Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1910-03-30
MORE ABOUT PANAMA.
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cars, which carry the concrete to
the base of the large aerial tram
way, where great aerial cars are
loaded, lifted into the air a hun
dred feet or more, and then run out
rapidly on cables and are stopped,
dropped to their proper places and
loaded with an accuracy varying
not over one-half inch from the
spot desired 1t is difficult to de-
scribe it's immensely and rapidity Of
operation. There is nothing like it
in the world.
There are various other phases of
the work that are very interesting,
some of which we will outline
briefly. For instance, there are
about 5000 Americans on the canal
zone, and altogether about $4,000
foreigners and natives. The Span
iards are the best day laborers,
though there are more jamaican
negroes than any others, besides
Italians and various other Europe
ans. The Isthmian pay rolls aver
age over $1,50O,O0O per month.
American employees and European
laborers are paid in gold. West
Indian laborers are paid in silver.
Over AZ tons of silver are paid out
monthly.
The most accurate cost system
possible is kept of everything on the
canal, and it soon becomes apparent
to the visitor that every man at
work is earning all he gets, for
there is not a sign of idleness or
loafng anywhere. Every foreman
is directly responsible for the high
est quantity and quality of work
under his charge, and the spirit of
Col Goethals, the great man at the
head of it all, has permeated every
department of the canal work. He
has the confidence and esteem Of
every man on the job, and is doing
a work which will accord him
a place in the history of the world
Every man has the booster
spirit" and every man is doing his
full snare in the great work.
The Quartermaster's Department
performs all duties in connection
with the recruiting of laborers, the
housing of employees, the2 construc-
tion and repair of buildings, the
purchase of material on the 18TH
mus, the custody and issue of all
material from the immense store
houses, and the supplying of animal
transportation. No one not an
American citizen can be employed
on the "gold roll" These are all
furnished suitable quarters. The
houses are all uniform in design,
are built up off the ground three
or four feet on posts, are in the
form of bungalow, wide screened
porches, painted drab with white
trimmings. They are very comfort
able homes, and the most of them
have we'll kept lawns and beautiful
flower gardens about them. Bach
elor quarters are in the form of
hotels or club houses, two story,
built similar to the family quarters.
The United States took over large
number of houses erected by the
French, which have been fitted up
and are used wherever practicable.
In addition to quarters, the Com
mission furnishes employees electric
light, certain furniture, coal for
kitchen stoves, distilled water and
Employees may have thirty days
sick leave with pay per annum, and
thirty days injury leave.
The labor problem is one of the
most difficult to solve of any con-
struction work in the tropics. Dur
ing the building of the Panama
Railroad and the French work on
the canal, they met the same diff
Guilty. The problem of getting la
Dor, training it, and keep it at work
is a difficult one. The creates sue
cess has been attained through i'm
porting European laborers to COM
pete with and set the pace for the
West Indian laborers. Over 10000
have been brought from Spain, Italy
and Greece. West Indian laborers
have been recruited mostly from
Barbados, Guadalupe, Martinique
trinidad and st. Kits. In all
about $4,000 West Indians have
been recruited and brought to the
Isthmus.
The West Indian laborer is paid
, $1.00 per day for nine hours, and
furnished three meals for 80 cents
If desired. He is also furnished
quarters. The European laborel
receives $500 for nine hours, and IL
charged As cents per day for three
meals, also being furnished quar-
tiers. The standard rate of pay fol