The Washington herald., 1909-02-04

one OF the NEST significant announce
ments that has come from Panama in a
long time is that the labor problem on
the isthmus has been solved. and that
the supply OF labor Is now greater than
the needs OF the canal work Recruiting
agents who had been stationed at the
labor centers OF the world have been
called in. and the canal authorities say
that all that remains TO be done is TO
keep a watchufuI eye against any de-
terioration OF the force. The day OF I'M
porting men seems to be completely past.
and the commission is able to find all the
new men II needs without leaving the
isthmps TO seek them.
When the people OF the United States
were considering the question OF taking
upon themselves the burden OF fulfilling
the age-long desire for a canal at Pan
anna they did not consider that the de-
termining factor which would make for
the success OF failure Of the undertaking
was the problem Of engineering They
knew that IL American engineers were
given the means the end would surely
follow II was the labor problem that
threatened to prevent forever the accom-
pIishment Of the vision OF COlumbus-the
two oceans united
4 bad reputation had to be lived down.
Did not the whole world know that the
construction Of the Panama Railroad had
meant the death Of Chinaman for every
lie driven? Did not the islanders Of the
West Indies remember the thousands and
thousands OF their people who had died
nameless deaths in the course OF the
French work on the isthmus? Was not
the isthnus known as one Of the pest
holes OF the earth, a place where the
chances Of life and death were always
in favor OF the latter?
When the canal commission started into
the work Of recruiting a labor force It
seemed that the worst fears OF that
period were 10 be realized Recruiting
agents were about as welcome IN the
various labor centers as a slave-trsder
would have been. To say Panama 70
& Iaborer was in MS mind an invitation
10 serfdom in a region where a million
foes luTked in every jungle-foes that
could not be seen or fOrefended against
Even foreign governments felt the same
way about It, and sought 10 thwart the
efforts Of the recruiting agents
The commission was forced to resort
10 the publication Of a long list OF an
davits from labOrers engaged on the
isthmus, showing the fair treatment they
were receiving. the good wages they were
being paid. and the fair health conditions
that prevailed But even this did not
satisfy the minds Of the suspicious Ia
borers OF the tropics and OF spain and
Italy. On the whole, the prospect was q
distinctly uninviting one II seemed that
the bad reputation OF the isthmus would
be the Undoing OF the work.
Meanwhile the sanitary brigade was
busy. The whole world knows the story
Of its fight against the fifty kinds oi
mosquitoes that infested the isthmus
and its conversion from g pest hole into
q near-heaIth resort The Few contented
laborers who came 10 the zone we're in
duced 10 write letters back home telling
Of the good pay and the honest treat
ment they received, and the shining
sheksls they sent along told a convincing
tale Of their prosperity. These stories
finally became a matter Of neighhorhood
gossip at home. and. inch by inch, the
isthmus succeeded IN living down its
horrible reputation. Gradually the work
Of recruiting became easier. and to-day
II is a finished task.
At the outset Il was declared that no
BODY but Cinnamon could Withstand tht
climate OF the isthmus To-day theJ
have fifty-two nationaiities at work. and
every one OF them enjoys equal health
The vast majority OF the workers art
West Indian negroes Here again ont
finds e marvellous thing. From the Amer
ican standpoint WeT- Indian negroes Il
their native haunt know as little abou
work as a professional hobo. ABOUT tn
only real work they ever do IN theil
native land IS chop bamboo poles fol
kindling wood and gather bananas.
When they arrive on the isthmUS theJ
ere almost entirely lacking IN knOWlsdg'
Of construction work II takes three o.
them 10 lift q stick OF timber that one
healthy Spaniard could handle. Il Is on
OF this material that the commission has
had 70 make s. per cent Of its labol
force. And each year II has 20 90 ths
same thing over again. as the entire labor
force changes IN about twelve months
IN a year The average West Indian negro
can save enough 10 become a sort OF
PieTpOnt Morgan in his little circle a.
home He gets 13 1-3 cents an hour. sill
yer. in addition 70 board and lodging
re is thus able TO save 500 a wear. Wher
he gets back home that 800 viii buy hin
several acres OF ground. build him G
shack, and get him a wife. together witt
a life OF comparative ease and inde
Pendence the rest OF his days. It con.
verts him into a sort OF nabob amons
his fellows. As ore goes bach. home IN.
der such prosperous conditions Il IS but
little wonder that two want 70 succeed
him on the canal Fifty cents a day
with board and lodging thrown IN. Is Z
fine income 70 one who has been WORKING
All his life for a shilling q day and board.
ing himse1f-especiaIly when he has r
work only eight hours on the 5o-cent 5ot
as compared with eleven hours on -
shilling job
That is the secret Of the labor success
In Panama It IS the most attractive
proposition the West Indian negro Ia,
ever net and he is not going to give II
up until he has made bis pile out OF Il
ne same IS true OF the SpRniar6s. When
one watches them from the commission
pay car they seem indeed ike dumb
driven cattle, but they, too. know a good
thing when they see II. Three hundred
dollars a year clear money IS a tremen.
dous Pile 10 them, and many Of then
are bringing their families 70 the isth.
mus, settling on commission lands, pre-
pared 10 stay for the grand finale. There
are about 5000 Of these Spaniards O.
the Job, and it IS 10 their example thai
the efficiency Of the West Indian negro
is largely due.
Although the commission provides FREE
quarters for the West Indians, over z. 90
Of them prefer 10 furnish their owr
quarters IN the native towns OF in ths
bush. The commission furnishes quar-.
rcr- ~ T-E71-