The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1908-10-30


Systematically shaping up the practical
operations until a degree Of efficiency
mas been reached that may well an
tonish the nations Of the earth
Mr. Taft has applied 70 this world
project and history making enterprise
those same qualities Of careful, thought,
ful 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 AZ 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 Sec d
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 an IN.
hospitable region to a locality where
Americans can live in heathful &C.
curity 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 tho 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 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.
Mt for permanent equipment
Throughtful About Labor.
Mr. Tafts chief concern has been the
proper care Of the laborng 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 first 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 stegomyfa mosquito thus rem
dered innocuous, malaria and pneu-
monia greatly reduced and a high
average Of health prevailing.
Mammoth Construction Project.
President Roosevelt appointed spe-
cial commission to examine the 18th
milan situation last spring, and it re-
ported Aug. 6, 1908. According to this
special report there were at work at
the lsthmus April 30, 1908. 26,11S men
for the Isthmian Canal Commission and
1915 at work for the Panama railroad.
total Of 3,193 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 it 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 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 so
we'll
WOrkinEmen Appreciate TAFT.
He has succeeded in impressins la Dor
on the lsthmus with his kindly inter-
est in its behalf. On this point The >pe.
cial commissions report says From
the outset we were strongly impressed
by the spirit Of good will and 'oya' v
Of the employees The general
sentiment OF the workers was exp,p> ID
In the words Of mechanic in OIL, IT
the conferences which we held Wits
representatives Of different trades said
he: we want 1t understood 70; we
are American citizens and that we are
proud to have share in this great
work We believe the Cover llnpnt Is
treating us right and we are us much
interested to see this thing success
as anyone This spirit of LOYALTY and
interest In the work was evidenced on
MANY occasions and should he account.
ed as an asset Of the highest value to
the government In the accomplishment
Of its colossal task"
Taft Raises WnEes.
On May /, 1907, as Secretary Of War.
Mr.. Taft issued longevity order max
ing liberal and Ippr' - incrc"s" ~
the wages Of various ,;>ses OF work
men. as follows;
"All employees not N,;ive to the trop'
les who occupy the positions here'h
designated shalt be :lANtei the :oi'"w.
inc increases in pny ;or lrnsth OF con.
tinuous service OH the sth'nus rive
per cent OF the basic or class rate Tor
the second year with accumuiativt ~
dition OF three per cent OF the haS.c
rate for each subsequent year pro-
y,ded however, that such cumulative
ma -, ,r,,,,,l "a total of &c