The Democratic advocate., 1909-02-12

4 cavation Is proceeding at q rate that
I was never dreamed OF, even In the
I most sanguine estimates OF the engi-
neers. During March OF last year,
about 3h million cubic yards was ex-
cavated; and II Is possible that an
even greater maximum will be obtain
cd In the dry season OF the present
/ year. The excavation will be COM
/ pleted long before the locks and dams
are finished Tho examination by
bore holes and test pits has shown the
| character OF the ground for both dams
and locks to be favorable. and II is
4 probable that the Commission Of Engi-
/ neers, which Is now at the Isthmus
I with Mr.. Taft will report In favor Of
/ completing the canal upon the plan
which we have outlined above.
4 As the lsthmus OF Panama Is sit
uated In the Torrid Zone, II has a
! tropical climate with little vari-
alton, the average daily range being
I from " 70 So degrees IN summer or
winter. The summers are trying to
I strangers on account OF the humidity
In the rainy season. The Canal Zone
! proper Is 10 miles wide aud about e.
miles long. The cities OF Colon and
I Panama are not under American iuris-
( diction, save In he matter OF SANTA
ton; but there are numerous small
towns OF from 100 10 5000 inhabitants
under the direction OF the United
States. Exclusive OF Colon and Pan
anna. there are about $4,000 people on
the Canal Zone. About six thousand
OF these are American employees. and
hfteen hundred Of them are American
women and children.
Though much OF the business Is
transacted IN Washington, the 18TH
milan Canal Commission has It's head.
quarters on the isthmus The work
is done under several departments.
and employees are assigned 10 their
respective departments Immediately
on reaching the lathmus. Clerks
bookkeepers. stenoEraphers, type.
writer's surgeons. physicians. fore
men. hiacksmitha. brickiayera. carpcn-
terA, train conductors. firemen, iron-
workers. nlasOnB. painters. plastcrers
plumbers, quHrrymen, tlnsmiths. wire
men, are among the many who find
positions on the Isthmus today. Men
who have specialized are desired. and
there ~ no demand for unskilied
American labor. The lAborers come
from the isthmuA. West Indies aud
Southern Europe. Many OF the skill
ed employees have 10 pass a civil ser
vice examination.
Most of those employed on the
Pansma canal sail from New York.
though steamers run from New
Orleans and the Pacific ports. They
ere furnished free steamboat trans.
portation, and are advised TO carry
llEhi-vciEht clothing. Khaki Is OK
trnHivcly used for work dress. and
white linen for evening wear When
the employee gets to Panama. he finds
buildings constructed on the best prin-
esples Of sanitation That food may
be preserved and shipped properly.
there are refrigerator plants on the
government steamers. cold storage
plants NJ the ports. and refrigerator
ears ON The Panama Railroad In this
way food " transported under con
tlnu0aS refrigeration from the United
States 10 dwellings in Panama.
Hotels aud meas houses have been
established along The lire Of the
canal, aud some ffteen are conducted
for the white employees. II is not In
tended 10 make any proht on these.
hpi 10 give food. cooked aud uneook-
Cd. NJ cost prices plus the actual cost
ot importation, II IL calculated
that for thirty cents high grade em-
ployct cen obtain a meal. aud labor.
ct can get ono for ten cents A course
dinner at a hotel costa from frty TO
ReFfn!y-iiye cents One Of the worst
problems tina, faced the Commission
was the feeding OF the unskiiled Ia
borera, who are largely recruited from
the blacks. There seemed no food Of
q price low enough TO induce them 10
cat Cooked food ai ten cents a meal
and uncOoked food AZ a less price
we're both refused. After several ex.
periments food WAS cooked end given
them. and they ate II heartily. II was
decided TO pay them q certain rate per
hour and their board This not only
solves the problem. but. Il ia hoped.
viii Increase their ability 90 with
stand disease. These are not the only
provisions made by Uncle Sam for hls
people, for nearly four hundred
separate houses and thirteen large
buildings have been constructed for
married couples. and there are sew
eral buildings where bachelors are
housed free OF charge. These are
f"ihaNs tuIuihheu anu tuets tieeNflc
light. and water are given free. The
problem OF a supply OF drinking water
has been solved by the construction
OF reservoirs NJ different points along
the Canal Zone.
All employees are allowed free med
lcal, surgical. and hospital attendance.
and practically every religious denom-
ination Is represented, Chaplains hold
service. visit the hospitals. and are
now urging the erection of buildings
which can be used as churches and for
lodge urposes. The public school syB-
tem IL essentially American. Amerl-
can teachers are employed, American
school books and songs are used. and
the nag floats over every school house.
Realizing that the white people would
be thrown entirely on their own re-
sources for entertainment. the Com
mission Is building clubhouse or
recreation hall In each OF the villages
under the Jurisdiction of the United
States. These strrctuFes--those In
Vulebra. Empire, Gorgona. and cris-
tobal are finlshed--contaip a parlor,
| card room, billiard and writing room.
and assembly hall. Each has a IL
brary of FIVE hundred volumes, and
weekly and monthly periodicals and
newspapers are subscribed for. A
comprehensive plan has been devised
whereby the Commission working
with the Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation manages these buildings. and
good entertainments are given, the en-
tertainers coming from the States and
ranking with those employed by first
class lyceums. There are also many
social, athletic. and literary clubs
among the employees
The canal will be open In 1915. II
Will have cnsf na nrnhahlu nnf Inca