Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-11-07
Great king c0RC III IS MOI UTOPIA
Day Dreams About Panam, !.
DispeIled.
Government Agent Warns youno NJ.
Who Want to Go SOUTHERN. Wy" ~
Danger In Seeking opportunL
ties In Central Amerle,

ties In Central Amerlea.
me question as to the opportun,+.
IN Panama and Central and U.aa
America for the young man xi,SS sla
capital Is asked hundreds Of ,,Hs
monthly. according to United s,..s '
Commercial Agent Garrard Har,i. '
1t will be asked many times ~.
now, as the Panama canal nears co.
pletion, Mr.. Harris thinks, since m.a
young men are figuring vaguely !.
going to one Of the Central or Soma
American republics, believing w,a
pluck and energy they can win on, !.
spite of all handicaps.
THE impression seems to be ",,,.
Mr.. Harris. that the goyernmo,.
plans either to homestead the "a,
mile strip across the isthmus or sell !.
lease the land upon such terms az MN
attract immigrants. and that Panam,
is sort Of ideal place, where the po,
eminent will in some way guarants.
every man livelihood, or at least !,
immediate cash market and at IN,
notch prices for what he can NM
duce.
THE fact Is there are no opportunl
ties IN any Of the Central America,
republics for a man. either youns -
old. who lacks capital. To 70 thar
without ample resources USUALLY
means an ultimate call on the folh
back home for help to get away, IN !.
less, of course, the person intends I.
take up a tract of land and farm Il
In that event he had better bring hh
labor with him. for lack of labor |,
what prevents the more rapid develop
ment Of the entire region from Beliss
to Puerto Bello.
While, as rule, land may be had
cheaply in Central America, e1cep
on the canal zone, and settlers e.
fects may be brought in free of duty,
the problem of clearing and putting
the land in cultivation is a serious one
and calls for considerable money.
Moreover, there must be reserve to /
support the developer until his land
produces something besides weekly
payroll" I
Mr.. Harris says banana farming ~ !;
quires a tremendous outlay, for bans
mas grow best only in the tropical Jun
gle at practical sea level and few
hundred feet above. 1t requirek
moreover, a considerable outlay 10
clear the land, and year or more \
before q cent Of revenue may be q. \
pected. Longer time is required tT |
coffee, which costs more to establbl
than bananas, and takes longer y
come into bearing.
To get out mahogany, cedar, ceibar
and other woods" continues Mr.. Har i
ris, takes capital and equipment 10
develop the mineral resources requlla
money and lots of it. There Is gold D
most Of the Central American couf
tries, but generally It is not Of the M I
milling sort. Very little placer goia
is found, and there must be stamp
mills and processes to extract 1t. IoaH
get the silver, lead and other minerals
requires smelters, equipment aN
much outlay.
1.-THE mercantile field is filled BY y \
tive merchants and by Germans aM /
others who speak the Language per
fectly, who have been long ID y
countries, and who are familiar wv
conditions and customs. There ~
more commission men and manul.e
turers' representatives than
amount of business would seem
justify. There is no demand on =
part of native houses for Amef'aa
help. Therefore, without anaase
ments for business connections oe'a.
starting, any young man Is iooln'.u
to venture to these countries ezps1
ink to find something to do Tne'e ~
vastly more chances at home
With reference to the Panama c.a4
zone Mr.. Harris says the average 81
son does not realize how broken - B
hillv the land is, and how unsutsa : ~
cultivation. .u.
Except for quarters for the wv
more operatives who will be neeaee a
connection with the canal and INC =
mama railroad" continues Mr. n. n,
"the canal zone will be sort OF ~ y,
tary reservation. This is an espes
ly bad time to 90 to Panama lo0' =.
for opportunities. The bulk .. -
work has been done on the cana -
the canal commission is now graau' II
cutting down forces and Ietuns :
competent men who have servs' u
clerical: operative, mechanical =,
other capacities. If there ID >, :
chance for work In the repup'''
mama these men will get 1t. u
"There are no opportunities lol !.
man without money, definite anu =, :
special occupation. Those WIN 800 ~
Central America on a long eus
without any or all of these equ,pms .re
but most especially money WIZ