The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1906-08-17
G0MPERS KICKS
ON CHINAMEN
D.nCunceS Government Scheme to
Employ Them on Canal Work.
Contracts 10 Be Supervised BY Secretary
Taft and Labor Sharks Viii Have
No Chance to Graft.

Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation Of Labor, has is.
sued statement regarding the &C
ton OF the istbmian canal commission,
deciding to work Chinese laborers on
the canal. The statement is as fol.
lows:
1T seems that those in charge of
the Panama canal construction have
regard for neither law nor principles.
First, in the most extraordinary man
ner the eight-hour law is annulled In
the greatest public work ever under
taken by the government, under the
Dretense that conditions there are diff
serent than in the United States. Il
must appeal to the veriest tyro thas
6 eight hours work is regarded az
sufficient in the comparatively tempeRD
ate zone Of the United States, cere
tainly ten, eleven and even more
hours Of labor day in the pesti-
lential and miasmatic atmosphere of
the Panama zone are not only I'M
proper, but outrageous and brutal.
THE existing law excludes Chinese
laborers and coolies from the United
States or any Of its possessions. The
Panama canal zone is an American
possession, and it is as much a viola
ton OF the law to bring Chinese COO
lies there as it is in other portions
Of our country
Some time ago, in an interview l
had with Chailhlan Shonts. l pro-
tested against the employment of Chi
nese coolies in the Panama canal con-
struction. He emphatically stated that
1t was not the intention then to en-
ploy Chinese coolies, and they would
not be employed under his admins
tration"
A Washington special says: Care
will be taken by the United States
government to pI<yent contractors
from doing injustice to the Chinese
IabOrers employed for work on the
Panama canal. The specifications adj
vertising for proposals to supply $500
Chinese to the canal commission,
gill stipulate that the secretary of
aar shall have the privilege of pass
Ag on contracts which labor agents
make with the Chinese who are to
be sent to the isthmus.
This provision will make it possible
for Secretary Taft to prevent discriIn-
ination against the coolies by the IN
scrupulous contractors. Under this
ARRANGEMENT the U.;ted States Will
know exactly what the Chinese are
paid by the labor agents and the
Chinese government will be able to
afford its subjects protection on the
isthmus because of the ease with
which this government viii be able
to regulate the relations between the
Chimes. Iaborers ana the contractors.
Many contractors are seeking to
supply tile first 1900 Chinese for the
canal work. Until the specifications
for the contracts are published, con-
tractors viii not be able to give any
idea as to the wage they must have
for Chinese labore1s on the canal
zone Some labor agents believe that
with the many restrictions the canal
commission purposes placing upon
contractors it will not be possible to
supnlv the Cinnamon at less than
81 day. Other agents are Of the
oninion that the coolies can be sup
niied for 50 or so cents day, with
fair margin of profit to the con
tractors.
In Jamaica, West Indians are EN-
Moved under long time contracts at
prices ranging from 25 cents a day
and rations, which cost only a few
cents to 50 cents a day.
Restrictions and safeguards thrown
about these laborers, however, are
very slight, as compared with the re-
strictions the United States will place
upon the Chinese to be employed Tor
canal work