The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1908-10-28
TAFT THE BUILDER
sis Directing Hand Has Insured
Success of the Mammoth
Project.
Raised Wages Of Isthmian Iaborers
by Longevity Order While War
Secretary.

greatest achievements OF any. Repub
lican administration.
Az Secretary of War, Hon. william
H. Taft personally assumed the respon
sibility Of inaugurating the work ant
systematically shaping up the practica
operations until a degree Of efficiency
has been reached that may we'll as
tonish the nations Of the earth.
Mr.. Taft has applied to this worlt
project and history making enterprise
those same qualities Of careful, thought
full Investigation, penetrating judgment
and absolutely fair dealing, which have
made him 80 signally successful In the
performance of all those duties Of state
which have brought him to the high
eminence he now occupies as one of ouI
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 expendi-
ture. He has not been satisfied with
a single visit to the isthmus, 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 IN IN.
hospitable region to a locality where
Americans can live in healthful Sc
cur1ty without the fear Of plaques or
dread Of contagious diseases. The rate
OF mortality on the isthmus is about
the same as 1t is in our American cities.
Stages Of the Work.
! Work on the canal has passed
through two stages, those Of planning
and preparation. 1t is now in the third
and final stage, that Of construction.
Both Of the earlier stages required the
presence Of a large working force.
necessarily CHARTERED in temporary and
make shift accommodations. Because
Of these conditions, inevitable at the
outset. early critics of the enterprise
mistook the initial and temporary out
at for permanent equipment.
Throughtful About Labor.
Mr.. Taft's chief concern has been the
proper care Of the laboring mar on the
!sthmus. Under his patient and ap-
proved methods the terrible scourgc
Of yellow fever, against which the
French struggled in vain, the filthy and
pest breeding state Of the principal
Panamanian towns, the rough labor
camps. and other pioneer hardships of
the two first eras. have been eliminated.
He has accomplished these things
through the activity Of the Department.
Of Sanitation. the Department Of Mu.
niclpal Engineering and the Building
Department. To-day we find yellow
fever driven from the isthmus, the
deadly stegomyia mosquito thus rem.
dered %innocuous. malaria and pneu.
monia greatly reduced and a high
average OF health prevailing.
Mammoth Construction Project.
President Roosevelt appointed a spe
chl commission to examine the 18th
mian situation last spring, and it re-
ported Aug. 6, 1908. According to thi.
special report there were at work a
the lsthmus April 30, 1908, 26.l1s mel
for the lsthmian Canal Commission an,
1913 at work for the Panama railroad
a total Of 81, 1893 men all told. Housin.
this industrial army In quick time
with due attention to sanitation ant
hygiene. was a problem which woul,
have been beyond most men. But Mr.
Taft did 1t successfully.
To keep the machinery and tools I,
condition. three large machine and re
pair shops. two %shipyards and numer
Gus warehouses are maintained. Whel
we recall that this enormous plant 4
operated at a distance Of 1882 mile
from its nearest base Of supply. New
Orleans. and 1875 miles from its mai,
base of supply, New York. we can es
innate with more justice and accuracy
the magnitude and complications Of III,
undertaking Mr.. Taft has conducted q,
well.
WoPkingmen Appreciate Taft.
He has succeeded in impressing labo1
on the Isthmus with his kindly inter
est In its behalf. On this point the she
cial commissions report says: "Frou
the outset we were strongly impresse,
by the spirit of good will and loyalt,
Of the employees = The genera
sentiment Of the workers was espresso,
in the words of a mechanic, in one q
the conferences which We held witt
representatives OF different trades. Sal,
he: We want 1t understood that ~
are American citizens and that we ar
proud to have a share In this crea
work. We believe the government |
treating us right. and We are US niue,
interested to see this thing a success
as anyone This spirit Of loyalty nm,
interest in the work was evidenced O,
manv occasions and should ho ocoo,,,.