New-York tribune., 1908-08-24

there were 1881 gold employees" and 1882
silver employees" -
The gold employees" are those paid in ls gola'
-,asrIy All OF whom are Americans on the clerl-
cal force and skilled mechanics Inc slVeE
employees are those paid in silver, aho are
nearly all foreigners mainly unskilied laoorers'
GOOD SERVICE SECURED
7. s,eat;ne of the morale of the service. the
report says:
From the outset we were strongly mp pc &c
hy the spirit OF good viii ana ioyaitg ,1;t Ut ~
av,nIovss fnspired through the accesslplity oi
the chief engineer, Colonel George w toelLiatS' .
to all eornplainants, and his prompt -
ton in person or by deputy OF an IN
made The complaint bureau, under the seCIe
rarv of the commission, Joseph b bisnop li
contributed to the same end This spirit OF 10y
aItv and interest in the work was eVioehceu ~
,nonx- occasions and should be counted an as
SET OF the highest value TO the soVernIneh. -, LlI
the accomplishment of its colossal TASK. 1ie ~.
American people are entitled to just prloe IA
+ha standard set by their government for the
treatment OF the workers and the LOYAL service
which has been the appropriate resultant
The commission calls attention to the con1pli-
Gated system of supervision over the quarters
Of the employees and the provisions made for
feeding the vast army of workingn1en. On this
point the report says:
The expense of this cumbrous system Of su-
pervision seemed to us unnecessarily sreaL
The salaries Of four superinteDdents at $40
per month amounted to S1.1G0 per month, and
the salaries of fourteen supervisors at S1f5 per
month amounted to S245o per month. total of
$3.50 per month or $40. 600 per annum for su-
rerintendents alone One competent. expert
enced superintendent should be sufficient to
superintend and supervise the entire service
The commission recommends providing dry
ing rooms as q preventive of pneumonia
and other diseases. 1t also says that every Eu-
ropeau or West Indian on his arrival should be
required to provide himself with two blankets
and two suits OF underclothing. Uniform and
vigorous measures for the determination of
VerTnin urged. the commission calling atten-
ton to the fact that the superintendents and
supervisors have received no specific instruc-
tions regarding this.
revision of the wage schedule would work
to advantage, the commission finds. The re-
port deals with this subject follows:
The wage scale should be simplffied the
grades reduced in number and the same pay
and hours required for similar service for the
Isthmian Canal Commission and the Panama
Railroad Company. Much cause for existing
complaints would be eliminated by the above
mentioned changes
The commission dwells st length on the diff
Guilty Of holding skilled worknen at the isthmus
and in this respect says that the wage rates paid
the isthnus only 10 per cent higher than
the rates paid on building construction work in
the city Of New York It recommends that no
reductions be made.
FOR BENEFIT OF THE WORKERS.
Regarding the number Of hours the employees
should be asked TO work. the report says:
TeIegraphers and train dispatchers on the
Panama Railroad should receive by executive
order the benefit Of the provisions of the So
called hours of service law, passed at the last
session of Congress, and should therefore not
he required 70 give more than nine hours OF
service daily, except in case of extraordinary
emergency.
In this connection it Is proper TO record that
found the eight-houT law faithfully enforced
in the entire service of the Isthmian Canal Com
mission.
Vacation privileges should be granted to all
gold employees" equal terms. the commission
recommends
AS to investigating and disposing Of COM
plants made by workfnen etc, the commission
reports:
labor secretary to the commission should
be appointed. whose duty II shall be to investi
gate all complaints in relation TO conditions OF
employment, subsistence and accommodation
and to report thereon to the chairman Of the
commission
Adequate compensation for those injured while
st work on the canal is recommended. AS al
present provided by Law. injured workmen are
TO resume work" In case of death the widow
children and dependent parents receive the
h workman's wages for the rest of the year. The
" commission finds this law inadequate regarding
cases Of permanent disablement and recon-
Tnends pensions for the injured men for the res
of their lives In the case of death Of unmar.
ried employees II considers that dependent rea.
tives should get five years Of half pay. On the
death Of married employees, an allowance Of 81
Per cent is recommended for the widow.
In conclusion the commission states that il
desires TO emphasize three striking excellencies
of the canal administration These are first
the recognition by the government that thu
housing, feeding and health Of its employees beal
vital relation TO their economic efficiency and
a consequence the government has been q biz
to take UP and successfully carry on a worl
that had been abandoned by another govern
'nent. with q high average Of health and work
ing power Of its employees second, the i'm
proved relationship between the government ant
the enploye which makes II now possible for thu
workingman TO have his complaints investigated
and, if proved. rectihed; third. the liberal pro
vision that is now made for relief in cases o
temporary disa bity.
WOODRUFF HUGS CAMP.