El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-06-29

negroes in our barracks, but We have
now only 1000, and the number grows
less every day"
How about the Spaniards? Do they
hold to their quarters?"
"Yes, and the same is true OF the
Italians"
Americans at Panama
care the Americans on the isthmus
satisfied with their jObs?"
I think there is no doubt of that.
You will find kickers everywhere, but
the most of the Americans are content
ed, and their only regret is that the
job is coming to an end. Indeed, they
ought to be satisfied. They get the
biggest wages of their kind and re-
ceiYe on the average from % to so
percent more than they could get in the
states. Every man of them has six
weeks vacation and those who need IL
so days sick leave They are hard
workers, but they have plenty Of rec
reation, including tournaments and
games and system of clubhouses
which is free. They have a reduced
rate Of living through the commissary
stores, where goods are sold as near
cost as possible and Uncle sam pays
their house rent and gives them their
quarters. The gold men work only
about eight hours day, and those who
are married have, in addition, what
amounts to $40 a month outside their
salary. The bachelors have what is an
equivalent of about SIS per month
What Canal Employees Get Free.
4 do not understand just what you
mean by these allowances, Col. Devol."
I mean the things that the canal
employees get for nothing, which, il he
were in the United States he would
have to pay for. We give every man
free quarters and free fuel, light, wa
ter and medical attendance. The mar
ried man receives more than the single
man, and he costs more. He lives in
house which costs US at least $3.50 to
build and furnish, and he saves at least
$40 in the rent of that house He gets
about $3.50 worth of free medical at
tendance, 81 in free transportation
over the railroad, more than So in free
light and more than 50 worth of fuel.
We take care Of his grounds and carry
away his. garbage We do not charge
him for janitor service, and altogether
$40 is a low estimate of what he has in
addition to his salary. In the same way
the bachelor receives S14 or SIS in ad-
dition to his pay
Uncle Sans Homes for Employees.
You have charge of the homes of
the employees
ter's department. Our houses, as you
know, are all modern and up to date.
They are screened from mosquitoes and
furnished with modern plumbing and
bathrooms, and each house has its
kitchen, parlor, bedrooms and living
room. Men who get less than $500
Those who have between that and $500
have bungalows and cottages and
those who have from $500 to $500
month have two story houses.
THE barrack buildings of the silver
employees each accommodate - men.
Their arrangements are modelled after
those of the United States trans
ports and they are each under the
charge of a janitor. who keeps them
clean. The floors are scrubbed twice 4
week and the hunks are taken out and
boiled in an iron tank to kill the bugs
and other vermin-
Have you been able to use many
Of the old French buildings" 1 asked.
Yes, there were 100 of them. and
we took them at a valuation of $1,000
600. They ranged in size from two
story cottages up to the big De Les
seps home at Cristobal A great many
of these buildings are in use today.
They gave US homes at the start, which
was very important consideration to
cur work"
Our Men Earn Their Wages
The conversation here turned to the
pay of the men, and Col. DevoI showed
me the books by which he keeps track
of the labor of these $4,000 employees.
The system is a complete one. includ-
ing time books for odd days and even