The Washington herald., 1907-01-10
COOLIE LABOR NOT WANTED
Congressman Who Visited Panama
Give Opinion on Labor Conditions.
They Were Pleased with Progress Oi
Work on CHnaI-I 900 LabOrers
Coming in Every Month.

/ The members Of the Congressional
party which went TO Panama during the
I holiday recess 10 inspect the big ditch
and learn for themselves the situation
with respect 10 the employment of Chi
nese labor on the canal have returned t.
Washington, enthusiastic over the work
which is being done. In the party there
were, besides Senator Flint, OF California,
several members Of the House from that
state. and other members from the Mid
die States.
Discussing the labor problem and the
work which is now going on. Representa-
tive Mckinney. OF Illinois. who was a
member OF the party. said yesterday.
We found. TO our entire satisfaction,
/ that the Panama Canal can and viii
/ be dug without coolie labor from the
Orient. There is absolutely no necessity
/ for the importation of Cinnamon 10 DO
/ the work. There are now on the isthmus
something like 2Q000 men at work, and
( laborers are coming in AT the rate OF
about 1000 a month They come from
spain, Southern Italy, and Greece. large
ly. They are robust hardy fellows. and
as We found in almost every instance,
they make good workmen. They are
peaceabIe c0uteuted. and healthy. They
receive good wages. and their condition
there is much better than that which
they left at home Many Of them have
brought their families
"A large portion of the work now be
ing done is on Culebra Cut, where there
are at present thirty-eiEht steam shOvels
employed, with a capacity Of two and
oue-half 10 FIVE cubic yards of earth.
AS soon as the railroad sidings are COM
pleted 10 carry the earth TO the dumps
the number viii be increased to sixty
three. and much greater progress viii
be made. Ii is believed that the cut will
De completed a year in advance OF the
Gdtun dam, which is an enormous under
taking We gained the impression that
the big ditch would be completed in
seven or eight years.
Sanitary conditions are much better
than l had expected to find them There
is very little sickness and disease. and
by the time Or. G0rgas. the sanitary
officer. has completed his plans, there is
no reason why the isthmus should not be
quite as heaithfUl as many cities in this
country. The jungle is being cleared
away as the work progresses and the
shrubbery burned This drives the germ
bearing mosquitoes back. and as they
are able 10 fly only a short distance
viii keep them from the line of the canal
When the canal is completed, it is very
likely that there will be green fielGs
along its banks. as there is native
grass which grows well and could be
used for cattle,
"Al things considered every member
Of our party was very favorabIy i'm
pressed with what is being done, and we
are convinced that there viii be no ne
Cessity for the employment Of Chinese
TO complete the work"
Senator Flint told the President yes
terday that in his opinion there was no
need of Chinese labor on the canal work.
The present laborers are Of class ad-
mirably suited TO conditions on the 18th
mus Mr.. Flint said. and they are doing
their work well. They do more and bet
ter work. he declared than either Jamai-
ca negroes or Chinese