The morning journal-courier., 1907-12-16
OUR CONTEMPORARIES.
The laoney rlvlng at Panama
(Th6 Boston Transcript.)

(ThG Boston Transcript
 In an addressNbe the Yale Politi- cal Science club, on The Panama Canal as a Business Venture, MT George [. Fox of New Haven prescnts,as the con- clusions of his investigations of the subject the belief that the structure will cost at least half billion dollars, and perhaps greatly ih excess of that figure He believes the annual in. come from tolls, on the dollar ton basis which has been commonly sug- gestcd. may fall as low as four hun dred thousand dollars, while the an nual cost of maintenance will be be- tween two and three millions. It's benaN Gelakeifects in lowering saei isht rates [ 4 4faBs asS wi u accrue to sS dc'V'- sTse or ft0feisne& greatly to our own people. In short, he agrees with sam uei Hill of aeattle--a son. in.law of James J. Hill--tnat the building of the Panama Canal IS the monumental folly of the age, and chiefly because it will cost so extravagantly
 MT Frederick If. Gillett of Spring field. member of the house commlt- tee on appropriations, has just returned from visit to Panama, chiefly de- signed to secure the sort of infornla- ton which would equip him for the luiscussion of canal affairs as they arise in congress. MT Giitett acknowledges that the expenditures impress him for miuably, although no feels sure that MT Fox has greatly oVerestimated them The Massachusetts representative has always been rather scepucal of the lcommcrelal value of the enterprise. He reasons however, that VIC have become I so audacious as a people that if we l once make up our mind, sentimentally, i on any such undertaking as this, the l probable balance of income and outgo resulting docs not greatly benefit our decision as to 1t.
 Everything at Panama, he found, had been done on an expensive scale. The larfny Is never economical anywhere. The conditions from tho beginning were such that Uncle Sam was bound to err, if at all, in the direction of lib- eralty 1t was necessary to mass d huge working force on the lsthnus at once, and under such conditions that tt would stay If from insanitary or c$h- CT objectionable conditions, an exodus of laborers had set in, it might have taken years to re-establish necessary
 working force and to live down thu reputation once acquired. No expense has been spared in eradicating disease germs, and in offering wages which would bring laborers from all parts oi the world policies which have doubt less been necessity as well as hu- mano,
 From all the testimony MT Gillet
 received, he concluded that the fortl thousand men on the government pay rolls there were getting just about twlQe as much as they would receive
 from private concerns employed in tht United States, 4 young man iron lIolyolle, the foreman in one of the foundres reported that the moulderl under him received from siXty-five tc eighty cents an hour when they would not get over twn-thirds that at home In addition to wages all employees gel medical attendance treeN and eacl American gets free quarters--a com. fortably furnished room if he is sin gle, or q pleasant furnished home oI four or five rUonis # he is married with light and fuel also free. Huge mess halls are run by the government wEere meals are furnished for thirty cents, the best for the price that MT Grlett has ever seen, The govern lmen1 has besides built four clubhousef at thirty-fve thousand dollars each furnished with bowling alleys and bill Hard tables. turning them over to the 3Y. M. C. A. to run. Tn short, not only are the wages good, but everything which contributes to the health, com fort and entertainment of the employees has been provided on 8 generous scale