Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-02-10
IN THE SENATE.

| tire session OF the Senate today was
devoted to the consideration of the
urgent deficiency appropriation bill
which was passed practically as it was
| reported from the committee on ap-
preparation. The only discussion in
| connection with the bill was over an
amendment suggested by Mr.. Patter-
son to strike out the provision relieving
| alien workmen on the canal from the
operations of the 8-hour law Mr.. Pat
| terson cOntended that to require men
to labor more than eight hours a day
in the tropics was inhuman and argued
| that the requirements would do in
justice TO American labor. Several
senators on both sides of the chamber
| controverted the position.
The amendment was voted down
without resorting to a roll call.
At the beginning of the session of
| the Senate. Foraker presented a reso-
luton touching the statehood bill. dl-
| recting that within 80 days after the
approval of the statehood bill, the gov
| ernors of Arizona and New Mexico,
shall respectively call elections for
| submitting the question Of joint state
hood to the voters of the two proposed
| states separately and that the union
| shall not be consummated unless
| ma jority of the voters in each terri
tory are cast in the affirmative.
| The urgent deficiency appropriation
bill was laid before the Senate and
read at length. When the reading of
the bill had been concluded, Patter-
son moved to strike out the provision
removing the time limitation from the
| requirements in the employment of
| alien labOrerS on the Panama canal.
He said that the inevitable effect would
be to entirely eliminate the possibility
of employing American labor on the
canal. He thought that with improved
sanitary conditions in Panama, the
large number of negro citizens in this
country could find profitable employ
| ment there if the 8-hour law was
| enforced.
Mr. Hale said that it had been i'm
possible to get American negroes to go
to Panama to work.
That the canal work cannot be done
| and that the enterprise must end in
failure if alien labor cannot be en-
| ployed on the canal. Hale said, was the
| general concensus of opinion. He eX-
pressed tho opinion that only the ma
| tives Of the islands of the Spanish
| main, such as Jamaica, could be de-
pended on to do the work. This labor,
he said, was entirely different from our
own American labor. They knew Moth
ing of the S-hour system.
Morgan corroborated the statement of
Hale He hoped the amendment would
not prevail.
.llC c. 10.
He did rot believe that there would be
any American labor there "They won't
live more than eight hours after ar
rival" he said. when they begin turn
ing up a million germs with every
spadeful of earth"
Work there. he said, meant death.
what it all means in plain brutal
English is that there is being prepared
on the isthmus a slaughterhouse for
aliens and that the canal is to be built
at a fearful cost not only of money but
of life" responded Patterson, in per-
sistiny in pressing the amendment up
on the Senate.
| Gallinger called attention 20 the
statement of the canal officials that
| sanitary conditions on the lsthmuS
were much improved. and Patterson
correspond with the testimony given
by senator's He found in the bad san
itary condition along the line of the ca
nal the strongest reason for a limit OH
the time of labor.
! Tillman also took issue with Patter-
con. saying that "when the Colorado
senator makes an appeal for alien Ia
tor he would better look a little closer
/ hn
borer who in the end must pay for
building the canal"
He made an appeal for a common
sense course in dealing with the canai
and for the exclusion of can't from the
! consideration of the question. He
thought Patterson was ''conjuring up
ooblins which no one else can see,' and
said that the interests of foreign Ia
borers would be protected by their own
governments.
Patterson replied that it was quite
n-obable that the work would be- done
under contract, rendering government
al interference all the more difficult.
He said this debate had had only the
effect of confirming him in the opinion
thai there should be limitation.
aEven though it be called can't. ne
odded. 81 am willing to stand by the
contention that the provision in the Dill
| is inhuman toward alien labor and op-
posed to the interests OF American IA
hor He added that If one half that
,,.s nromised in the way OF sanitation
an tho line of the canal is to be reai-
tool many Americans would seek work
,hare He withdrew the amendment ne
nefered and offered another. fixing
,;,,;+ of 4 days labor on canal work
ua,e said that the secretary of war.
4 Shonts and Mr.. Stevens had taken
. os;tion opposed to that of Mr.. Wal
! lace. ,os+
rillman expressed dissatisfaction n .s oana, w.lh
the relationship between the cahal
tcontinued on Page Five)