The Washington herald., 1910-11-18
Now Bound for Home Aboard
Battle Ship Tennessee.
employees GO OUT ON STRIKE
Request for Increase in Wages Being
Refused by President, Canal Work
ers Quit and Strike May Spread.
Taft InsDccts Colon Harbor for
Possible Fertilization Sites.


day ended his four days visit to- tho
Canal Zone. He inspected the Nirafores
and Pedro Miguel lock and the Pacific
entrance to the canal Then boarding a
tug. he and his party made cruise
among the islands In the harbor. looking
over the possible sites for fortiications.
The party left Balboa at ? o'clock this
afternoon and proceeded by special train
10 Colon. where they arrived al 4 o'clock.
drive was taken In the nelghborhood
Of Colon, after which the party boarded
the battle ship Tennessee, which sailed
az o'clock for Charleston. by way OF
Guantanamo. where the President Will
inspect the naval station. AS the Pres
ident boarded the Tennessee a salute was
fired
The canal employees, whose request for
an increase IN their hourly pay was prae-
ueally refused yesterday by Mr.. Taft.
quit work to-day. They demanded that
the increase they asked for be granted
Immediately. Mr.. Taft subsequently
asked them to wait for a definite replv
until he reached Charleston. The fact
that they have struck viii cause only
temporary inconvenience.
Strike May Spread.
It is probable however, that the ma
chinists, blacksmiths, molders. and loco
motive engineers viii also strike. Twenty
five per cent Of the American employees
are involved in the dispute. Mr.. Taft
informed the deputation who visited him
yesterday that the canal employees were
the best paid workmen in the world.
They receive from 20 10 % per cent higher
wages than men in the same trades In the
United States, and furthermore they re-
ceive fuel quarters. and medical atten-
tion free. and are allowed a Communication
on purchases made from the commissary.
Bernard Baker, of Baltimore. who left
Tor san Antonio, Tex after a conference
yesterday with Mr.. Taft, In reference TO
canal tolls, facilities for coaling, and
terminals. said that a line of steamers.
among the largest ahoat, would be estab-
lished 10 ply between New York and
San Francisco as soon as the canal is
opened.
Pleased with the Work.
Prior TO sailing President Taft issued |
the following:
1T is about twenty-five months since |
was here the last time and the progress
that has been made is most satisfactory. |
1t is indeed remarkable that the questions
ef houses for the employees, the commits |
sary, eonyeniences Of life. and adequate |
labor. which during my prior visits pre- |
sented serious OBSTACLES have largely |
disappeared.
when I was here twenty-five months |
ago the main question was the confrma- /
tion of the judgment OF Congress in 1
adopting lock instead OF sea-level con-
struction. The Gatun dam and locks /
have removed the slightest doubt as to /
the wisdom OF the plan adopted, and the
conclusion is clinched by the difficulty
OF the slides In the Culebra Cut, which |
show that an attempt TO sink a canal /
there eight miles long and TO d depth
eighty feet below the proposed level would
9ngthen the time of construction % such
an extent as TO weary the patience of
the American people. make the cost pro-
hibitive, and leave doubtful the question
whether, with the difficulty of the
chagres River. such a canal would be
possible
Work Well Under Way.
Now, the Gatun dam and locks. with
the lake, now IS feet deep and slowly
rising TO P depth OF S. feet. is the kew
Of the whole plan The work is now
so far advanced that with the Culebra
Cut and the locks at Pedro Miguel II
gives a definite picture OF the canal The
slides In the CulebTa Cut grow out of the
peculiar geological formation. IgDeous
rock and sedimentary rock lie in iuxtapo-
sition, and the sedimentary rock loses
Its supporting quality through exposure
to the air or is Of such weak structure
as to collapse when the balanced SUM-
port given in its natural position Is
withdrawn. Such slides are easily re-
moved by excavation and by widening
the slope.
The time has come 10 discuss tolls
terminals, the economical disposition OF
tse vast plant, arrangements of peculiar
Importance 10 the United States navy
and the proper means Of policing ana de-
Tending the greatest work of centuries
The esprit among the canal EMPLOYEES
and the intelligent and patriotic leader
ship Of Lieut.. Col GOethals at every turn
leave no doubt that the canal will he
fully completed by January, 1915 Within
4 cngf ~ S27S 900 on