The Washington herald., 1910-01-25
AT THE HOTELS.

THE Congress OF the United States has.
by Joint resolution. named Tampa as ths
American port Of entry, the nearest to
and consequently the one to be most
benefited by the construction Of the
Panama Canal" said Col. Thomas J. L
Brown. president Of the Tampa Chamber
of Commerce. at the Raleigh.
| Tampa has been picked out by nature
to be the chief port OF entry for trade
! between the United States and South
America II is the terminus OF two great
| trunk line railways, while others are
building to reach a point so advantageous
and rich In future promises. But one
thing is needed, and that IS a deeper
/ haTbor 10 float the ocean Ievtathians now
! engaged IN international commerce" con-
tinued Mr.. Brown, who Is at the head OF
| the celebration Of the commencement OF
| the Panama Canal, TO be held IN Tampa
next month when the Panama Canal
shall have been completed and the west
coast OF South America, with IT'S large
cities and fertile area brought within
close sailing distance Of our own Gulf
port: when a vast trade with Chile.
Peru, and other countries on that coast,
as well as on the Atlantic side Of tho
great Southern continent OF the Western
| hemisphere shall be easily within
Tampa's grasp-if there has been created
the facilities TO handle it-I hope TO see
channel OF thirty feet depth sweeping
through the bay. and ending only within
the citys docks, TO accommodate the
! ever r-grow!ng commerce Of Tampa"
Discussing the prohibition sentiment IN
the South, Col Brown said: It am strong
ly opposed to State prohibition. I am
| believer in local option. I believe that
| the people OF each county OF district
should be permitted to decide for them
| selves what they desire in respect 10 the
/ liquor traffic What may suit one section,
what may have proved beneficial to il
/ from a moral or material standpoint. may
1 have Just the opposite effect IN another
section. And. IN giving the privilege OF
/ deciding for themselves TO each county OF
district, I would give 10 them, once they
have decided, the fullest protection Of the
law IN the enjoyment Of the conditions
for which they have voted"
/ Government work IN the Ear West IS
greatly hampered by irrigation tramps.
according to James S. Rawlins, Of Denver,
Colo, who is al the National
What would the employer IN the East
think" said Mr. Rawlins, "of q concern
whose employees shifted three times a
month? This would mean ten days as the
1e oh f-F.
And yet this has been the labor condition
which the contractors who are building
the governments great irrigation bitches
Of the West have to confront The de-
mand for labor IS now so quick, with the
amount Of railroad construction and bet
terments in progress. that a great army
OF shiftess. restless. irresponsible men
has come into existence, who go from
place 10 place, riding without cost, and
working at each point generally only long
enough 10 get the wherewithal for a
grand debauch. The Federal eigllI-hour
law puts Uncle sam TO a great disad-
vantage beside other employers IN the
/ trans Missouri belt Where men are en-
ployed in great camps away from their
homes and gardens and the amusement
Of settled communities, with nothing for
them 10 DO at the end OF the eight hours
but sit in the sun and wait for the next
days work to begin, they become more
than ever the prey Of the microbe OF
dissipation.
Signs are posted IN all the irrigation
camps" continued Mr.. Rawlins. eau
ltioning the men against pneumonia and
hard drinking. which are interTeiated
evils. II is explained that. while these
men virtually live the lives OF tramps.
never saying anything, few old men aTs
seen among them, the reason for this be-
ling that in the high attitudes pneumonia
prevails widely and cuts Of its victims
lmerciIessIy. The government serves no.
ltice on its laborers that they must take
particular care in going out into the cold
louter air from the tunnels, where the
Temperature is often Ike that OF a hot
bath, especially where underground cur
Irents Of hot water are encountered The
government has supplied drying-roOms
lin which each man IS supposed 10 pass
a half hour before starting out, but in
their fmpatience they seldom do this.
The irrigation service runs great hos
pitals. for which 81 a month IS deducted
from the pay Of all employees, and into
these the victims OF pneumonia and
mountain fever go. II they are hard
drinkers, as most OF them are, the
lchances Of recovery are relatively small.
THE sight OF the waste Of life on the part
IOf these men strikes as pathetic every
body who comes into acquaintance with
IT."
/ The Mexican government encourages
{,-i era Yiru from the United States mar