The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-01-29
GOVERNOR MAGOON
ANSWERS BIGELON
Ridicules Writer'S Criti-
cisms of Conditions.
SOME VIGOROUS DENIALS
Work Said to Be Progressing and Sani-
tary Conditions Are De-
clared Good.
SOME VIGOROUS DENIALS

Gov. Charles E MagOon. of the PAN
anna Canal Zone. has arrived from
Colon. He came 10 Washington today
to pay his respects To the President
and 20 attend the fun meeting of the
Canal Commission. which has been call
ed TO pass upon the report of the
board OF advisory engineers.
In addition to being governor Of the
Canal Zone. Governor Magoon is minis
ter to the Republic Of Panama and a
member OF the executive committee Of
the Canal Commission. He expects to
return TO the isthmus in two weeks.
Differs With Bigelow.
Governor Magoon had task with T.
p. Shonts. chairman OF the Canal Com
mission, and later talked to reporters
and 1t developed t1at his view and
Poultney Bigelow's of conditions in the
Canal Zone. as expr ressed by Mr.. Bige-
low in a recent article in The Indepen-
dent, differ widely. Mr. Rigelow de-
ciared that after thorough investiga-
ton he was satisfied that the sanitary
conditions could hardly be worse. and
that laborers were leaving by hundreds
on account of them and OF poor pay.
Visit Was Bns,.
81 have not seen the article" said
Governor Magoon. II left Panama last
Sunday, and the publication containing
it had not arrived. / can say. however.
that Mr.. Bigelow's visit was very brief.
He reached Colon at 10 O'Clock in the
morning on Thanksgiving Day, caught
a train that landed him in Panama City
at o'clock, remained there an hour
and half. and returned to Colon He
left the isthmus the next day at 2.IO
o'clock
Il understand that he spoke Of the
manner in which the work was going
forward. and spoke of seeing .abOrers
at work. As matter Of fact. he was
at Panama on a holiday when no one
worked. so in that respect he is mis-
taken.
Mr.. Bigelow speaks Of sewers being
stopped up" put in air Shonts. and of
flood coming and backing sewage into
cellars. thereby running many houses
As matter OF fact. there is not such a
thing as cellar in that part of the
country.
i feel that we are indebted TO Nj
BigelOw for one thing" continued Gov
ernor Magoon. He was specific in his
allegations. and other writer's have been
too general-so general. in fact. that We
could not find any points to deny.
Easy TO contradict.
with Mr.. Bigelow il is different
Everything he has designated we are
able 10 contradict, and In that he has
done us a favor
Il was appointed in April" continued
the governo-, and went down there in
May. This is the first time I have been
back. and il seems good TO be here. As
10 whether the country is healthy. /
suppose my own aDDearance might af-
ford some Indication"
Mr.. Magoon smiled as he said this. He
Is more than six feet in height ana
weighs more than 200 pounds He has a
fine tropical tan and is the picture OF
health. The governor wears a heavy
brown mustache, and his hair is just
turning gray. he is a bachelor.
The only Illness / have had down
there. he continued. was a rather bad
attack of malaria shortly after reaching
the isthmus. There was an epidemic Of
yellow fever when arrived. but 1t was
suppressed.
"1'he measures adopted 10 combat I
by the sanitarians have drisen il out 1
believe. 1t is now seventy-four days
since there was case In Panama cfty
On December IL a man died at Colon of
what was supposed 10 be yellow fever
The autopsy did not confirm the dag
nosis. and If 1t was not yellow fever L
is much longer than seventy-four days
since case of IL developed at Colon.
Malaria There Very Bad.
Malaria on the isthmus is very bad.
It is the common disease. and, of course.
immunity is not acquired. II is not so
severe, however. as the malaria which
developed in some of the Western
States, such as Michigan and Illinois.
when they were first opened up.
The stegomyia, as the yellow fever