The Washington times., 1907-09-30
REPORT ON ZONE
FROM MISS BEERS
MOST GRATIFYING
Roosevelt Will Probably
Ask Her to Return
For Further InveS-
tigation.

President Roosevelt is so well pleased
with the report OF Miss Gertrude Beeks,
secretary OF the welfare department OF
the Civic Federation, who went to Pan
ANA last June to investigate Industrial
conditions in the canal zone, that he
will probably request Ter to return 10
the isthmus IT. about eight months 10
report further on the effect Of the re-
forms she has suggested. Her report
has just been made public.
Miss Beeks gave particular attention
TO the bachelors who are carried or the
Government pay rolls for she had not
been long on the isthmus before she
learned that the married men were be
ing well taken care Of. She has asked
for special bath houses with hot water
for the unmarried employees, and some
provision made by which they may have
their laundry done. She asks for the
importation Of Chinese cooks, as the
servant problem on the isthmus is quite
rs serious as in the United States. She
pointed out in her report that poor
water makes the men drink too much
tea az dinner and too much OF other
things afterward.
Miss Beeks says that the food on the
1sthmus is fairly good, but that there
Is much room for Improvement. Many
OF the unmarried men declare they have
eaten so many eggs that they shujder
when they hear a hen cackle. Further
more, it is not safe 70 boil the eggs. so
they must either be fried or scrambled.
Tho hospital facilities are very good. &C
Cording 70 Miss Beeks, although one OF
the nurses is quoted as saying:
Tell the President we don't want
We rot .
square meal"
Another recommendation Of Miss
Beeks Is that the Government establish
a garden where vegetable may be raised
and chicken farm conducted Secre-
tary Taft ind0rses this recommendation
heartily and the Department OF Agricul-
ture will superintend the establishment
OF such a garden
ployes in the Canal Zone is recreation.
Miss Beeks says that she did not recon-
mend a Saturday half-hOliday because
there Is no place in which the men can
spend II. They do not even know what
20 do with the one day they now have.
MISS Beeks urges a "COney Island on
the IsthmCs. where the employees and
their families may nave dance halls,
shooting galleries, q theater, a race
track FOR ponies. ano, perhaps, a lake.
Steamer Service Bad.
Miss Beeks declares the steamship SER
wee between the United States and the
1sthmus. which is operated by the Pan
anna Railroad Company, is execrable.
She says this not only applies 10 the
treatment Of their own employees but
10 passengers going 20 and coming from
Panama.
The European laborers live in bar
racks. Miss Beeks reported that labor
ers. including Americans. were COM
PEELED TO buy their own blankets. Many
OF them do not do this with the result
mat there Is a great deal Of sickness
Miss Beeks recommended that * the
government would make these pro-
VISIONS II would mean a saving of hos
pltal expenses. Since she returned from
panama the Government has furnished
blankets to the negroes.
Miss Beeks believes that If newspapers
are published in English. Italian, Greek
and Spanish. telling the ships news and
other items Of interest to the laboring
force Ii would do much to content both
the foreign and American elements.
one newspaper has already been started
by the Canal Commission since Miss
Beeks made her recommendation