Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-09-26
CHAPTER XIII.

~ opening Of the Panama canal.
will be the most truly tnterna-
tional exposition ever held In this
country or any other. ,... .-sf'
Not only Is the object Of the exposi-
ton international in interest. but there
Is not nation under the gun, 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
nationalities are listed. r+
At the beginning Of the American
occupation. in 1904. there were 746
men employed on the canal. Accord
ing TO the quartermaster's department.
the highest force Of record since then
was In April. 1918. when the payrolls
showed 44.661 employees.
The percentage Of Americans in the
total working force usually has been
one-sixth or oHe-serenth." 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 1900
men were imported under contract
with the commission from 1904 tol
1910.
Il 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 total Of u,797 Euro
pean laborers imported to 1910, 1922
were Spaniards. and the others came
principally from Italy. France and Ar
menia.
The colored labor predominates In
the canal zone and was obtained in the
islands Of the West Indies. Barbados
furnished the largest number, 19.44S
The largest immigration for one year
was in 1907. when 1892 laborers were
imported. D.. -u'
The color line has been drawn in the
canal zone by dividing the employees
into gold" and "silver" men. In the
first category are the Americans and
in the second the common and unskll-
ed laborers Wages are paid in silver
Americans are paid In gold. This dis
tinction Is not hard and fast one.
and the idea was adopted as the best
means for the government to draw the
color line. Second class coaches are
provided on the trains, special win.
dows In the postOtfices, special clerks
in the commissary and separate eating
places for the silver employees.
Many labor saving devices have
been born Of necessity in the canal
zone The honor for inventing the
greatest of these belongs to w. G.
Bierd. formerly general manager Of the
Panama railroad and the man who
most largely was responsible for bring
ing that archaic system from chaos
to order under Chief Engineer Ste
rens. He originated track shifter
which does the work Of 800 men In
one day and requires only nine men to
operate 1t.
Strikes have never been successful tn
the canal zone In 1904 President Roose-
welt gave the commission the power to
expel anybody from the canal zone
who. in its discretion. was not neces-
sary to the work Of building the canal
or was Objectionable for any reason.
No such power resides in any Ameri-
can state executive. but the supreme
court held that the canal zone was
not under the constitution and was
subject to the regulation Of a military
reservation.
The canal employees are the most
pampered set Of workers in the world
IN eight hour day with two hour in
termission at noon. first class board
cheaper titan in the United States, free
quarters. free medical service on full
pay. nine holidays on pay, reduced
railroad rates. wages and salaries from
30 to ~ per cent higher than in the
United States. an annual vacation OF
forty-two days on full pay for gold en-
ployees and the necessaries Of life for
sale at lower prices in the government
commissary than in the United States.
No one realizes how generous the
government has been to Its employees
ut Panama more than the employee
who leaves the service to return to
work In the United States. Over and