The state herald., 1908-10-16
TAFT THE BUILDER
His Directing Hand Has Insured
Success of the Mammoth
Project.
Raised Wages Of Isthmian Laborers
by Longevity Order While War
Secretary.

greatest achievements of any Repub-
lican administration.
AS Secretary of War, Hon. william
II. Taft personally assumed the respon-
sibiity OF inauguratinG the work and
systematically shaping up the practical
operations until degree of efficiency
has been reached that may well as
tonish the nations OF the earth.
.hIr. Taft has applied to this world
project and history making enterprise
those same qualities of careful, thought
full investigation. penetrating judgment
and absolutely fair dealing, which have
made him so signally successful in the
performance of all those duties of state
which have brought him to the high
smnence he now occupies as one Of our
greatest living Americans.
Must Know Personally.
Like the Philippine project and other
great work laid upon him. he has
studied the situation at Panama at
close range and trusted TO no second
hand Information with which to in
sure his success. There has been about
ninety million dollars expended on the
work TO date and Mr.. Taft has had to
approve every dollar OF this cxpendi-
t,ire. lie has not been satisfied with
a single visit to the lsthmus, but has
made the long journey every year so
that he might direct the work more
economically. The result is that he has
changed the situation there from an In
hospitable region TO locality where
Americans can live In healthful Sc
cnrlty without the fear OF plaques or
dread OF contagious diseases. The rate
Of mortality on the isthmus is about
the same rs 1t Is In our American cities.
stage. of tho Work.
Work on the canal has passed
through two stages. those OF planning
and preparation. II is now In the third
and final stnge. that OF construction.
Both Of the earlier stages required the
presence OF large working force.
necessarily quartered In temporary and
make shift accommodations Because
VI tifF' lh'Nlihbit Ut INV
outset, early critics Of the enterprise
mistook the initial and temporary out
nt for permanent equipment.
Thsough,fuI Aboat Labor.
Mr.. Taft's chief concern has been the
proper care Of the laborlng man on the
isthmus Under his patient and ap.
proved methods the terrible scourgc
Of yellow fever. against which the
French struggled In vain. the hlthy and
pest breeding state OF the principal
Panamanian towns. the rough labor
camps, and other pioneer hardshIps ~
Che two first erns. have been eliminated,
He has accomplished these things
Through the activity OF the Department,
81 Sanitation, the Department ~ Mu.
niclpal Engineering and the Building
Department. To-day we ind yellow
fDver driven from the lsthmus. the
lsadly stegomyia mosquito thus ren.
Gersd innocuous, malaria and pneu,
Donln greatly reduced and a high
average OF health prevailing.
Mammoth Construction Project.
President Roosevelt appointed spe.
elsl commission 10 examine tie 18th.
nlnn situation last spring. and II re,
ported Aug. q. 1905. According 10 this
spsclal report there were nt work at
the lsthmus April 30. 1905. 2d,ils men
for the Isihminn Canal Commission and
5.07b ut work for the Panama railroad,
total OF 49, ip3 men nil told Housing
this Industrial army In quick time.
With due attention 10 sanitation aud
hygiene, was n problem which would
have been beyond most men. but Mr.
Taft did II successfully.
~ keep the machinery and tools In
eoedltIon. three large machine and re,
pair shops. two shipynrds and numer
~ warehouses ARE maintained. when
~ recall that this enormous plant II
epsfsied at distance OF l.3s2 miles
fsou its nearest bas. Of supply. New
Orleans. and i.oI5 miles from It's main
bass or supply. New York. we eau es.
tluAts with more Justice and accuracy
~ magnitude and complications OF tho
uD1ogtaking Mr., Taft bas conducted 80
vull.
Wsvtiasmss Appreciate TAFT.
~ ha, succeeded In impressing labor
- ~ isthmus with his kindly inter.
- y It's behalf On this poln, the sne
~ epmmi.sion's report says "rrom
~ eutset We were strongly Impressed
~ ~ spirit, Of good will and loyalty
= ~ employees The general
eoaunsn, Of tho workers was expressed
y ~ words Of mechanic, IN one OF
~ oehferences which we held with
Popesosntstlrss OF different trades said
Nj we want Il understood that We
aru Apsfiean citizens and that we srs
Desu1 10 have share In this great
WofS. We believe the government II
lFosttns Us right. and We are ~ much
intseosted 10 see this thing . success.
= anyops' This spirit Of loyalty and