The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-12-17
CANAL ZONE MADE HEAL LTHFUL;
WORK May BE DONE IN 8 YEARS

was originally built no attempt was
| made TO MI the low ground. either In the
streets or on the building sites so that
quagmire; when the quagmire became
| impossible certain OF the streets were
| crudely improved by filling especially bad
mud holes with soft rock or other ma
| terial.
In September. 1906. systematic effort
was begun to formulate a general plan for
| the proper sanitation OF the city; In Feb
ruary last temporary relief measures
were taken, while In July the prosecution
] OF the work was begun In good earnest.
4 The results are already visible in the
| sewering. draining, guttering and paving
| OF the streets. Some four months will be
| required before the work OF sewerage ana
| street Improvement Will be completed. but
the progress already made is very
| II was not practicable. with the force
| at the commissions disposal. and in view
| OF the need that the force should be used
In the larger town OF Panama TO begin
/ this work before early last winter. Water
mains were then laid in the town and
| water was furnished to the people early
| in March from a temporary reservoir.
| This reservoir proved TO be OF insufficient
| capacity be fore the end Of the dry sea
son and the shortage was made up by
| hauling water over the Panama railroad,
| so that there was at all times an ample
| supply OF the very best water. Since
| that time the new reservoir back Of
| Mount Hope has been practically com
| pleted
! : one OF the most amusing (as we'll as dis
| honesD attacks made upon the commits
| sion was in connection with this reser-
voir. The writer In question usually cor
| fined himself To vague general mandacliy
| but I'm this case he specifically stated that
| there was no water In the vicinity III for
| a reservoir Q drank II, and II was excel
| lent). and that this particular reservoir
would never hold water anyway. Accom-
| panying this message, as / have said
| above, is a photograph OF the reservoir,
as / myself saw II. and as II has been In
| existence ever since the article I'm ques-
i tion was published With typical Ameri-
can humor, the engineering corps still at
work at the reservoir have christened "A
large boat which rs now used on the res
! ervoir by the name OF the individual who
/ thus denied the possibility OF the reser-
voir's existence.
Colon Payements
| rode thru the streets OF Colon. seeing
l them at the height of the rainy season,
after two days OF almost unexampled
| downpour, when they We're at their very
/ worst. Taken as "a whole they were un-
| doubtedly very bad, as bad as Pennsylva-
| MIA avenue In Washington before Grant $
| administration. Front street is already in
/ thoroly satisfactory shape, however. Some
! OF the side streets are also in good condi-
| ton. In others the change in the streets
| is rapidly going on. Thru three -fourths OF
\ the town IL is now possible TO walk, even
/
: low shoes without wetting one = feet, oW-
! ing 10 the rapidity WIKI which the sur
| face water Is carried away In the dltches.
| In the remaining one-fourth of the streets
| the mud is very deep-about as deep as IN
I the ordinary street OF a low-lying prairie
| town OF the same size In the United
/ States during early spring. All men 10
whom ! spoke were "A unit IN saying that
! the conditions of the Colon streets were
! 100 per cent. better than a year ago.
Complaints Not Well Founded
The complaints brought TO me. either
| OF insuffl Client provision In caring for
some of the laborers or of failure 10 hnish
! tho paVements of Colon, or OF failure 10
supply water, or Of failure TO build wooden
I sidewalks for the use OF the laborers In
/ the rainy season, on investigation proved
| almost without exception, TO be due mere
! ly to the utter Inability of the commission
! To do everything at once
Unjust Criticism
Care and iorethought have been exer-
cised by the commission and nothing has
! reflected more credit upon them than their
| refusal 10 so a. cad too last or TO be de-
| TERED by the fear OF criticism from not
| going ahead fast enough IL Is curious
| TO note the fact that many OF the most
| severe critics OF the commission criticize
! them for precisely opposite reasons, some
complaining bitterly tnat the work is not
! in more advanced condition, while the
others complain that it has been rushed
! with such haste that there has been in
sufficient preparation for the hygiene and
| comfort of the employees AS a matter OF
| fact neither criticism lis just. 1t would
| have been impossible TO go quicker than
| the commission has gone, for such quick
| ness would have meant insufficient prep
aration. on the other hand, TO refuse TO
| do anything until every possible future
| contingency had been met would have
| caused wholly unvarranted delay. The
| right course 10 follow was exactly the
course which has been followed.
In addition TO attending to the health
of the employees It is of course necessary
| TO provide for policing the zone This Is
| done by a police force which at present
! numbers over 200 men, under Capt Shan
ton. About one-ffth OF the men are
| white and the others black. In different
| places | questioned some 20 or 20 of these
| men, taking them at random. They were
fine set physically and in diclpllne.
With one exception all the white men |
questioned had served In the American
| army. usually I'm the Philippines. and be-
lonped TO the best type OF American sol
| der. Without exception the black police
men whom l questioned had served either
| In the British army or in the Jamaica or
| Barbados police. They were evidently
contented. and were doing their work
we'll Where possible the policemen are
used TO control people OF their own color,
but in any emergency no hesitation is felt
! In using them indiscriminately.
Inasmuch as SO many both OF the white
and colorei employees have brought theh
families with them, schools have been es-
Ia blished. the school service being under
Mr.. OConnor. For the white pupils white
American teachers are employed; for the
colored pupils there are also some white
American teachers. one Spanish teacher.
and one colored American teacher. most
OF them being colored teachers from
Jamaica. Barbados and ST Lucia. The
schoolrooms were good and IL was n
pleasant thing TO see the pride that the
teachers were taking In their work ano
their pupils.
There seemed 10 me 10 he too many
saloons In the zone but the new high
license law which goes into effect on Jan.
next will probably close four-hfths OF
them. Resolute and successful efforts are
being made 10 minimize and control the
sale OF liquor.
Cnre of Employees.