The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1906-1908, 1908-10-10
TAFT THE BUILDER
ais Directing Hand Has Insured
Success of the Mammoth
Project.
Raised Wages of Isthmian Laborers
by Longevity Order While War
Secretary.

The Panama Canal is one of the
greatest achievements of any Repub-
lican administration.
As Secretary of War. Hon. William
H. Taft personally assumed the respon-
sibility 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.
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 so 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 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 OF 70 hn tea h,,E
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.
hospltable region to a 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 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 n large working force.
necessarily chartered in temporary and
make shift accommodations Racauen
oil these conditions inevitable at tho
outset, early critics of the enternrise
mlstook the initial and temporary out
bit for permanent equipment.
ThroughtfuI About Labor.
Mr., Tafts chief concern has been the
proper care of the laboring man on the
sthmus. Under his patient and ap-
proved methods the terrible scourge
IF yellow fever against which the
french struggled in vain, the filthy and
]est breeding state of the principal
'anamanian towns, the rough labor
amps, and other pioneer hardships of
ne two first eras, have been eliminated
he has accomplished these things
hrough the activity of the Department
II Sanitation, the Department of Mu-
hcipal Engineering and the Building
department.. To-day we find yellow
ever driven from the isthmus. the
eadly stegomyia mosquito thus rem
Tered innocuous, malaria and pneu-
nonia greatly reduced and high |
yerage of health prevailing.
Mammoth Construction Project.
President Roosevelt appointed a spe-
ial commission to examine the 18th
nian situation last spring, and it re-
'orted Aug, g. 1908 According to this
pecial report there were at work at |
he Isthmus April 80 1908, 26,11S men
Or the lsthmian Canal Commission and
,Ofo at work for the Panama railroad,
total of 33, men all told Housing
his industrial army in quick time.
With due attention to sanitation and
Vgiene, was problem which would
AVE been beyond most men. But Mr.
aft did 1t successfully.
70 keep the machinery and tools in
three large machine and re-
air shops. two Shipyards and numer-
rs warehouses are maintained. When
e recall that this enormous plant is
)erated at distance of 1882 miles
ON its nearest base of supply, New
rleans, and 1915 miles from its main
Use OF supply New York, we can es-
mate with more Justice and accuracy
le magnitude and complications of the
ndertaking Mr.. Taft has conducted so
ell
WOrkinEmen Appreciate Taft.
He has succeeded in impressing labor
the lsthmus with his kindly inter
It In its behalf. On this point the spe-
al commissions report says: From
he outset We were strongly impressed
y the spirit of good will and loyalty
the employees The general
ntiment of the workers was expressed
the words Of a mechanic, in one of
e conferences which we held with
Of different trades. Said
; We want 1t understood that we
e American citizens and that we are
'oud to have a share in this great
ork. We believe the government Is
eating us right, and we are as much
terested to see this thing q success
Z