The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1913-10-31
CHAPTER XIII.

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~ 1915. celebrating the formal
opening of the Panama canal,
will be the most truly interna'
tional exposition ever held in this
country or any other.
Not only is the object of the exposi-
ton international In interest, but there
is not nation under the sun, possibly,
which has not contributed some of Its
citizens to the construction force OF
the canal. in the census of the canal
zone taken In February, 1912, forty
nationaities are listedu
At the beginning Of the American
occupation. in 1904, there were 74e
men employed on the canal. Accord
ing to the quartermaster's department,
the highest force of record since then
was in April. 1913. when the payrolls
showed 44,661 employees.
The percentage of Americans In the
total working force usually has been
one-siXth or one-seventh. Their work
is of supervisory character, or
skilled labor, such as mechanics, car
penters. plumbers, maSons, electricians,
etc. They also are the steam shovel,
locomotive and marine engineers, rail.
road conductors, time inspectors, fire
men, policemen, all branches Of civil
administration, Office forces, sanitary
and hospital officers, foremen, civil en-
gineers, and the like.
Laborers did not come to the canal
zone in sufficient numbers during the
early years. necessitating recruiting
offices in Europe. the West Indies and
the United States. A total of 43,OOO
men were imported under contract
with the commission from 1904 to
1910.
Spain furnished the largest number
of European laborers to the canal un
til the government of that country In
1908 forbid further emigration to Pan
anna. Out of a total of 1l,707 Euro
pean laborers imported to 1910, S,22:
were Spaniards, and the others came
principally from Italy, France and Ar
menia.
The colored labor predominates II
the canal zone and was obtained in the
islands of the West Indies. Barbados
furnished the largest number, l0,44S
The largest immigration for one veal
was in 1907, when l4,942 laborers were
imported.
Nbr hoc 1fsnu N n
canal zone by dividing the employees
into gold" and "Silver" men. In thu
first category are the Americans anC
in the second the common and unskill
ed laborers Wages are paid In silve
to the IabOrers. and salaries to thu
| Americans are paid in gold. This dis
| tinctiOn is not hard and fast one
and the idea was adopted rs the hes
means for the government to draw tn,
color line. Second class coaches ar
| provided on the trains, special win
dOws in the poStotfices, special clerk
in the commisSary and separate eating
places for the silver employees.
Many labor saving devices hav,
been born of necessity in the cana
zone. The honor for inventing TIL
: greatest Of these belongs to w. q
Rierd, formerly general manager of tn
Panama railroad and the man VIII
, most largely was responsible for bring
ing that archaic system from chao
to order under Chief Engineer Ste
vens. He originated track shifte
which does the work of 500 men II
one day and requires only nine men t
operate it.
Strikes have never been successful Il
! the canal zone. In 1904 President ROoSe
welt gave the commission the power t
expel anybody from the canal ION
who, i'm its discretion, was not neces
sary to the work of building the cana
or was Objectionable for any reason
No such power resides in any Amer
can state executive. but the suprem
court held that the canal zone wa
not under the constitution and wa
subject to the regulation of militar
reservation.
The canal employees are the mos
pampered set Of workers in the world
an eight hour day with two hour II
PERMISSION at noon. first class boar
cheaper than in the United States, fire
quarters, free medical service on fu
pay. nine holidays on pay, reduce
railroad rates. wages and salaries frol
30 to 50 per cent higher thah IN Ia
United States, an annual vacation Q
forty-two days on full pay for gold en-
,4Ie.,oaa sud tho nAeasssrias of life fe