keep them, because they wish
4 ed to be where they could reach the
dramshOp and places of amusement.
] was struck by the superior comfort
and respectability of the lives Of the mar
ried men. II would. in my opinion. be "a
most admirable thing if a much larger
number Of the men had their wives, for
with their advent all complaints about the
food and cooking are almost sure 20
cease.
/ had an interview with Mr. Mallet, the
British consul 10 find out If there was
any just cause for complaint as 10 the
treatment OF the West India negroes. He
/ informed me most emphatcalIy that there
was not. and authorized me 70 give his
/ statement publicity He said that not
only was the condition OF the Iaborers
far better than had been the case under
/ the old French company. but that year
by year the condition was improving I'M
der our own regime He stated that com
paints were continually brought TO him.
and that he always investigated them:
and that for the last six months he had
failed 20 md a single complaint of
serious nature that contained any iusti-
hcation whatever.
One Of the greatest needs at present Is
10 provide amusemeuts both for the white
and the black. The Young Mems Chris
tian Association is trying TO do good
work and should be i'm every way en-
couraged. But the government should
DO the main work / have specifically
called the attention Of tie commission to
this matter. and something has been ac-
compllsbed already Anything done for
the welfare Of the men adds 10 their eff
REGENCY and money devoted 90 that pur-
pose IS therefore properly % De consider
ed as spent IN building the canal Il is
lmperatively necessary to provide ample
recreation and amusement If the men are
10 be kept well and healthy / call the
special attention of Congress 10 this need
This gathering distributing. and car
ing Tor the great force of .aborers is one
OF the giant features Of the work That
friction VIII from time 20 time occur ia
connection Herewith IS inevitable The
astonishing thing is that the work has
been performed So well and that the ma
ehinery runs SO smoothly. From nay own
experience / am able to say that more
care had been exercised ia housing, feed
ing. and generally paying heed to the
needs or the skilled mechanics and ordi-
nary laborers in the work on this canal
than IS the case IN the construction Of
new railroads or in any other similar pri-
waite or public work in the United States
proper. and IL is the testimony OF an PEG
pie competent 20 speak that on no other
similar work anywhere In the tropics-in-
deed, as far as 1 know, anywhere else
has there been such foTethought and such
success achieved in providing for the
needs Of the men who 90 the work.
have now dealt with the hygieuic
conditions which make # possible 10 en-
pioy great force OF laborers. and with
the task of gathering. housing. and feed
ing these laborcrs There remains TO CON /
slider the actual work which has 10 be
laborers are gathered together-tha work /
of constructing the canal This is urder
the direct control OF the chief engineer I
Mr. Stevens, who has already shown ad- /
mirabie results, and whom We can safely /
trust TO achieve similar results in the fu- /
ture.
Our people found on the isthmus a Ger 4
tain amount of Old French material and 1
equipment which could be used. Some OF i
IL. IN addition. could be sold as SCRAP 4
iron Some could DE used for furnishing
the foundation for filing in For much
no possible use could be devised that
would not cost more than it would bring
in.
work of Construction.
The work is now going on with vigor
and efficiency pleasant 70 witness. The
three big problems of the canal are the
La Boca dams. the Gatun dam, and the
CUlebra cut. The Culebra cut must be
made. anyhow, but. of course. changes
as 10 the dams or at least as to the
locks adjacent TO the dams. may still oc-
cur The La BCca dams offer no par
ucular problem. The bottom material be-
ing 50 good that there is a practical Ger
talnty not merely as TO what can be
achieved, but as TO the time Of achieve
IhehI Ihe Gatun dam offers the most
serious problem which we have to solve,
ana yet. the ablest men on the isthmus /
believe that this problem is certain of /,
solution along the lines proposed; al
though. Of course, it necessitates great
toll energy. and intelligence. and although Ii
equally, of course there will be some lit
tie risk IN connection with the work II
the huge earth dam now contemplated is
thrown across from one foothiu To tho
other we viii have what is practically a
low. broad, mountain ridge behind which
viii rise the inland lake. This artificial