Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-12-04

Washington Nov. 27-Interest in the
Panma canal was enlarged yesterday
when the canal eommiss. on submitted
its annual report covering the work
done under the direction of the com
miss oner for the year ending June 80,
1907. The report deals with every
feature of the work, not only on the
canal proper but the preparations for
that work in the way of housing the
workers, building railroads and depots,
making provision for future emergen-
ciesand the installation of sanitary
devices and measures. Dealing with
labor conditions the report says:
Conditions on the isthmus are pecu
liar. 1t is contended. apparently on rea-
sonable grounds, that service In the
tropics saps the energy, and that
man is incapable, after a time. OF per-
forming the same amount of work
that he would be able to accomplish
had he spent the same period in a
cooler climate. This creates a desire
To accumulate sufficient means to
avoid the necessity of relatively har-
der work on the return to the United
States, and is a question that q con-
tractor would be obliged % flee as
Well Us the United States. Ia some
respects the government is in a posi-
ton TO handle the situation more satis-
factorily than a contractor, as was
plainly shown by the trouble with the
steam-shovel men in May last
BY executive order san tation was
separated from the department of gov
eminent, of which it was a division,
and created 2, new department under
the commission. The work of santa
ton was carried on throughout the
year, increasing in amount and extent
as new engineering construction was
undertaken. Its success depends
upon the ability TO protect employees
against the malarial mosquito, and
this is accomplished by dra ming and
clearing the ground in the neighbor-
hood OF villages. in addition 10 proper
qaartering. The following. in brief
Is the work done In the zone along
these lines; Brush cut, 100000
square yards; swamp lands filled and
drained, 100000 square yards; grass
tile bitches laid. $4,000 feet. aad ce-
mented, $4,000 linear feet. Other
functions we're performed in addition,
such as the disposal Of night soil, the
removal of garbage, and the care Of
cemeteries.
About 1900 persons who had beeLs
exposed to yellow fever or smallpox
were held In quarantine for observa
tor.
The largest subdivision or the de
partment has to do with the care OF
the sick, requiring for its maintenance
more than half OF the sums approprii
ated for sanitation Medical attend
ance and medicines. both In the hos
pitfalls and In quarters, are furnished
gratis to employees of the commission
and of the Panama railroad. To the
families Of employees a charge is made
for treatment.
The average daily force of skilled
and miskilled laborers of the com
mission and Panama railroad was, at
the beginning of the year, 1850 and
at its close 29.446. The average daily
sick In quarters and in hospitals for
the year was 916. So far as can be
determined from such data, compar-
ison OF the death rates among en-
ployes for the fiscal years 1906 and
I 1906-7 will show 0 marked improve
ment In health conditions during the
past year. mainly due to sanitation,
and also to better housing facilities
and better food supplies.
The financial statement discloses
that the total expenditures to date
were 4S,2s5,ll and that there was
an available balance on June 80 Of
! $Si 1923 .45S.21.
The Engineers report shows that
maximum monthly amount of maters-
al excayated in the Culebra division
during the fiscal year was S79,527 Gu.
bic yards, which was removed in
April, 1907. This amount exceeds =,
rs per cent the maximum month I
excavation, as given In available rec
ords, made by the French in the Guile.
bra division, their highest monthly
total in the Culebra division being
500. $50 cubic yards In February, 1886.
with the exception OF very small
proportion OF material removed by
hand from the quarry In the canal
prism at Bias Obispo, all material is
handled by steam shovels and dirt
trains. and is carried to dumps stu
ated at distances varying from mile
10 Is miles. the average haul at pres
ent being about 10 miles.
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