The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-07-02
PANAMA WORKERS REST
PAID MEN IN THE WORLD
Does Government Get the Worth of It's Money With
Long Vacations and Free Homes-Iiow \eoroe,
and Whites Work in the Tropics-Are $4,000
Workers.

II '1NNSt II 2
lly grew. We found a large amolpt
OF recruiting was necessary, and with F,
IL the next year or SO we brought
IN over $4,000 silver men. Of these
more than II, 600 came from Europe.
about 1900 from Barbados and the
balance from the other islands Of the
West Indies and Colombia.
W had abor agents at Paris who
cid the recruiting from Spain. get
ting abOu 500 laborers at a time and
sending them over. We had to ad-
vance. money, and it actually cost
as $40 per man for every Spaniard.
although that sum was returned to
the government in the first two wage
payments.
1T cost US 1920 per head for the
Ia borers from the West Indies. This
sum was not paid back, but was
charged to the expense account. When
| arrived here in 1908 We still had re-
cruiting agencies in Barbados. Trini-
dad. France and the United States.
But We need nothing OF this character
now. Indeed, We are offered more
Ia Dor than we can use and we are
sending men back home rather than
them here"
How about Central and South
America? Have those countries fur
asked.
No replied. Col. Deyol. We re-
Gently brought in forty or fifty Pc
ruVians and paid them 20 cents an
hour. But as a rule our labor has
come from the sources | have men
toned.
The Spaniard VS.. the West Indian
Negro.
Hhere the question arose as to the
efficiency Of European cheap labor
in comparison with the West Indian
labor. and Col. Devol said:
" are, you know, paying the
Spaniard more than the West Indian.
We fixed the wages at the beginning
of the work, estimating the Spanish
labor as worth two and a half times
that Of the Jamaican. We then es-
tablished a rate Of 20 cents gold per
hour for the Spaniards, and 10 cents
per hour for the Iamaicans. AS the
work has progressed the most Of the
men on the canal believe hat the
Spaniard has only stood Lat. while
the negro has steadily gained in eff
ficiency, and it1is my own belief that
the negro is now about as good as
the Spaniard, although he still re-
ceives less pay. Indeed, my respect
for his negro labor has risen during
y every year Of my stay. The West IN
dams are and nXiOu to
learn. ! use many of them as mule
drivers. and although they were at
- 81 SIy poCAs thSS - ~ 80 SooA
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 men,"
81 think not. The White man can
work here quite as we'll as the cOlored
man. The Americans are perfectly
/ healthy. and | see no reason why they
should not work here all their lives
tt is different in the Philippines. The
E heat there is more intense and more
|, e~nervating. When ! went to those is
lands / weighed $50 pounds, and
lost something like eighteen pounds
during my stay. Here | find it diff
cult to keep my weight down. and my
health is excellent
There has been much misappre-
4 hension as to the unhealth of the
tropics and the tropical heat con
tInued Colonel DevOl. This is SO a!
: to both animals and men. When W.
took possession Of the Philippines w
: tried to acclimate our mules. Al frs
e | kept them under canvas during thu
h heat Of the day for fear the SUI
y would hurt them. I soon found thi.
e useless. and after a short time pu
S them to work as soon as they cam
s off the boats. | distributed thousand!
: of them throughout the islands. ant
0 they throve there quite as we'll as q
X home
k LAS to the Americans on the 18th
h mus YOU will not find a healthie.
e class Of WOrkmen anywhere else
Y Their death rate is exceeding low
n and far lower than that of the Cnltet
: States. Even including the coloret
IS labor. we find that our death ant
/. health rates are quite as low as thos'
of most other parts Of the world.
It The Negroes and the Whites.
n GLOW abou order? Do YOU hay
1t much trouble in keeping the colore'
h men in check:
d NO. doubt whether YOU will fin
n a more quiet body Of workmen any
where else On the face Of the globe
t We have more than $1,000 Color
l. ed men on our rolls. n We haN
Ie had no serious labor trouble since W
n began. There are no brawls and n
q drunkenness to speak OF. and the me
n. are universally polite and respectfu