Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-06
REJECTS THE DEMAND
Secretary Taft Refuses to Raise
Pay of Canal Workmen.
APPROVED BY PRESIDENT
Believes the Existing Rate of Wages
is Liberal One.
HIGHER THAN IN THE STATES
Difference in Favor Of the Isthmian
Standard Of From Is to IS
Per Cent.
HIGHER THAN IN THE STATES

0tdAOnAu VI : AOAA ~ w Wv
Per Cent.
A far-reaching decision by Secretary
Taft affecting rates of pay, hours OF labor,
ETC., on the Isthmus Of Panama, following
his recent personal investigation of the
various complaints received here from time
to time. has been approved by President
Roosevelt The decision applies to three
classes of canal employes-frst steam
shovemen, embracing engineers, crane
men and flremen: second, construction 10
connective engineers, and third, construction
train conductors.
One of the grievances Of the men was
the putting into operation on April 1 Of
new regulations restricting leave Of alb
sence or leave on account Of sickness. On
that question the Secretary says:
TT seems to me that good faith requires
that the old regulations as to leave shall
not be materially changed and shall re-
main as part of the contract of service Of
those now on the isthmus, and that, while
there are some provisions In the new regu-
lations which would make for the more
stringent enforcement of the governments
rights and more certainly avoid possible
fraud. they. would not be made applicable
to men who came to the isthmus under the
old regulations
missal without hearing or giving reasons,
which was complained of by the canal en-
ployes, Secretary Taft says that ne mas
given his approval Of the plan OF Col.
Goethals. whereby it is proposed to dis
pose of such cases through a committee
consisting of one representative Of the
craft of the employe proposed for dismissal,
one representing the foreman or mgher
1;co ND
senting the commission, final action to be
taken by the commission.
Much attention is then given to the
question of wages Of the steam shovel
men, who on March / last applied for in
creases as follows: Engineers, from $40
to $500 per month; cranemen, from $3.50
to $3.50 per month: fremen, from $50. 30 to
$40 per month In reaching the conclusion
that the present rates of pay are liberal
ones Secretary Taft says
Liberal Rate of Pay.
After giving the matter the considera-
ton which it's Importance deserves and
after weighing the comparative advantages
which the isthmian shovelmen enjoy over
their brother in the states, with the dis
advantages which they have to bear in
going to and living on the isthmus, have
reached the conclusion that the existing
standard of pay for the shovel engineers
and fertiori for the cranemen Is a liberal
one, and ought not to be increased except
under some provision of reasonable in
crease applicable to all veteran skilled
employees of the commission who are paid
by class rates. AS already seen, the rates
paid to the isthn1ian shovel engineers are
certainly from 25 to 80 per cent higher
than. the average of those paid in the
| states. and this by no means gives all
the difference in favor of the isthmian
terms of employment.
1T may be that service on the isthmus
| is attended with greater discomfort and
greater risk in Illness than that in the
states, due to the climatic conditions, and
that the distance from home, the difficulty
of securing usual and rational amusements
and the naturally depressing effect of con-
tinued high temperature make the service
on the isthmus less desirable than that in
the United States. But it is to be re-
| marked that the original conditions of I'M
healthfulness which existed wnen the
| original rate for shovelmen was fixed in
| 1904 have been greatly bettered; that the
yellow fever has been stamped out; that
| the rate of death and sickness among
Americans is exceedingly low. and that
life on the isthmus is becoming more and
| more like that in the United States, and
| this improvement Is certain to continue.
The opportunity to visit the United States
| each year. If improved, is a great aid in
maintaining health.
Question of Health.
ut has been urged that service on the
| isthmus so underm:nes the health of the
| steam shovelman that he is utterly I'M
| fitted for work in the United States when
| he returns. 1 cannot agree with this view
The health statistics and the general con-
dition of the Americans on the isthmus
| refute the claim.
! 1T is also said with truth that service
| under the commission is attended with q
possible risk of personal injury due to the
| negligence of superior officers, damages for
l lob - - Z
| from the commission, while such injuries
! as are due to the negligence of contractors
in the United States entitle employees of the
contractors to compensation.
| 1T is, of course, difficult to weigh the
| money measure which should be allowed for
the disadvantage which American labor
ers and employees on the isthmus have to
bear, but one must be arrived at: and, after
| giving full effect to all the considera-
| tons stated. am strongly Of opinion that
| the rate of wages on the isthmus, taken
| with the advantages which are enjoyed by
the shovelmen on the isthmus under their
| terms of employment, are sufficiently in
! excess of the annual rates of wages in the
United States fully to make up for the
| greater strain and risk upon the employees
| on the isthmus. There is a difference in
| favor of the isthmian fiat rate of wages
| of from % to 80 per cent, while the GER
| tainty of twelve months employment out
I of the year. the six weeks leave with pay,
| together with free quarters, free fuel and
| free light and free medical attendance carry
| the advantage of the isthmian rates of
| wages expressed in percentage easily to IS
per cent Mr. Shonts and Mr.. Stevens make
| the percentage considerably over this
| Favors Increase
| The petition of the construction locomo-
| tive engineers next is taken up, and after
alluding to the fact that these men started
| at $50, the Secretary says that inasmuch
as it seems to be conceded that they as we'll
as steam shovel engineers in the United
| States receive about the same rate of
| pay, the salaries should be fixed at $40 a
| month, the amount asked.
| The proposition of Mr.. Stevens and Col
| Goethals to increase the pay of construc-
| ton train conductors from $40 to $3.50
per month, Secretary Taft thinks reason
| able. They have asked for the same wages
as the engineers, to wit, $780, He holds
| that there is no ground for maintaining
! an equality between the wages of the two.
| 1.-The preparation needed to fit a man to be
ia construction train conductor" he re-
marks, sis much less than that needed to
| fit a man to be either a freight conductor
/, or the engineer of a construction train"
| The Eight-Hour Law