El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-03-17
Labor Troubles In Panama
GOVERNMENT NOW HAS PLENTY OF HELP

other hand use the cOmmissary as a
money making institution. they can at
ford to pay higher wages than are paid
at 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 recruiting
agent starts out. He talks only about
the high wages paid The is5hmus form
ed an attractive recruiting ground, be-
cause there could be found men skilled
in every phase of construction work
At last the commission got tired of
having its labor enticed away, and in
duced the president to issue an execu-
tive order making 1t a misdemeanor for
any person to recruit labor from the
force on the canal This worked an
right so far as it related TO acts done
on the canal zone, but it failed to reach
the recruiting agent who made his
headquarters in Panama or Colon.
One especially active agent became
so annoying that the Panama republic
issued an order for his deportation from
Panama He was put on an outgoing
ship and deported. Through counsel h
appealed to the courts and 1t was held
that the Panama republic had trans
cended its authority in banishing an
American citizen in this way. The mat
ter has been carried higher, and 1T Is
not certain what Will be the outcome
of It, However. the commission is de-
termined that its force shall not De
preyed upon by outside recruiting
agents.
Over 81 900 On PayroIIs.
More than 1900 European laborers
have been brought to the isthmus since
the inception of the work. The total
cost of recruiting these men amounted
to 100000. 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 SO per head.
During the past year the excess Of
arrivals over departures az isthmian
ports amounted to over $4,000 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 la
Dor from there. The commission pays
81 per head for every iaborer sent TO
the isthmus by the resident recruiting
agent.
The labor force on the isthmus is now
at it's maximum, more than $4,000 peo-
pie being on the payrolis-
With the approaching completion Of
the relocation work on the Panama rail-
road, and the gradual narrowing of the
excavation 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 a mighty exodus of labor
from Panama With more than $4,000
people living directly and indirectly off
of the canal construction, the force viii
have to be cut down gradually or the
worlds supply and demand for labor
will be thrown out OF balance
Mammoth Excavation.
The amount OF excavated material n
the canal proper has reached a grand
total Of 100, 100000 cubic yards, leaving
some $4,000, 600 cubic yards to be exca-
waited. This means but little until 1t is
reduced to comprehensive terms II
the whole capitol Of the United States
were as high as the topmost feather
that decks the cap of Miss Liberty, ii
would require more than so such struc-
lures to equal in bulk the excavation
that already has taken place
II the rate of progress that has been
made since the inception of the work
by the Americans is maintained until
its completion, the last shovelfu1 of
That even a better performance than
this could be made is shown by the fact
that during the past three calendar
years more than 90.OOo.O0O cubic yards
of soil has been excavated- During the
past two years the excavations have
amounted to about 100000 cubic
yards. If the rate of 1908 and 1909
were maintained 10 the end the work
would be cone N 1912.
Opening To Be In 1915.
When Col. GOethals first predicted
that the Gatum dam, and not the Guile
bra cut, would be the feature which
would determine the time ii would take
to build the canal, he was thought BY
some to be in error. Yet there remains
less than 100000 cubic yards to be
excavated, against more than $4,000,
900 CUBIC yards already taken out
Three years would more than suffice
to finish that part OF rhe work If the
present rate of progress were main
tanned. But IL will not be desirable to
maintain this speed, since the most
economical administration of the con-
struction work requires that the whole
canal be completed at the same time.
Col Goethals still places the opening
date in 1915, but in doing so he has
simply been wise enough to allow him.
self q safe margin.
Tomorrow-Can Animals Think?