The Whitefish pilot. [volume] (Whitefish, Mont.) 1904-current, 1908-10-23
TAFT THE BUILDER
Ills Directing Hand Has insured
Success Of the Mammoth
Project.
Raised Wages Of Isthmian Laborers
By Longevity Order While War
Secretary.

A. Secretary Of War, Hon. william
H. Taft personally assumed the respon-
sibility Of inaugurating the work and
systematically shaping up the practical
operations until a degree Of efficiency
has been reached that may well as
tonish the nations Of the earth.
Mr.. 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 30 signally successful in the
performance Of oil those duties Of state
which have brought him to the high
eminence 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 expendi-
ture. He has not been satisfied with
a single visit to the isthmus. but has
made the long Journey every year 50
that he might direct the work more
economically. The result 10 that he has
changed the situation there from an IN.
hospitable region to q locality where
Americans can live in healthful Sc
curity without the fear OF plaques or
dread OF contagious diseases. The rate
Of mortality on the isthmus Is about
the same as It IL 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 q large working force.
necessarily quartered In temporary and
make shift accOmmodat ions Because
Of these conditions. inevitable at the
outset, early critics Of the enterprise
mistook the initial and temporary out
At for perma nent equipment.
Throughtful About Labor.
Mr.. Taft's chief concern has been the
proper care Of the laboring man on the
isthmus. Under his patient and ap-
proved methods the terrible scourge
Of yellow fever, against which the
French struggled in vain. the filthy and
pest breeding state Of the principal
Panamanfan 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. Depa rtment 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 Csnstssssse. Project.
President Roosevelt appointed a spe
cial commission to examine the 18th
milan situation last spring. and Il re
ported Aug. q. 1908. According to th,,
special report there were at work a,
the Isthmus April 30. 1905. 26.lls mer
for the lsthmian Canal Commission and
1918 at work for the Panama railroad
q total Of 33,l03 men all told. Housins
this industrial army In quick time
with due attention to sanitation ant
hygiene. was q problem which wouIt
have been beyond most uen. But Mr
Taft did It successfully.
To keep the machinery and tools I,
condition. three large machine aud re
pair shops, two shipyards and numer
Gus warehouses are maintained. Whe,
we recall that this enormous plant |,
operated at distance Of 1882 mile,
from ito nearest base OF supply, New
Orleans, and 1878 miles from its mai,
base Of supply, New York. we can e.
innate with more Justice and accuracy
the magnitude and complications OF til,
undertaking MIR. Taft has conducted .,
well.
werks.gnsn Appreciate Taft.
He has succeeded In ilnpressinR Iabo,
on the lsthn,us with bis kindly inter
est In its behalf. On this point the spe
ciai commissions report says: Prom
the outset We were strongly impresse,
by the spirit OF good will and ioyalt,
Of the employees 80 The genera
sentiment Of the workers was exprss,e,
In the words Of q mechanic, iu Que q
the conferences which We held Will
representatives Of different trades Sal,
he: We want II understood that "
are American citizens and that We ar
proud to have a share In this grea
work. We believe the government 4
treating 10 right. and we are as mucI
interested to see this thing a succes
a. anyone This spirit OF loyalty IN,
interest In the work was evidenced o.
many occasions and should BE- account
I'd a. an asset Of the highest value +
the government In the Accomplishment
Of In colossal task"
TAFT Raisss Wasss.
On May I. 1907. q Secretary OF Wa,
Mr.. TAFT issued . longevity order ma
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