The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-10
LABOR IN THE 4 CANAL ZONE Patterson Contends for 8-Hour Limit. DEBATE IN THE SENATE Coloradan's Amendment Meets
 Little Favor. Morgan Says the Exclusion of Aliens
 Means That the Enterprise will Never Be Successfully Car- ried Out.

Washington. Feb. s.--Almost the en- tire session of the Senate today was devoted to the consideration of the ur- gent deficiency appropriation bill, which was practically as it was re- ported from the comniIttee on appro- priations. The only discussion in con- ncction with the bilf was over an amendment suggested by Mir. Patter- son to strike out the provision reliev- ing alien workmen on the canal from the operations of the eight-hour law.
 MT. Patterson contended that to re. euirc men to labor more than eight hours day in the tfopIcs was inhu- man and argued that the requirement would do injustice to A nerlcan labor. Several senators cn both sides of the chamber controverted the position.
 The amendment was voted down without resorting to a roll call.
 When the reading of the bill had teen concluded, Mir. Patterson moved to strike out the provision removing the time limitation from the require nents in the employment of alien la- borcrs on the Panama canal Ho spoke in support of the amendment eontending that the. inevitable effect would be to entirely eliminate the possibility of employing American la Dor on the canal. He said with the time limitation removed from one class of labor on the canal, others to whom the limitation did apply would not be employed. He thought that with im- proved sanitary conditions in Panama, large number of negro citizens of this country could find profitable enn- pioyment there If the eight-hour law was enforced. He also thought that many American mechanics would find employment In the canal gone.
 Negroes VIII not Go.
 MT. Hale said that it had been im- possible to get American negroes to go to Panama to work.
 Preceding Mr. Patterson contended that If the provision was allowed to remain the result inevitably would be to bring the ol1eapest labor to the Isth- mus and he contended that the exam pie was not 8 good one. There was he said, especial danger in the case the digging of the canal was done un der contract. as was probable it would be.
 That the canal work can not be done by Americans and that the enterprise must end in failure if alien labor can not be employed on the canal, MT. Hale said. was the general concensus of opinion. He said the authorities fin the canal work had been most anxious on this point that indeed it was the crucial point in connection with the canal enterprise
 q suppose this problem has kept the President the Secretary of Wal and others awake more than all others connected with the canal" he said. He expressed the opinion that only the natives of the island of the Span ish main, such as Jamaica, could be depended on to do the work. This he said, was entirely different from our own American labor. They know nothing of the eight hour system. MT. Morgan corFoborated the state ment of Mir Hale. saying that the testimony taken by the inter-oceanic canal committee supported this view He hoped the amendment would no' nrevatI If he wanted to defeat the canaI work. he would exclude alien labor from the canal.
 MY. Money also opposed the amend neot He did not believe that there would be any American labor there. 'aThey won't live more than eight hours after their arrival he said when they are turning up million serHiS with every spadeful or earth.
 work there, he said, means death. +What 1t all means in plain, bruta English Is that there is being prepared on the Isthmus slaughter house tol aliens and that the canal Is to be built | at A fearful cost not only or money | but of life," responded MT. Patterson 1 In peresisting in pressing the amend me1t upon the Senate.
 Sanitary Conditions Improved. Mir. Gallinger called attention to tht statement of the canal officers that sanitary conditions on the Isthmus were much improved, and MT. Patterson replfed that these statements did moi correspond with the testimony given by others He found in the bad sanitary condition along the line of the canal the strongest reason for limit on the time of labor.
 Mr. Tillman also took issue with MT. Patterson, saying that when the Colorado Senator makes an appeal for alien labor "he would better look lit- tie closer home and consider the Amer ican laborer who in the end must pay for the building of the canal.
 Mir Patterson replied that 1t was quite probable the work would be done under contract, rendering governmental interference all the more difficult. He added that if one-half that was prom ised in the way of sanitation on the line of the canal is to be realized, many Americans would seek work there. He withdrew the amendment he had of | fered and offered another fixing the l limit of a days labor on canal work al ten hours instead of eight.
 MT. Simmons said that the testimony taken before the canal committed showed that fully 10 per cent of tho Americans on the isthmus were em nloved in outdoor work, many of then heinz in charge of foreign workmen
 He saw great diflculty in enforcing the eight-hour law as to those mer ana in not enforcing it as to the meI of whom they had charge. He sai( that MT. Wallace had taken this view
 Mr simmons did not, however advo
 cate a short hour for the West lndiar laborers employed on the canal
 Mir Hale said the Secretary of War MT. shonts and MT. Stevens had takei a position opposed to that of Mir Wal | lace.
 The amendment was lost.
 MT, TIllman expressed dissatisfaction with the relationship between the Cana | Commission and the Panama Railroad Company, and said he hoped the Cana Commission would find means Of uni lying the canal and the road.
 The bill was then passed. and at S:O' l = shn eerata vvAnt into executive