Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-12-03

eight-hour working day prevails and
the work Is from 7 to IL A. M, and
] to 5 p. NJ, with two hours fol-
luncheon and siesta. There are 7,
NJ. c. A. stations, churches, and clubs
for the employees. The government
furnishes quarters, light. fuel and, II
desired, food. This latter at prices
! which appear ridiculously low COM
pared with the states, free schools,
free medical and hospital attendance
AID pay salaries 35 tol55 per cent.
above those paid for similar work in
the United States. A laundry, own
ed and operated by the government,
does work for all employees and
charges rs to 40 per cent. less than
those in the United States. Employ
es receive distilled water free. They
get Ice from the government at a
cheap figure. II they desire they
can live at the government hotels
and pay just thirty cents for a meal
which cannot be obtained in the
United States for seventy-fve cents,
or 81. This is only open for govern
ment employees. The worker ON the
canal can smoke cigars which would
cost fifteen cents straight in the
States, but which an obIigfng com
missary sells for SIX cents each. His
wife may purchase real Irish linen
at one-half the price to her sister In
the States. The reason Is that there
In no duty on imports to the zone
when they are brought In by the
government.
The United Press correspondent
with President Taft asked an engi-
neer on one of the big locomotives
to tell him what he thought Of the
work on the Zone. We'll" he said,
"I'm not a main line engineer and
/ get only $3.50, gold, q month as
against their 1910. But I have 500
every month of the year and live
better than I'd even hope to live
when / was in the States"
How long have you been here?"
he was asked.
I've only been back seven months
this last time" he replied. prior
to that time / worked here four
years; then / went home and bought
a farm. Now I want another farm.
80 7 came back where the money was
easy"
There Is no high cost of living
on the Isthmus. The government
employee there can purchase the best
porterhouss steaks {kspt In q cold
storage plant operated by the Suhsfs-
tence Department. for from ten to
fifteen cents less than in the United
States. The two lone staples, upon
which the price has increased in the
last tour years are ham and bacon.
The monetary system in the Zone
is based on the gold standard of
American and the silver money OF
South America. American money In
worth twice as much as Mexican"
1t Ia rather perplexing for the eiti-
zens of the States to go into an
American bar" in Panama City run
by, say. a citizen Of New York, to
buy a glass of imported beer and to
receive $3.50 in queer tinkly Pana-
money as change for a SIS bill.
Everybody In Panama City takes
a carriage. lei II going only a few
steps. The heat Is 50 oppressive
that one learns quickly to husband
his energy. The visitor used to
Yankee Cables will be astonished at
the conclusion of an hours ride
through Panama City behind a dim
inutive pony, to learn that 1t costs
him just eighty cents gold. The
only way in which the cabby Che is
generally a negro who talks English
haltingiy with q queer Spanish ac-
cent? gets wen 10 by charging you
enormous prices Tin Mexican money!
for all etoDs and wajfa
In the States one hears a great
deal about earthquakes in Central
and South America and the fear has
been expressed by some that such a
eonvulsion would destroy the locks
and dams of the canal. Down at
Panama the visitor who thus ex-
presses himself is given visual and
documentary REPUTATION. He Ia first
taken to the Cathedral ruins In Pan
aun City and there may see two
magnificent brick arches which have