The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1913-09-29
cHAPTER XIY.


~ URING the first year OF Ameri.
can operations in Panama the
problem Of food and merchan-
disc supply for the army OF
workers was not worked out.
Chief Engineer Stevens in 1885
surned his attention to this problem
as one upon the proper solution OF
which would depend satisfactory con-
ditions Of living for the canal work
ers. BY April, 1907, when he resigned,
the present commlssary and hotel sys-
TENS, as .wen as the system OF hous-
ing the employees. which challenge
the admiration Of the tourist, had been
created, and all that was left to Colo
mel GoethaIs to do in this phase of the
task was to enlarge the systems as the
organization expanded.
Owing in part to the immense guam
titles In which all articles are bought
md the absence Of a grasping policy
as to profits, the canal employees Gus
tomarily buy almost everything more
cheaply. than the same merchandise
sells for in the United States.
For one reason there 1. mo tarif in
the canal zone. Foreign made goods
are imported without the expense to
the consumer that the high protective
duties at home necessitate. Irish lin
ems, English and Scotch cloth, French
perfumery. Swiss and Scandinavian
dairy products and a wide variety Of
other European manufactures make
the commissary, with the American
merchandise in stock, great depart
ment store, which In the fiscal year
1912 did a business amounting to $6,-
7o2, 3556s.
General headquarters are at oristo.
bal, on the Atlantic side. The steam
ships of the Panama Railroad line every
week replenish the food supplies with
seasonable offerings from the Ameri.
can markets. The scope of the opera
lions includesSa laundry, bakery, ice
cream plant. Ice factory. cold storage,
coffee roasting plant and laboratory
for making extracts.
The year 1911 is typical OF the scale
onswhich the commissary has been op.
Grated since 1906. Importations Of
principal commodities were as follows:
Groceries .......................... A,27s5sl.7s
Hardware ....................... s6S6sS6
Dry GOODS OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. COS, f90.16
Boots and shoes ,............... 164.16s.sp
Cold storage supplies. ....,.... 157s. aO2. 81
furniture .................."..... 9,020.4s
Tobacco ...s..s.s.........."..... 1S2,5e0.96
Raw materials ............o..... 1885. %
Paper. stationery. etc........... 54.57ao6
Total 81, 90, 1921 5
These importatons do not represent
the total transactions of the commits
sdry for tiat yenr. rs the stock on.
hand and bought on the lsthmus rap
the volume OF business to $5.T54. $500.
or this. amount the commission paid
81, 025.34s.TT for supplies used In the
hotels, messes, Kitchens and elsewhere,
and 50 COZ, 3JS.Ol Represents the amount
of the total which was paid by ems
ployees using coupon books. Nineteen
stores were operated lii as many set
Elements aud towns. and the average
monthly business was siTp5T0.Go.
No cash sales are made at the COM
missary Employees are issued cou-
pom books in value from SEQ to $15
ind containing coupons Ringing in
face vaIue from | cent to IS cents.
Enough coupons are torn ont By the
Jerks to cover each purchase. AT the
md Of each month the valiic Of the
coupon books is deducted from the en-.
ployee's salary.
ITO be- continued.yA