Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-05-06

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, IL improved, Is a great aid in main
tanning health 1t has been urged that
service on the sthmus so undermines the
health Of the steam shovelman that he Is
utterly untitled for work in the United
States when he returns. cannot agree
with this view The health statistics and
the general condition of the Americans on
the isthmus refute the claim.
Advantages Outweigh DlsadvantREcS.
1T IL also said with truth that service
under the commission is attended with a
possible risk Of personal injury, due to the
negligence Of superior officers, damages
for which are not recoverable under the
Law from the commission, while such in
juries as are due to the negligence Of con-
tractors in the United States entitle en-
ployes Of the contractors to compensation.
Il am strongly of the opinion that the
rate Of wages on the isthmus, taken with
the advantages that are enjoyed by the
shovelmen on the isthmus under their terms
OF employment, are sufficiently in excess
OF the usual rates Of wages in the United
strain and risk on the employees on the
isthmus. There is a difference in favor of
the isthmian fiat rate Of wages of from
Is TO S5 per cent, while the certainty OF
twelve months employment out OF the
year, the six weeks leave with pay, to-
gether with free quarters, free fuel and
free light and free medical attendance,
carry the advantage of the isthmiah rates
OF wages expressed in percentage easily
to Is per cent.
There are not more than seventy steam
shovel engineers and not more than sew
enty cranesmen ON the isthmus and the
additional expenditure to which the gov
eminent would be put in increasing their
wages might be comparatively small, but
the truth is that the rate of wages paid
to steam shovelers is regarded on the 18TH
mus and properly regarded, as the basis
for fixing rates of all the other American
construction employees who are paid class
rate"
Increase for Long Service.
Secretary Taft takes issue with the steam
shovelmen in their contentious that they
were told they might count on a gradual
increase in their wages and that the one
increase they had received was equiva-
lent to a bonus and therefore was no in
crease at all He says the increase granted
was greater than any possible bonus and
that moreover Their was nothing in the con-
tract or printed announcement which as
sured these employees a gradual increase
Of pay, He adds, however, that the gov
eminent may we'll AFFORD in Its own in
terest, as well as in the interest Of the EN-.
ployes, to pay a premium for length OF
service, such as obtains in the army His
Recommendation on this subject has beer
approved and the commission will be di.
rected by the president to put the plar
into effect at once II provides an increase
OF per cent OF the class or basic rate PAID
TO all skilled men, engineers, conductor,
ana mechanics who are from the United
States. This will add 3 per cent to tn,
salaries OF some of the steam shovelmer
and other employees now and will iuure t.
the benefit Of the other employees If ant
when their length OF service in the class
reaches the required period.
The petition Of the construction loco
motive engineers is next taken up and al
iuding to the fact that these men started
at sl6A the secretary says that inasmucl
o. II seems to be conceded that they as wei
as steam shovel engineers in the United
States receive about the same rate of pa.
the salaries should be fixed at $40 month
the amount asked.