The Washington herald., 1913-03-09
BY EDWARD T. DEvINE,
Editor Of the Survey.

The end is in sight. Shops are concen-
trating, houses are being demolished
where they are no longer needed. pur-
chases OF materials are made cautiously,
army officers are specializing about future
details, the Federation Of Women's
Clubs has held its last annual meeting.
And yet, notwithstanding the unmistak-
able signs Of an early end, there are at
the moment more men actually employed
on the Canal Zone than at any previous
time-over 10000 The whole organization
is working at its maximum capacity.
Yes. this is the time to see the canal.
The hospitals and the penitentiary are
In smooth working order. The quarters
supplied by the authorities are fully oc-
cupied-congested at some places, the
official reports say-and besides. whole
villages Of unofficial commercial tene-
ments are crowded really congested,
with laborers and their families. Conges-
ton OF population and extortionate rents
are among the sights of the Canal Zone,
which may be less in evidence next year
than this. The red light districts of
Panama and Colon will no doubt remain.
at least for a while. and the lottery 0or
these are not on the Canal Zone) and
the overcrowding in those two cities will
continue unless the United States.
through its new civil government in the
Canal Zone. decides to extend its sani-
tary regulations and police surveillance,
as the treaty with Panama gives II the
right to do IL it deems it expedient
Social Workers. Interest.
The three departments of the Canal
Zone administration which have greatest
interest for the social worker are those
of the quartermaster. which includes the
recruiting of labor and the erection and
management OF quarter" sanitation.
which includes not only preventive sani-
tation. but also the management of hos
pitfalls and dispensaries, and civil ad-
under which come the
schools. the post-oflicc. the courts. and
police. the jails and the pcnitentiary.
The Chief quartermaster's functions are
greater than the uninitiated might sup
pose. The sanitary department. for ex-
ample. decides upon health policies. but
the houses and settlements shall
really be sanitary depends. of course, up
on the way In which they are kept, the
of night soil and garbage. the |
cutting Of grass and digging of drains. |
the supply Of drinking water. and other |
services the actual performance Of which |
ievolyes upon the quartermaster's de- |
partment. |
The story of sanitation is summed up
IN the fact that yellow fever is banished |
md malaria controlled. There are. of
course. many deaths from accidents, |
from tuberculosis, and some |
rom malaria The death rate on the |
Zone for the last fiscal year. including |
he cities OF Colon and Panama. was /
per thousand. In 1867 II had been |
2os. The general index for health con-
litions. however. is the morbidity rate
'or malaria. This has steadily decrea sed
'er thousand from ~ cases in 1866 to
i3 in 1sI1-l2
There is a high infant death rate:
.2l2 deaths out of S,1s3 last year being
u children under five years of age. and
6S of these under one year. Pulmonary
in all ages accounted for
s3 deaths; malaria and malarial fever
or 80: diarrhea and enteritis for S9i. and
sright's disease for lis. There were
wenty two suicides.
School attendance is not compulsory.
,ut is general and reasonably regular.
n December for example. the net en-
'ollment in the white schools was l,e41.
he average number belonging LOS, and
lie average daily attendance 1.05. In
he colored schools an enrolment was
bout the same, but the average daily
ttendance only about three-fourths as
rood. There is an efficient corps Of
eachers. most of whom have had pro-
essional training and experience
Juvenile Problems.
There is no law against child labor in
he Canal Zone and the Official regula-
ions distinctly recognize Boy \ and Boy I
rstes OF pay, which are five and seven
ents an hour. respectively. Tho boys
re mainly water carriers and messen- ,
ers. On June 30. 1912. there were only ,
hree employees receiving the five cent !