The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-06-30

l, 1904. the total force was $500 Of
whom only 500 were Americans. we
had considerable sLckntes and this
force was not permanent, although 1t
steadily grew in numbers 1t was
made up largely OF men who would
stay only few months and then go
away Nevertheless, II steadily grew
we round large amount OF recruiting
was necessary. and within the next
year or SO we brought in over 1900
silver men. or these more than Ii 900
came from Europe, about 1900 from
Barbados and the balance from the
other Islands of the West Indies and
Columbia"
We had labor agents at Paris who
did the recruiting from Spain. getting
about 500 la5orers at a time and send
ms them over. We had to advance
per man for every Spaniard although
that sum was returned to the cavern
ment in the first two wage payments.
'It cost W. s7.2o per head for the
!aborers from the West Indies. This
sum was not paid back, but was
charged to the expense account. When
l arrived here In 1908 we still had
recruiting agencies in Barbados, Trim
idad, France and the United States.
But We need nothing of this character
now. Indeed. we are offered more
labor than we can use and we are
sending men back home rather than
bringing them here.
How abou, Central and South
America? Have those countries fur
nshed much labor 70 the canal?"
asked
No" replied coronei Deyol. we
recently brought In forty or fifty Peru
VANS and paid them 20 cents an hour.
But as rule our labor has come from
the sources have mentioned"
The spnninrd vs.. the West Indian
Negro.
Here the question arose as TO the
efficiency OF European chap labor in
comparison with the West Indian
labor and Colonel Devol said:
We are, you know. paying the Span
iards more than the west indians. We
fix I'd the wages at the beginning of
the work. estimating the snanish labor
as worth TWO and half times that
OF the Jamaican. We then established a
rate of 20 cents gold per hour for the
Spania-ds, and 10 cents per hour for
the Jamaicans. AS the work has prog
ressed the most OF the men on the
canal believe that the spaniard has
only stood pat. while the negro has
steduiIH gained IN elnclency. and ii
is my cwn belief that the negro is
now about as good as tho Spaniard
although he still receives less pay.
Indeed. my respect for this negro labor
has risen during every year Of my stay
The West Indians are tea hebie and
anxious to learn. | use many Of them
as mule drivers and although they
were at first very poor. they are now
az good as any in the country"
The White Man and the Tropics.
But cannot the negroes stand the
sun of the tropics better than the
white mem"
II think not. Tho white ran can
work here quite as we'll as the coll
ored man. The Americans are per-
why they should not WORK here all
their lives. 1t is different in tho
Philippines The heat there IS more
intense and moro enervating When
went to those Islands I weighed $50
rounds, and lost something like
eighteen pounds during my stay. Here
find 1t difficult to keep my weight
down. and my health Is excellent"
There has been much misappre-
hension MS In the unheaIth of the
tropics and the tro. cal heat" CON
tinued Colonel Devol this is so as
to both animals and men. When we
took possession OF the Philippines we
tried to acclimate our mules At first
kept them under canvas during the
heat OF the day for fear the sun
would hurt them ] soon found thAl
useless and after short time put
them to work as soon MS they came
off the boats. / distributed thousands