La Junta tribune., 1908-10-17
TAFT THE BUILDER
His Directisg Hasd Has Insured
Sseeess ei 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-
sibility OF inausurating the work and
systematically shaping up the practical
operations until n degree OF efficiency
has been reached that may well as
tonish the nations OF the earth.
Mr.. Taft has applied 10 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.
Mast 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. lie 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 an In
hospitable region to a locality where
Americans can live in healthful Sc
cnrity 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 q large working force.
necessarily quartered 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
TArosghtfsl 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
Panamanian towns. the rough labor
camps, and other pioneer hardships of
the two hrst eras, have been eliminated.
He has accomplished these things
through the activity OF the Department
Of Sanitation, the Department Of Mu-
nicipal Engineering and the Building
Department. To-day we find yellow
fever driven from the isthmus. the
deadly stegomyia mosquito thus rem
6ered innocuous. malaria and pneu-
monia greatly reduced aud high
average of health prevailing.
Mammoth Constraetion Project.
President Roosevelt appointed a spe-
cial commission to examine the 18TH
mian situation last spring. and 1t re-
ported Aug. 9, 1908. According to this
the Isthmus April 80, 1908, 26.11S men
for the Isthmian Canal Commission and
7.o7b at work for the Panama railroad,
q total Of 80, 1913 men all told. Housing
this industrial army in quick time,
with due attention to sanitation and
hygiene. was a problem which would
have been beyond most men. But Mr..
Taft did 1t successfully.
To keep the machinery and tools in
condition, three large machine and re-
pair shops. two shipyards and numer-
GUS warehouses are maintained. When
we recall that this enormous plant is
operated at a distance Of 1882 miles
from its nearest base Of supply, New
Orleans, and 1875 miles from Its main
base Of supply, New York, we can es-
innate with more Justice and accuracy
the magnitude and complications Of the
undertaking Mr.. Taft has conducted 10 |
well.
Weskingnsn Appreciate Taft.
He has succeeded in impressing labor
sa the Isthmus with his kindly inter
ct In its behalf. On this point the spe-
dial commission's report says: From
he outsst We were strongly impressed
b he spirit Of good viii and loyalty
Ct the employees The general |
ssatimsnt Of the workers was expressed
n the words Of . mechanic. In one Of |
~ eunfefencss which We held witt
representatives Of different trades Said
As: We want It understood that We |
ers American citizens and that ws are |
peoud to have 4 shars n this great |
work. We believe the government =
treating ~ right, and ~ are - much |
infsrsstsd to ~ this tAing Q soeos0 |
q anyons' This spirit q Legality an1