Omaha daily bee., 1910-12-03
STRIKE OF CANAL WoRKMEN
LiberaIity OF the Government Fails
to Satisfy Some Of the
Trmdeameu.


The American worl1men on the Panama
canal are hard to please Judging by the
fact that the boilermakers have struck
for an increase in wages, for an eight
hour day.-frOm 65 to 20 cents an hour. and
for a vacation OF six weeks with full pay.
President Taft must have been correct
in telling them that they are the best
treated workmen in the world already, for
besides a standard wage from 10 to 30
cents higher than in the same trades IN
the United States. they receive from the
government sleeping quarters, fuel, lights.
medical attention, nursing and exceptional
facilities for amusement and recreation
all for nothing. Their food is furnished
by the government at substantially the
cost price.
According to official reports. the gov
eminent on the isthmus runs the Hotel
Tivon, eighteen isthmian canal commits
sion hotels, nineteen European Iaborers'
messes and twenty common laborers'
kitchens. The Hotel Tvon was run last
year at the nominal profit Of t4.57A In
the eighteen Zine" hotels 2176,l51 meals
were served at 30 cents a meal The cost
Of supplies per meal was 24.s7 cents, and
the cost Of preparing and serving raised
the cost TO 80 cents. The government made
no profit whatever aud was content IL
the employees served at these hotels we're
satisfied with their food. The total num-
Der OF rations furnished IN the European
messes was 1.O92 Isl. at cost OF about 81
cents per ration. The total revenue from
the Tine" hotels. messes and kitchens
was s.. s5O.s5S. q decrease Of Slss,s20 over the
previous year. The subsistence depart
ment as a whole was probably run At q
loss TO the government.
There Is an elaborate system OF fires
club houses IN the canal zone for the
benefit OF the employees. In the last fiscal
year q new one was built At Gatun at q
cost OF 81 ,si2 and a smaller one at Porto
Bello at a cost Of t4.426 There were four
other club-houses already erected AZ yaTi-
Gus points along the line Of the canal
The canal commission appropriated SIS.
ua for the maintenance OF these club
houses. II q workman falls H. he IL sent
to a government hospital and taken care
OF by the best physicians ana nurses,
without any extra cost 70 himself So eE-
cellent Is the sanitation and medical Eerv-
leo that last year there were only seventy
six deaths among the several thousands
Of Americans at work on the isthmus. and
/ only thirty-nine had to be depOrted a.
unfit for service in the tropics.
In spite OF all these benefits, so sxoep-
tional in character the government finds
constant difficulty in keeping the So
called gold force" that 10, the employees
paid in gold. recruited to the required
number. In the last fiscal year there
were Si5S changes In the total force OF
SIZE. OF more than 60 per cent The
conditions Of labor In the tropics are
doubtless the cause OF this chronic unrest
and the tendency to strike exhibited By
men earning over S a day, who demand
a vacation OF six weeks without loss oi
pay, indicates that Il is quite hopeless foI
the government 70 make Its employees IL
the canal zone perfectly contented. II
life pensions should be Offered every gov.
eminent employe in canal work. the pen.
siOnS 20 begin with the completion OF III,
great work, the grievances would pile uT
faster than ever. Pensions3 The United
States may yet be called upon 70 pay
them 70 the canal buildeFs-sprinEfiel cid
Republican.