The Washington times., 1909-12-01
ISTHhUS WORKERS
WANT MORE WAGES
Discomfort Rife Among
Americans at Panama
Despite High Wages.

90 no work 8nd demanded an. iuc-e8se
En- "a gceS. THEN request WAS Denied. a
strike Followed and IN the midst OF 80
"a cahlegr8n vas received frcui Wash
iraton .8sliL1ling "a scheme OF longevity
eaN. ibis was Co aPp., Co steam shovel
uecc locomotive engineers, ana conduct
CTS.
The rsan was 90 encourage workmen
10 rerfar, on the isthuus. q g per cent
decrease ln wages automatically going
irte effect at che end OF one year and
per ceDt each sUrce sding Year until
u peg cent was reached. me order
meant an annual Increase tn the cost
Of the canal OF NaoO00
Discomfort Created.
More important stiu Il created general
dissatisfaction among the employees who
who Vvero not permitted 20 draw lon
eeyity pay. This dissatisfaction became
50 great that Congress was confronted
with the necessity Of granting longevity
pay to all Americans at an annual cost
OF one million dollars year. or en-
tircly cutting OF the longevity pay.
Tho latter course was decided upon
and made a law by means Of a ltnita-
tion written into the sundry civil .ap-
preparation bill at the last session Of
the SiNtieth Congress. Under the pro-
visions of the limiting clause the lon
geVtty plan ceased on and after July J..
Of The present year. although longevity
pay earned ND to that time would con-
tinue 10 be paid Quite some time be-
fore this legislation was enacted into
law employees CT the Panama railroad
enjoyed The privilege OF longevity pay,
which only served to increase the dis
satisfaction Of men employed ilI canal
work
The result Of the legislation has been
a demand Tor the restoration Of lOngev-
ity pay from one end of the isthmus 20
\. L
every class Of American workman. II
the wOrknen making the demand were
not treated generously in the matter Of
wages there might be some justification
IN their complaint that they are being
treated shabbily.
As matter OF fact. however. every
class OF workman on the canal zone is
being paid higher wages than prevailed
in the United States before our Govern
n1ent took possession Of the canal, and
higher than they will receive upon re-
turning TO the United States. Steam
shovel men. for instance, have a month
" wage OF $40. MANY Of the men en-
loylnE longevity privileges are today
drawing as high as S3sE a month. The
same class Of .WOrkmS1 in the United
states usually receives SIPS a month.
and IN some Instances a bonus OF SIS or
so at the end Of the season.
Twelve Months Work.
Steam shovel work in the United
States seldom runs more than
rine months I'm the year On the
Isthmus OF Panama there is twelve
months work every year. Locomotive
engineers receive the same compensa
ton as the steam shovel men. In the
United States their pay would average
between $50 and $50 a month. Train
men receive S1S5 a month, and con-
ouctors $50. and this, with or without
longevity. gives them a wage far in ex-
cess of that paid for similar services on
any railroad in the United States
What is true OF the steam shovel men
is equally true of every other branch
OF work on the isthmus Skilled work
men in the Government navy yards are
the highest paid In the United States
IL is fair. therefore to compare the
wages paid on the isthmus with those
paid at other plants owned bv the Gov
eminent.
The average pay for a general black
smith at the navy yards is 1851 A day.
On the isthmus the average pay Il S44.
an increase Of 81 per cent. The average
pay OF a machine blacksmith i'm the
States is S3.S2 a day On the fsthrnus
the average is S5.25 ? day, an increase OF
= per cent. Bricklayers or masone
average S4S3 a day at a navy yard:
down here they average 1916. an in
crease OF 10 per cent General boiler
makers at navy yard average s.. a a
= day. on canal work the average Is
1886. an increase Of Al per cent. HOUSE
carpenters employed by the Govern
ment IN the United States have az aver
age wage Of S-53, on the canal their
average is &.36. an increase. Of 80 per