Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-30
GIRLS CANAL REPORT
Miss Beeks Finds Much to Con-
Al. denim.
WILL RETURN THERE LATER
Food Bad, She Says, and Lodgings
Much Worse.
THOUSAND MEN IN BOX CARS
No Meetings. to Protect Negroes From
Yellow Fever, But Some Houses
Have Pretty Porches
MEN IN BOX CARS

NE" fohh, september ,D-1he report
to Secretary Taft conditions of employ
ment on the Isthmus of Panama, which
We're investigated by Miss Gertrude Beeks,
secretary of the welfare department of the
National Civic Federation, was made pub
lie today.
Nearly every feature of life on the 18TH
mus is touched upon in the report. Many
things are highly commended, others are
condemned and recommendations are made
for the betterment of conditions The in
spection covered camps. barracks, hospitals,
mess halls. schools, clubhouses, commits
saries, jails, churches, work places and
transportation facilities. Conditions Of en-
ployment were also investigated. Informa-
ton was gathered from every type of resi-
dent on the isthmus. the negroes included.
But In no case was testimony sought or re-
ceIved from discharged employees.
1t is clearly recognized that never before
have there been good conditions in Amer
lean construction work. but in view of the
climatic conditions. length Of time to be
consumed in the building of the canal and
the fact that the government should be a
model employer 1t Is urged that the sur
roundings of the employees should be made
as comfortable as possible.
Some Recommendation Adopted.
Some Of the recommendations have al
ready been adopted. Secretary Taft i'm
mediately requested the Agricultural De-
partment to start a government farm and
made arrangements with Secretary Wilson
to have all foodstuffs inspected before ship
ment from the United States; he also au-
thorized the purchase of blankets for the
negroes and refrigeration plants for mess
halls Lieut.. Col. Goethais had plans drawn
for drying rooms authorized the erection
of rain Sheds and has since supplied beds
for all Americans in permanent quarters
q pd a mi fal he rod
with canvas The commission also accepted
the services of representative of the well
fare department of the National Civic Fed
eratien-Miss Helen Varick Boswell-to or
ganize women's clubs, and she is now on
the isthmus. President Roosevelt has re-
auested Miss Beeks to return to Panama
within eight months and report upon prog
ress made. The Investigation covered a
period of twenty-three days spent on the
ithmus.
The report, in part, follows:
Inadequacy Of Quarters.
There are two sets of employes-those of
the isthman canal commission and those
of the Panama Railroad Company The
term "laborer' Is applied to the common
laborer, the American mechanics. clerks
and others being designated as employees"
There are altogether 10000 in the force on
the sthmus-6,OOO American employees and
"a 600 laborers. who are West Indian ne
groes and Europeans. There are seventeen
intervening camps for Americans and forty
six contiguous settlements for laborers.
In the main villages there are postal sta
lions, fire departments, telephone service.
band stands in front of the hotels and
news stands at the railway stations.
There are not many manufacturing VII
lagos presenting an appearance so beautiful
as the homes for American families and
bachelors dOrmitories. All have wide,
screened verandas and modern plumbing
1t is now possible to shelter all isthmian
canal employees without the use Of tents,
except when opening up new work: but
quarters are Inadequate, Americans fire.
quently sleeping four in a room. and there
being 1,GOO men in railroad construction
gangs quartered In box cars. There Is also
a shortage of family houses.
The canal zone has become a community
and is no longer simply a construction
camp. Some are living better than they
ever did in the United States. but many
married men grow disheartened and i'll
when unable to secure family quarters. 1t
is estimated that at the present rate of
progress 1t will take a year to secure ade-
quate accommoda tons
The Hotel Tivoli, beautiful structure,
is used by transient guests and by en-
ployes who cannot be housed elsewhere.
Rates for transients are absurdly high
considering the service rendered
Air and Blankets Lacking.
The barracks of the European laborers,
including Greeks, Italians and Spaniards,
and of the West Indians are identical in
construction, each house being one large
dormitory, containing sixty to seventy-two
or eighty-four cots. The air space is not
always equal to the requirement in modern
tenement-house laws. There is no furni-
ture whatever on which to sit in the com
mon laborers dormtories when changing
clothes when it rains daytlmes.
The cots are arranged one over the other
in tiers of three. The majority are canvas,
but many are made of metal lattice work
which is a cruel arrangement, there is
nothing between the bodies of the laborers
and the metal work. The laborers, as well
as the Americans. are required to buy
blankets, and consequently few of the for
der have them. The principal malady
from which the laborers suffer is pneu-
monia. This uneducated class, which will
not care for itself, should be supplied with
blankets by the government. one for un-
derne ath the body. which has no protec ton
from cold and for covering Aside
from its consideration from humanitarian
standpoint, it would save hospital expenses
and cost of securing frequent fresh sup
plies of labor
There must be a poor system Of inspec-
ton of materials. for types ordered are
not received. For instance. copper screen
Is required in that moist climate. where
everything rusts, and yet iron screen has
been received largely. On now quarters
and hospitals it had split in few weeks.
Glued furniture cannot he used there be
cause of the moisture, and yet it has been
substituted by the hest firms for the
'knock-down" type ordered. which can be
pegged. Even a great drug company has
sent adulterated medicines for our sick
Contractors a~e being informed now that
such goods must be replaced at their eX-
penSe.
Disturbers of .Slumber.
Bed bugs exist to such an extent as to
cause serious discomfort. A man cannot
be in contented frame of mind at work
after suffering from vermin at night. Cock
reaches and fieas numerous in the
quarters and flies are exceedingly trouble
some in the mess halls.
A sewerage system has heen installed
from one end of the isthmus to the. other,
and water for all purposes, bathing and
drinking, for the majority of the camps,
is furnished by four reservoirs.
The water Is quite offensive for drink