Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-21

of proper quarters, but on the other
hand use the commissary as a money-
making institution, they can afford TO
pay higher wages than are paid al
Panama. OF course the employe never
has as much at the end of the month
as at Panama, but the high cost OF
living is not referred to when the re-
cruiting agent starts out. He tallss
only about the high wages paid. The
Isthmus formed an attractive recruit-
ing ground, because there could be
found men skilled in every phase or
construction work.
At last the commission got tired OF
having its labor enticed away, and
induced the president to issue an exec
utive order making ii a misdemeanor
for any person to recruit labor from
the force on the canal. This worked
all right so far as IL related to acts
done on the canal zone, but 1t failed
to reach the recruiting agent who.
made his headquarters in Panama or
Colon. One especially active agent be-
came so annoying that the Panama re-
public issued an order-for his deporta-
ton from Panama. He was put on an
outgoing ship and deported. Through
counsel he appealed to the courts and
1t was held that the Panama republlc'
had transcribed its authority in BAN
ishing an American citizen in this way
Ilt lhdllti Has DNtll Nei iSA iii5AaNi
and it is not certain what will be the
outcome. of it. However, the commis-
sion is determined that its splendid
force shall not be preyed upon by out
side recruiting agents.
More than 1000 European laborers
have been brought to the Isthmus since
the inception of the work. The total
cost of recruiting these men amounted
to half million dollars OF this all
but 100000 was refunded by the
laborers themselves for transportation
and other expenses so that the net
cost of recruiting the European labor
force amounted to less than 80 per
head. During the past year the excess
of arrivals over departures at Isthmian
ports amounted to over 1900 souls.
This practically represents the growth
of the permanent population. 1t is
said that from now on the force can be
recruited to the full quota from the
little island of Barbados alone. 1t is
so densely populated that the people
have a hard struggle for existence,
and England welcomes the recruiting
of labor from there. The commission
pays So per mead for every lahorer sent
to the Isthmus by the resident recruit
ing agent.
The labor force on the Isthmus Is
now at its maximum. more than $4,000
people being on the pay rolls. With the
approaching completion of the reloca-
tion work on the Panama railroad. and
the gradual narrowing of the excava-
tion work on the canal itself, there
will be a corresponding decrease in the
amount of labor required. When the
great task is completed there will be
mighty exodus of labor from Pan
anna. with more than $4,000 people
living directly and indirectly off of the
canal construction. the force will have
to be cut down gradually or the worlds
supply and demand for labor will be
thrown out of balance.
Before this is published the amount
of excavated material in the canal
proper will have reached n grand to-
tai of 1OO,O00,00O cubic yards, leaving
some $4,000 900 cubic yards to be eXca-
waited. This means but little until ii is
reduced to comprehensive terms. If
the whole capitol of the United States
were as high as the topmost feather
that decks the cap of Miss Liberty, il
would require more than sixty such
structures to equal in bulk the excava-
tion that already has taken place
If the rate of progress that has been
made since the inception OF the work
| by the Americans is maintained until
! its completion, the last shoVelful of
dirt ought to fly in the summer of 1914.
That even better performance than
this could be made is shown by the
fact that during the past three calen-
dar years more than 90.000.000 cubic
yards of soil has been excavated.
During the past two years the exca-
vations have amounted to about 49,
000, 900 cubic yards. If the rate of
1908 and 1909 were maintained to the
end of tho work should be done in 1912.
When Colonel Goethals first predicted
that the Gatun dam. and not the Cuio-
bra cut, would be the feature which
would determine the time it would
take to build the canal, he was thought
by some to be in error. Yet there re-
mains less than 33000,000 cubic yards
to be excavated as against moro than
"A, 00,000 cubic yards already taken
out Three years would moro than
suffice to finish that part of the work
If the present rate of progress were
maintained But it will not be desir-
able to maintain this speed, since the
most economical administration of the
construction work requires that the
whole canal be completed at the same
time. Colonel Goethals still places the
opening date in 1915, but in doing so
he has simply been wise enough to
allow himself safe margin.